Page 3 of Awestruck at Dusk
“Just a second,” I said to Nathan, squeezing his hand for a couple of seconds before I let go. I walked over to William’s bed. “I’ll come back. I just—I need to—”
“Sure,” he said with a smile, but his eyes sang a different tune—one I could easily recognize.
And I didn’t want to go! How dare I leave him in that bed while I got to walk out of the hospital like nothing? It wasn’t fair, and I couldn’t play dumb anymore.
No.
Caleb was right. He was always right. And as I reminded myself of my last conversation with him, a sinkhole broke its way through my chest.
My feelings for William were strong, and now there wasno wayfor me to deny them. There was no place for me to hide. The thought of losing him ignited a riot inside me that demanded answers and resolutions.
And the only problem was I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do.
Let’s Talk
NATHAN GRABBED MY BAG, held my hand, and led me out of William’s room. When we stepped out, I saw David looking fresh and polished in his usual black suit standing next to agent Robbins.
My eyes locked with David’s, and my first instinct was to run toward him and hug him. Tears automatically streamed down my cheeks. It was impossible to keep the tears in check. David kept clearing his throat, in an attempt, I assumed, to keep himself from joining me. Caleb and David were not only a team but good friends too.
“He’s gone, David,” I whispered. “I-I don’t even—”
He let out a sharp breath. “I’m so sorry, Miss Murphy.” His words were filled with both gentleness and profound sadness.
“I’m sorry too,” I told him. I knew he was probably having a hard time processing Caleb’s death. Just like me. I wondered where Aaron was.I really wanted to see him. He was surely devastated. Caleb and Aaron were like brothers. And he’s the one who brought Caleb in for the job. Aaron recommended him when my father wanted to hire someone else after my mother died. I’m sure he must feel responsible, but he wasn’t the one to blame for any of this.
I offered David a sad smile afterward and went back to Nathan, who immediately placed his arms around me. “We should get you home, love. Let me take care of you,” he said softly, placing a kiss on my cheek. Nathan grounded me and immediately set me at ease.
I decided to make a quick stop to see Mimi before we left. It was comforting to see that her daughter April was there to keep her company. I had only met April once before today. It was hard to see her without feeling awful about what happened to her mother because of me.
They both insisted on how it wasn’t my fault after I apologized more than a few times. Everyone kept saying that, but unfortunately, I couldn’t agree with them.
Thankfully, Mimi was doing okay. She seemed well, just kind of sleepy. They were going to keep her in the hospital for the rest of the day just to make sure.
Nathan walked up to me and said, “We should go, Murph. Your father’s waiting for us. He wants to talk to you.”
We left after saying goodbye to Mimi and April.
Once inside the car, I immediately rested my head on Nathan’s shoulder. He lowered his face closer to me and sniffed twice. “Why do you smell like a lad?” he asked with a laugh.
Shit.
I thought he hadn’t noticed, but the scent was strong and obvious.
And delicious.
“This is William’s hoodie,” I told him bluntly, unable to discourage a frown.
I tried to avoid Nathan seeing me wearing it, but when he did, he probably thought it was the one he gave to me. And I wasn’t going to lie, not that I had the energy or willingness to do so. Besides, our relationship had always been based on trust and transparency.
Nathan looked down at me, tilting his head, finding my eyes. His brows met as he offered a hint of a smile.
I continued explaining with a somewhat plain tone, not wanting to sound like anything but informative. “William gave me his hoodie back in December and splashed it with his cologne. I’d never used it before, of course. It’s been inside the box it came in until today.”
I was going to keep explaining, but Nathan jumped in with a question. “And why are you wearing it?” He didn’t seem angry, but I could tell he was confused and very curious to know the answer to his question.
I whispered back my reply, “David asked Agent Johnson to bring me the Hammarby hoodieyougave me because I love it, and I guess everyone can tell by how often I wear it.”
I tried laughing to release some tension. But I looked away and kept going when I saw Nathan didn’t laugh at all with me.
