Free A Winter's Date by Sasha Brümmer, Jess Epps Page B

emotions. She’s not herself.”
    I can’t stand being accused of upsetting Heather. “You have no fucking idea what is going on, Dani. What the hell is your problem?”
    “ You are. You should leave . . .”
    “Are you fucking kidding me? You have no clue what we’re going through.”
    “Oh? And what would that be? That you can’t have my sister underneath you?” she spits out angrily as she steps closer to me in the fluorescently lit hallway.
    “How about the fact that she had a miscarriage? That she lost our unborn baby . . . Or is that my fucking fault too, because I fucked her, and that was the reason she was pregnant?” I run my hands through my hair when the nurse walks out and says we can both go back in.
    Dani is speechless.
    She just stares at me as if I have two heads. “Noah . . .”
    “Just drop it. Contrary to what you believe, I would never hurt her. She’s the one good thing in my life, and I would never compromise that.”
    I reach for the door, and she reaches for my elbow. I automatically pull away from her—I don’t need her or anyone else’s pity.
    “Don’t . . .”
    I walk into the room with my heart in my throat. I feel like I can’t breathe.
    “I’m sorry,” I hear her say as I walk into the room and sit down next to my girl.
    “Are you okay?” I ask Heather anxiously.
    “I’m fine, handsome. What’s wrong?”
    “I let it slip to Dani about the miscarriage. I’m sorry, Heather. She just had me by the throat.” I take her hand and look down toward her flat stomach as I tremble with anger.
    “Oh . . .”
    She doesn’t say anything else. I look up at her, and she won’t even make eye contact with me.
    “I fucked up. I’m sorry.”
    I get up and start pacing the room. I’m petrified of losing her. I can’t and won’t lose one more single person in my life. I’m beyond pissed right now, and thirty seconds later Dani walks into the room. She gazes at her sister and then at me, before walking over to Heather. I can tell Heather is uncomfortable, and I want to protect her, but every time Dani is involved, I have to bite my tongue. I can’t be in the same room as her right now, so I walk out.
    My face is masked of all emotion when I walk up to the nurse’s station, mustering the lowest, most controlled voice I can. “When will Heather Lane be able to leave the hospital?”
    “Oh yes, give me a second.” She lowers her glasses to look at the screen. “The doctor will be by to do his rounds shortly. He is the only one who is able to sign the release form for her. She’s going to need crutches, which her insurance will cover. Her doctor will be the one to bring them in when he signs her release form.
    “Okay, great. Is there anything I will need to pick up for her?”
    “We’ll be sending her home with a list of things she can and cannot do. The doctor will go over the list with her to ensure that she understands all of it.”
    “Good. Thank you for your help.” I head back to Heather’s room and walk in. I’m unsure of what I’ve missed, but Heather is in tears.
    I look directly at Dani. “What in the hell did you say to her?” My fury is barely contained.
    “Noah,” Heather croaks out and reaches for me, “it’s okay. She just apologized.”
    My shoulders sag in relief.
    I move close to her and kiss her tears, whispering, “You and I are going to be okay.”
    She nods, but I know she doesn’t believe me. “I love you, Noah.”
    “I love you too, beautiful.”
    “Heather? Noah? I’m so sorry for how I’ve been acting. There’s no excuse for it.”
    Heather looks up at me, judging whether or not I’m in the right frame of mind to forgive her sister. I reassure her by squeezing her hand and accepting Dani’s apology.

NOAH
    I’m fucking petrified.
    I don’t know what to do. I’ve never dealt with anything like this before. Heather has been lying in bed for three days now. She won’t come out of her room, she barely eats, and I can’t get her