Chapter 7
The Rolls-Royce reached Manhattan Medical Center as fast as the storm allowed. The doctors and
nurses were already waiting and rushed me straight into the ER.
Ethan stood frozen in the hallway with my backpack in his hand.
Then my phone rang. He turned once like he didn’t even understand where the sound was coming
from, then pulled it out of the bag.
A voice said, “Hello, is this Ms. Ellie? We finally reached you. Our forensic analysis confirmed the
audio on your recorder was synthesized from samples of your voice. If needed, we can issue formal proof and even trace the creator’s IP address-”
“What recording?”
Ethan cut in. Then, slower, “Who is this?”
The caller explained that they were from an audio forensics firm. A few weeks ago, Ellie had
brought them a recorder and said the voice on it sounded like hers, but the words weren’t. She’d
asked them to verify it.
Ethan went still. “The recorder…”
Iremembered that too. I asked Ethan for it once.
He didn’t want to give it to me.
“Trying to destroy the evidence?” He looked down at me and said coldly, “Pointless. I’m not letting
you fool me again.”
I told him I never said any of it. I told him that yes, I really did want to stay, but I never wanted to use
him. And what I felt for him had always been real.
He didn’t believe me. He tossed the recorder to the floor and said, “Then take it and listen to it all
you want.”
So I did. Over and over. I still couldn’t find a flaw. That was why I took it to professionals in the end.
If only I’d done it sooner. If only I’d gotten proof earlier. Then I could’ve gone to Finn with it. Then I
could’ve demanded an apology from Ethan.
But now it didn’t matter. Nothing did.
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On the phone, the man said, “Sir? Can you pass the results on to Ms. Ellie?”
And just like that, Ethan understood everything. “All right,” he said quietly. “I’ll tell her. And I’ll
apologize.”
The call ended. He still stood there with the phone in his hand, whispering to himself, “Apologize to
her. I have to apologize to Ellie. I was wrong…”
Then the ER doors opened. A doctor came out. Ethan moved like someone had jammed life back into
him. He rushed over, hope all over his face.
“My sister’s okay now, right?”
The doctor shook his head slowly.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Caldwell. She passed away before she was brought in.”
Ethan stopped like he’d been struck.
Then he exploded. He grabbed the doctor’s collar and shouted, “That’s bullshit. She just passed out
from lack of oxygen. This happened before. Oxygen always helped. Do you people even know what you’re doing? If not, get out of the way.”
Then he tried to force his way inside. The doctor grabbed him. “Please calm down.”
But Ethan had gone wild. He shook him off and threw open the ER door.
Inside was a stretcher. White sheet. My face underneath.
“Ellie…”
He leaned down by my ear and said my name so softly it barely sounded real. Then he started
talking too fast, the words falling apart.
“I was only one hour late. You’re punishing me, aren’t you? That’s why you won’t wake up. Right?”
Then Ethan dropped to one knee and apologized. Seriously. Desperately.
“I’m sorry, Ellie. I’ll never be late again, Will you forgive me? I know about the recording now. Finn
did it. I’ll make her apologize, I’ll make her leave this family forever. Don’t stay mad at me. Just
wake up and come home with me, Mom’s waiting for you.”
A gust of wind lifted my lashes just a little. Then they went still again,
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He kept staring. Like he was trying to force life back into me by sheer will.
The doctor came over and said he was sorry. Said Ethan needed to accept it. The nurses gently covered me again.
“Sorry, Mr. Caldwell. We need to move her now.”
Ethan didn’t move. Didn’t blink.
Then finally he asked in a low voice, “Can I stay with her alone for a little while?”
They gave him fifteen minutes.
He reached out and touched my cheek. Smoothed my hair.
Then he said, “There are only fifteen minutes left. We were supposed to have so much more time. Weren’t we?”
I thought he meant he regretted being late. But then he said, “Do you remember last year when you were in the hospital? I stayed in your room and fell asleep in the chair by your bed. You woke up in
the middle of the night and got out of bed. You came over to me.”
He smiled then. And there was light in his eyes.
“The truth is, I woke up the moment you moved. I just kept my eyes closed because I wanted to see what you were going to do.”
Then his voice broke.
“If only I hadn’t opened my eyes that night…”
I remembered. Of course I remembered.
If he hadn’t opened his eyes, I would have kissed him.
Chapter 7
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(-)
