Page 4 of The Space He Left
How could I not be there for her now?
My phone buzzed again. This time it was Harper, and guilt twisted in my stomach as I listened to her message:Drive safely. Text me when you get there.
Sweet, understanding Harper. God, I didn't deserve her. Any other woman would have thrown a fit about me leavingour anniversary dinner, would have demanded I stay and let Madison find someone else to help her with her crisis. But Harper... Harper had looked at me with those warm hazel eyes and told me to go help my friend.
My friend. That's what I'd called Madison. Just a friend from high school who needed help.
But even as I told myself that, I knew it wasn't entirely true. Madison wasn't just a friend. She was my first love, my first heartbreak, my first lesson in what it meant to care about someone more than yourself. She was the ghost that had haunted the edges of my relationship with Harper, the shadow I'd never quite been able to shake.
And now she was dying.
My breath hitched, sharp and painful. Madison, with her fierce green eyes and her dreams of conquering the world, now reduced to a hospital bed and a cancer diagnosis. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.
Another text came through:I keep thinking about high school. Do you remember that night we snuck out to the lake? You said you'd always protect me.
I did remember. Madison had been upset about her parents' latest fight, and I'd climbed through her bedroom window to take her somewhere quiet, somewhere safe. We'd sat on the dock by the lake, her head on my shoulder, and I'd promised her that no matter what happened, I'd always be there for her.
I'd always protect her.
The promise felt as real now as it had then. Maybe more real, because now I understood what it meant to lose someone. What it meant to have regrets you couldn't undo.
I wasn't going to let Madison face this alone. I couldn't.
The city lights appeared on the horizon, and I pushed the truck a little faster. Almost there. Almost to Madison, who wasscared and hurting and waiting for me to keep a promise I'd made a lifetime ago.
The hospital parking garage was nearly empty at this hour. I found a spot close to the elevators and sat in the truck for a moment, trying to gather myself. My hands were shaking slightly, and I felt like I might throw up. When was the last time I'd been this scared?
When Dad had his heart attack. When I thought I might lose him.
But Dad had pulled through. Dad was fine now, retired and happy in Florida with Mom. Madison might not be so lucky.
I pulled out my phone and texted Harper:Made it safely. Going in now. Love you.
She responded immediately:Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad you're there for her. Baby and I are cozy at home, so don't worry about us. Just focus on being a good friend. I know this must be hard for you, too. Let me know if you’re driving back tonight or staying over. I love you.
God, I really didn't deserve her.
The hospital address Madison had sent led me to a sleek, modern building in the city's upscale medical district. It looked more like a luxury spa than a hospital, with a valet out front and a lobby filled with minimalist art and plush white armchairs. A discreet sign near the elevators read The Cadogan Clinic - Center for Advanced Wellness & Rejuvenation. Private hospitals always had fancy names.
The elevator was silent and smelled faintly of gardenias. I pressed the button for the third floor. Madison had texted the room number - 314.
The hallway was hushed, carpeted in a soft grey that muffled my footsteps. It was quiet, but not the urgent, beeping quiet of a typical hospital ward. Polished chrome signs on the walls pointed the way to various suites: Dermatological Arts, SurgicalAesthetics, Post-Operative Recovery. A woman in a chic robe and slippers, looking more relaxed than sick, gave me a polite nod as she passed.
I found room 314 and hesitated outside the door, a knot of dread tightening in my stomach. Everything here felt too calm, too… serene for someone facing a cancer diagnosis. But Madison was probably paying a fortune for this place, trying to find some comfort in the middle of her terror.
I pushed the door open, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and a strange, unplaceable unease. What if she was sleeping? What if she was worse than I'd imagined? What if...
"Jack?"
The voice was so soft I almost missed it. I stepped inside, and my heart nearly stopped.
Madison was sitting up in the hospital bed, looking smaller and more fragile than I'd ever seen her. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and her face was pale, almost translucent. She was wearing a hospital gown that made her look vulnerable and young, like the girl I'd known in high school.
But it was her eyes that got me. Those green eyes I remembered so well, now filled with fear and pain and something that looked almost like... relief?
"You came," she whispered, and I could hear tears in her voice.
"Of course I came." I moved to the chair beside her bed, my voice rough with emotion. "Did you really think I wouldn't?"
