Chapter 70 WET STAIRCASE
Eli's POV
Anton parks the car and looks at me. “You ready?”
“No,” I say honestly.
He nods once. “That’s totally okay.”
We walked inside together. The front desk nurse looks up.
“Yes?”
“I’m here to visit Paul Winslow,” I say. My voice sounds steadier than I feel.
She types something into her computer. “Relationship?”
“I’m his grandson.”
She studies my face, then smiles gently. “You’re listed. You can go up.”
I blink. “Listed?”
“Yes. Immediate family.”
I nod slowly. “Thank you.”
I start walking toward the old wing automatically. My grandpa’s room used to be on down the hall. I know the way by heart.
“Not that way,” Anton says.
I stop. “What?”
“He’s on the third floor.”
I frown. “No, he’s not.”
Anton gives me a small look. “Julian moved him.”
I stare at him. “Moved him where?”
“VIP room. Better care.”
My chest tightens. “VI—what? What do you mean he moved him?”
“Exactly what I said,” Anton replies gently. “Julian arranged it.”
I don’t answer. I just turn and walk toward the elevator.
Inside, I watch the numbers go up.
Three.
The doors open.
This floor is quiet, carpeted, lit with softer lighting, private rooms.
Anton walks ahead and stops in front of a large door. “This one.”
I hesitate with my hand on the knob.
For a second, I’m scared.
Scared he’ll look sicker. Scared he’ll look worse.
Scared he won’t look like my grandpa anymore.
“You can do it,” Anton says quietly.
I swallow and push the door open.
The room is huge.
There’s a big window with a view of trees and sunlight. A couch. A private bathroom. A television mounted on the wall.
It doesn’t look like a hospital room. It looks like a small hotel suite.
My grandpa is sitting up in bed, thinner than before but smiling at the window.
“Grandpa,” I called out. My voice comes out smaller than I expected.
His head turns.
“Eli!” he calls, his voice hoarse but full of life.
He opens his arms.
I walk to him quickly and lean down into his hug. He feels fragile, but warm and comforting.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m sorry I disappeared.”
He pats my back slowly. “It’s okay, I'm not mad. I'm proud. Your boss told me you were busy with work.”
I pull back. “My boss?”
“Yes,” he says. “Mr. Julian. Very polite young man.”
My heart stutters.
“He came to see you? In person?” I ask.
“Of course,” Grandpa says proudly. “He said you’re doing well. Working hard. Didn’t want me to worry.”
I glance at Anton.
Anton doesn’t say anything.
Grandpa keeps smiling. “That young man must care about you. He arranged all this. Look at this room! I feel like a celebrity.”
I look around again.
Julian did this?
“He actually visited you?” I ask quietly.
“Twice,” Grandpa says. “Brought fruit. Sat and talked with me. Very respectful. Calls me sir.”
I don’t know what to say.
Julian never mentioned it.
“He told me you’re safe,” Grandpa continues. “That I raised a strong, brave boy.”
My throat tightens.
Anton clears his throat gently. “Hi, Mr. Winslow.”
Grandpa looks at him. “Ah! And who is this handsome man?”
I wipe my face quickly. “This is Anton. A friend from work.”
Anton steps forward and offers his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
Grandpa shakes it weakly. “You look like trouble. You must be breaking a lot of hearts.”
Anton laughs. “I get that a lot.”
“I can tell,” Grandpa says with a grin. “You have that face.”
“What face?” Anton asks.
“The kind that convinces my grandson to do reckless things.”
I gasp. “Grandpa!”
Anton puts a hand on his chest dramatically. “I would never.”
Grandpa chuckles, then coughs lightly.
I immediately lean forward. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he waves me off. “Just old.”
“You’re not old,” I say.
“I’m ancient.”
“You’re dramatic.”
He smiles at me softly. “You look thinner.”
“I’m fine,” I reply.
“Eating well?”
“Yes.”
“Sleeping?”
“Sometimes.”
He narrows his eyes at me.
Anton speaks up. “He’s stubborn. But he’s fine.”
Grandpa nods slowly. “Good. I worried when you stopped visiting.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper again.
He squeezes my hand. “You’re here now.”
We sit together for a long time.
Grandpa complains about hospital food.
“This soup tastes like all my life regrets,” he says.
Anton laughs loudly. “I’ll remember that.”
“And the nurse keeps flirting with me,” Grandpa adds.
I blink. “What?”
“She thinks I don’t notice.”
Anton leans closer. “Do you notice?”
“Of course I do. I’m dying, not blind.”
I choke on my laugh. “Grandpa!”
“What? If I’m going out, I might as well enjoy the attention.”
Anton wipes his eyes. “I like him.”
“I like you too,” Grandpa says. “You’re loud.”
“That’s my charm.”
Grandpa looks back at me. “Visit more often. Bring me books. Something interesting. Not those boring classics you pretend to like.”
“I don’t pretend,” I argue.
“You do.”
Anton nods. “He does.”
“Traitor,” I mutter.
Grandpa smiles at both of us. “You look happier today.”
I freeze.
“Happier?” I repeat.
“Yes,” he says softly. “Lighter.”
I don’t know if that’s true, but maybe he's not lying ‘cause I normally come with a tired and worried face, thinking about how to raise money for treatment.
But being here, sitting beside him, hearing his terrible jokes, not having to worry about money for bills… it feels like breathing after being underwater too long.
“I’ll come more,” I promise.
“Good. Bring trouble with you,” he says, pointing at Anton.
“I will sure come with him,” Anton replies proudly.
When it’s finally time to leave, I hug Grandpa carefully.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I know,” he says. “And I love you more.”
“That’s not possible.”
“I’m older. I win.”
I smile and step back.
As we walk out, I feel something in my chest that I haven’t felt in days.
Lightness.
Outside, I look at Anton. “Thank you.”
He shrugs. “You’re very welcome, my work friend.”
I laugh. “Stop.”
He grins. “You introduced me like that.”
“You were behaving.”
“Rare moment.”
The drive back is quiet, comfortable calm.
When we reach the house, Anton’s phone rings.
He checks the screen. “I need to take this.”
“Okay.”
He steps aside near the car.
I walk inside alone.
The house feels still, and very quiet. Maybe Lovia and Mrs Thorne finally left.
I start climbing the stairs slowly.
Halfway up, I notice something…
Water.
Some of the steps are wet.
I pause.
There’s broken glass too. Scattered near the side.
“What the—”
I step carefully around it.
Maybe someone dropped something.
I grip the railing and continue climbing, avoiding the wet spots.
My heart starts beating faster.
Something feels wrong… did someone break in?
I’m almost at the top when I hear heels.
Lovia appears suddenly at the landing.
“Oh!” she says, pretending surprise.
Before I can react, she moves forward.
Her hands hit my chest. Hard.
I lose my balance. Everything tilts.
I fall.
My back hits first, then my shoulder, then my head.
The world spins as I tumble down the entire flight of stairs.
Pain explodes through my skull when I hit the bottom.
I can hear her screaming.
“Oh my gosh! That was an accident!”
Her voice sounds far away.
Something sharp digs into my side.
Broken glass.
I can feel it cutting through fabric. Through skin.
I try to breathe.
It hurts…
My ears are ringing. My vision blurs.
Footsteps… more shouting.
I taste blood in my mouth.
The last thing I hear before everything fades is Lovia’s shaky voice repeating, “It was an accident. He slipped. He slipped.”
And then—
Nothing.