I heard him walking closer to me, felt him brushing a hand against my cheek. “I’ve been calling you as well. I called as soon as you didn’t call me on the hour like you’ve been doing... You didn’t answer.”
“No. You didn’t.” I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to lie. Just admit that you’re f**king selfish and you wanted to continue making me suffer.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” I ignored the pain in my throat. “I can understand you being mad about me talking to Ryan, really I can. And I am so sorry that I hurt your feelings by talking to him at all. It was a mistake on my part and I shouldn’t have given him a second of my time, but that was last week and you haven’t called me at all this week. What the f**k is wrong with you?”
“Claire...”
“Even Ryan has called me since I’ve been here—fucking Ryan! And apparently he’s the reason why I’m in here!” I noticed his eyes were blazing. “I haven’t called him back and I’m never going to, but...You haven’t called me since I got here—here in the f**king hospital, Jonathan. I’ve been here for two days and...” I tried not to cry. “You just...Didn’t you think something was wrong when all my phone calls suddenly stopped? Huh? Or are you that self-absorbed to where you can only focus on your anger? Even when your so-called fiancée is in the hospital?”
He sighed and opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.
“How long were you going to let me stay at that hotel by myself? How long were you going to keep sending me note-less flowers and ignoring my f**king calls?”
“Claire...”
“You want to know why no one got their wedding invitations in the f**king mail?” I didn’t care that he was narrowing his eyes at me. “It’s because I didn’t like the goddamn paper invitations, Jonathan. They weren’t us, so I thought I would do something different. I called everyone we invited and told them the date and venue information. I said we weren’t sending out formal invitations, and that they would get something a few weeks before the wedding...I told them not to say anything to you about it because I wanted it to be a surprise...”
“I’m aware of that now, Claire. Just listen to me.”
“No...Do you know how much time it took for me to design five hundred sea hooks? Five hundred sea hooks that’ll form together as one huge sea hook with our initials across the front? Do you know? Do you?”
He sighed.
“As far as our cake goes...” I wasn’t backing down. “I don’t know what the hell happened with that, because I only meant to cancel one of them...And do you honestly think I would wait until the last minute to design your wedding band? Really? I didn’t want to use Valenti’s—I wanted to find a place on my own. But you—you wouldn’t even listen to me. You didn’t even give me a chance...” My voice cracked. “I can’t believe that you’re so selfish...As a matter of fact, I don’t want you here right now. Get out...Tell Greg to come in so I can thank him for being here for me. He’s been in the waiting room since I got here, where you should’ve been.”
There was hurt in his eyes as he tucked me underneath the covers.
“Get out, Jonathan. I only want to be around people that care right now...”
“I made it to the hospital before you did, Claire. “ His voice was low. “I was waiting on you to get here...”
What? I tried not to look shocked, but I could tell he’d read my mind.
“I was on my way to the Fairmont to talk to you so we could make-up because being without you—whether I’m mad at you or not, is still unbearable...I was twenty minutes away when I got a call from my security team telling me that you’d been pushed down the steps.”
“I don’t have any missed calls from you.” I said flatly.
“I was using Greg’s phone. He smashed mine.”
“By accident?”
“Greg never does anything by accident.” He rolled his eyes. “I was trying to call a few special people that would beat the shit out of Ryan and dump his body in the sea. He ran off once the medics came, after he told them that he didn’t mean to do it—that it was an accident...”
“I slapped him...I shouldn’t have done that.”
He pressed his fingers against my lips. “I’ve been sitting right over there since you’ve been in this room.” He pointed to the corner, but I still couldn’t move my neck. “I told them I wasn’t leaving unless you were coming with me.”
“You saw me tell the nurse not to call you?”
He nodded and narrowed his eyes at me.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“I was in shock.” He looked hurt. “I couldn’t believe you’d said that—that you didn’t want to call me first.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be...” He brushed his thumb against my cheek, whispering, “I deserved it...I’m so sorry, Claire. This should’ve never happened...”
We stared into each other’s eyes, not saying anything further. Then I remembered something he’d said earlier.