Chapter 73 LEFT BEHIND

Chapter 73 LEFT BEHIND
THANE ADAMS
“Sarah Princeton Adams?” The nurse asked with a small smile.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
She looked down at the screen in front of her, scrolling through the details.
“What’s your relationship to the patient?”
“Stepmother.” The word felt strange leaving my mouth. Not because Sarah was a stranger. She wasn’t. But she wasn’t my mother either. Still, somehow, saying stepmother made the guilt sitting somewhere in my chest twist a little harder.
After a moment, the nurse smiled again.“Here’s your visitor badge.”
I took it from her and headed toward Sarah’s ward. She looked peaceful in her sleep when I walked in.
My eyes immediately landed on the small bandage beside her left eye. And just like that, I regretted coming back. I’d hurt her. That was a fact I couldn’t run from, no matter how much I wanted to.
My jaw clenched, but my feet refused to move from the doorway. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say to her. Sorry suddenly sounded too fucking small.
That’s when she stirred. My hand moved on reflex, rubbing beneath my nose nervously, like I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t have.
“Thane?” Her voice was weak and slightly hoarse, her face shifting from sleep to surprise when she realized I was standing there.
I straightened the hem of my jacket before finally walking toward her bedside. “How are you feeling?” I rested one hand against the headboard behind her.
She studied me for a second before giving me a faintly amused look. “You came to check on me? Alone?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “My flight’s at seven-thirty. Thought I could see you before that.” I glanced at her bandage before forcing my eyes back to hers. “You feeling any better?”
“I told you already, I’m fine.” She adjusted herself against the pillow. “I’m leaving once they let me. I can’t wait to get out of this oversized gown.” She glanced down at herself, trying to lighten the mood.
I managed a faint smile. “Great.”
For a moment, the small room felt deafeningly silent. Then her expression changed.
“It’s not your fault, Thane.”
I looked at her.
“I know you probably blame yourself for everything that happened, but you don’t have to carry all of it.”
My jaw tightened.
“You could’ve handled the argument better, yes. But I know you didn’t mean to hit me.”
“I hit you.” The words came out low. “I still did it.”
She held my gaze for a moment before nodding slowly. “And I’m not saying you shouldn’t feel bad about that. You should.”
That caught me off guard. She continued before I could say anything.
“But feeling guilty doesn’t mean you get to pretend the anger isn’t a problem.”
I looked away.
“You let it get the better of you, Thane. That’s what worries me.”
I rubbed my thumb against my palm, saying nothing. She watched me for another second before changing the subject.
“Nancy and I talked earlier today. She mentioned you’ve been missing a lot of your sessions.”
I sighed. “Sarah...”
“I’m not trying to get involved in whatever you’re dealing with.” Her voice stayed calm. “But I need to ask. Why?”
I dragged a hand over my face. “I’ve just had a lot going on.”
“I figured.” She paused. “But whatever is going on, skipping your sessions isn’t going to make it disappear.”
I didn’t respond.
“And your father will have something to say about it when he finds out, I’m sure.” She gave me a knowing look. “But that’s not why I’m telling you this.”
My eyes lifted to hers.
“I just don’t want you making things harder for yourself because you’re angry or overwhelmed.”
I swallowed and then she leaned back against the pillow. It creaked under the weight.
“Sometimes what we do doesn’t only affect us. It goes way back onto the people around us too.” Her eyes held mine softly. “And when those people matter to you, knowing you’ve hurt them can be a lot harder to live with than whatever you were angry about in the first place.”
I stayed quiet. She raised a brow. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” She gave a small nod.
Then, after a brief pause, she added, “You’re going to see Nancy this morning.”
My brows pulled together. “Nancy?”
“Yes.”
I sighed. “She’s probably the last person I want to see right now.”
“I’m aware.” There was almost a hint of amusement in her voice. “But you need to talk to her.”
I stared at her for a second. She wasn’t exactly giving me an option.
I nodded reluctantly. “Alright. I promise.”
A small smile touched her lips. I pointed my thumb toward the door. “I should go.”
“Have a safe trip, Thane.”
I smirked. “Thanks.” Then turned toward the door, already feeling the weight of everything I’d left behind waiting for me outside.