Chapter 41

LILY

"What's wrong?" Damien turned to face me, worry on his face.

“Drive,” I said breathlessly, "Please just drive."

He immediately sped up, rerouting the gps with one hand. I clutched my seat as he took a turn roughly.

He glanced at me.

"I need you to take deep breaths, alright?"

I nodded, even though the instruction was useless.

My mother wouldn't reach out if it wasn't important.

And she'd sent the message early this morning! The same period my phone had gone missing.

I heard Damien deeply sigh seconds before the car screeched to a halt.

What was he doing?!

I shot him a disbelieving look, "What are you doing? Drive please!"

"Look, I know something is wrong."

I let out an impatient breath, sinking back in the seat. Why couldn't he just drive for God's sake!

He reached out to touch my shoulder for a second, a determined glint in his eyes.

"I just want to help, Maddy, please."

I chewed my cheek indecisively. I shouldn't trust him with Anna's information but I needed to say something. At least.

“Anna,” I managed to whisper. “Something’s wrong with my daughter so please just drive.”

He nodded. The engine roared to life and the car lurched forward. The road blurred into streaks of gray and green. My pulse hammered so hard it drowned out everything but my thoughts.

I fumbled with my phone, rereading my mother’s message as if it would change.

Please, please let her be okay.

I internally begged. The world had never been nice to me but Anna was my only and biggest pride and joy. I couldn't lose her.

Damien’s voice cut through the silence, soft but firm. “We’ll get there soon. She’ll be okay, Lily.”

I nodded, unable to answer. He didn’t know that I’d spent nights sleeping beside Anna’s bed, terrified she wouldn’t wake up in the morning or the way I hated myself for not being there for her because of this contract marriage.

The drive seemed to take forever.

By the time we screeched into the hospital’s driveway, my hands were trembling so hard I almost dropped my phone.

I was out of the car before Damien even killed the engine.

“Wait!” He called out.

But I was already pushing through the glass doors, the sterile scent of antiseptic burning my nose. My heart pounded so violently it felt like it might split my ribs open.

The nurse at the front desk looked up, startled before realization dawned on her.

“Mrs. Sinclair, we were about to...”

“My daughter,” I cut her off, “Anna Bak—sorry Sinclair room 308. Please, tell me she’s okay.”

For a second I nearly lapsed back to my real name.

The nurse blinked, tapping at her keyboard. “She’s stable, ma’am. She’s been moved to pre-op...”

“Pre-op?!" My voice cracked. I gripped the front desk, eyes wide, "Why? Why happened?!"

The nurse froze a little as Damien caught up beside me, his hand brushing my arm in a quiet gesture of support.

Frustration rippled through me but I didn’t even have the energy to shake him off.

“Pre-op for what?” I demanded.

The nurse smiled gently, glancing at the man by my side, “She’s finally at the top of the transplant list. The surgery’s being prepped as we speak.”

For a second, I just stared at her. My mind went blank.

Then it hit me all at once.

“She’s..she’s getting the transplant?” I whispered.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Relief flooded through me so fast I almost sagged against the counter. My throat tightened with emotion. After everything, she was finally going to be okay.

A shaky laugh bubbled out of me, followed by tears I couldn’t hold back. “Oh my God… thank you,” I whispered.

Damien’s voice was soft beside me. “See? She’s going to make it. Nothing to panic about.”

I nodded, wiping my tears and sniffing. It felt like a dream. Anna wouldn't be sick any longer after this.

“Can I see her?” I asked the nurse quickly. I also wanted to see my mom.

“She’s being prepped, so only immediate family for a few minutes.”

She offered me a visitor's badge after I filled a few forms. Damien was still behind me.

I shuffled nervously, not knowing how to tell him to leave. I didn't want to introduce him to my mother and knowing Anna and her barrage of questions, it would be better if she didn't meet him.

What if she decided to mention Dominic who was "the man on TV" she wouldn't stop asking about?

I turned to Damien, smiling awkwardly. His lips curved into a warm smile in response.

"Um.." I trailed off.

He chuckled softly before taking a step back, "It's alright. I won't be mad if you asked me to leave."

Shame coloured my cheeks red.

I searched for words to say. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"No need for the apology," he dismissively waved his hand, turning to leave. "I'll be waiting in the car."

Gratitude surged within me. I caught his sleeve whispering, "Thank you."

Eyes followed him as he exited, some nurses even giggling behind their clipboards. The Sinclair brothers were something else.

Now that he was gone, I marched back to the front desk where the nurse was still seated.

"How's her transplant happening so soon?" I questioned, watching the nurse look around nervously, "Last week she wasn't on the list."

She opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't lie," I warned. She instantly pursed her lips together.

I softened my tone, "You won't lose your job for telling me. I promise."

I just wanted to know.

She hesitated before shaking her head, "I really don't know, Mrs Sinclair."

But she did.