I stare at him. Open my mouth and snap it shut. Open it again.
Did that shit just spout out of his mouth? I’m fighting fucking hard not to bawl and he’s talking about coffins as if he is chatting about the goddamned tuxedo he’ll wear to a party.
Finally, I blink. This is typical Josh. I feel my laughter erupt from my gut and out of my mouth. It feels fucking amazing to laugh after the past forty-eight hours.
His lids snap open and he starts laughing too.
My mind momentarily drifts to Nor and the words he told me before, unable to let them go. According to Josh, Nor didn’t love him as much as he loved her, yet, according to him, she has been living in the hospital, taking care of him.
I’m driving myself insane with these thoughts.
Cool air brushes the back of my neck alerting me that someone entered the room. I shift around and come face to face with Megs. Her face splits into a wide grin the moment our gazes lock.
“Hey.” She waves, striding toward me with her arms outstretched. Leaving my chair, I start toward her and meet her in the middle of the room.
Megs is beautiful. Five foot four, brown eyes, brown skin and a lot of curves. The white dress she’s wearing does nothing to hide them. She knows how to carry her height and body. She hasn’t changed much. Simon told me she’s going through a divorce. I have a feeling he kept tabs on her even after they broke up.
She eyes me up and down. “It’s good to see you, Cole,” she says while signing. Her movements are still stilted, but she’s gotten better at it since the last time I saw her.
My lips twitch. “I see you finally got the hang of ASL.”
She laughs. “Yes, I did. I see you got inked. Damn, you look scary. And hot.” Her gaze drifts to the bed then back to me. Her face soft and sad, her loss so clear on her face. She faces me again. “How is he?”
I shake my head. “Weak. I need to speak to the doc.”
Her gaze roams around the room, before turning back to me. “Nor?”
“She is at the chapel.”
Megs nods, and shifts on her feet, biting her bottom lip. “When did you arrive?”
“About an hour ago.” I rub my neck. I’m not good at small talk so I get right to the point. “Could you take Nor away from here at least for a few hours.”
She appraises me as she tugs the strap of her handbag over her shoulder, and nods, smiling softly. “Sure. Catch up later?”
“You bet.” I dig my phone out of my pocket. “I’ll give you my number, in case you need to call me.”
She nods, handing me her phone.
After exchanging our contacts, she turns to leave but stops and turns around to look at me. “It’s really good to see you. I hope we’ll have some time to catch up.”
I don’t respond to that. I know if I do, I might end up asking her what went down nine years ago, because, obviously, she is still Nor’s best friend. She definitely knows.
But this is not her shit to tell.
“Simon will be here in a couple of days,” I tell her.
She seems frozen by the news for a few seconds. Then she tucks a strand of black hair behind her ear with shaking fingers.
“When?”
“Five days. Give or take.”
“Awesome,” she says and grimaces. She spins around and hurries out the door.
Just as I’m about to leave the room to search for coffee, a tall man with graying hair and a white lab coat walks in the room.
His gaze moves to my brother and then back to me. My stomach feels like it’s made of concrete as I watch him halt in front of me. He sticks his hand out in greeting and speaks, but his lips move fast I can’t read them. I clasp his outstretched hand then pull mine back.
“Could you please speak a bit slower?” I ask, shoving my hands inside my pants pockets.
He blinks at me in confusion.
“Unless you know ASL,” I add, pointing to my ears.
All right, Cole. Stop being a smartass.
Understanding dawns in his eyes. He presses a fist against his mouth and coughs in obvious discomfort. I’ve seen this many times. The moment someone realizes I’m deaf, they get all nervous and shit. I stopped taking offense years ago.
“I’m Dr Heinemann. Are you family?”
I nod. “Cole Holloway. His younger brother.”
“Can we talk outside?” He jerks his thumb toward the door.