Free The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club by Lynsey James Page A

that Rose was now able to have visitors, then walked off back to the ward.
    He sat back down, tipped his head forward and laced his fingers at the nape of his neck. ‘Well, I wasn’t expecting that!’
    â€˜At least she’s OK, though,’ I replied, trying to keep things positive. ‘It could’ve been a lot worse.’
    Jake, Lucy and Noah all looked at me and I pursed my lips shut. If I needed any more proof that I wasn’t wanted here, that was it.
    â€˜Emily’s right,’ said Lucy. ‘At least she wasn’t more seriously hurt. A broken leg isn’t so bad when you think of what could’ve happened.’
    My heart did a little jump and I risked a smile. It was nice to hear that one person didn’t think I was the devil incarnate just for doing my job.
    â€˜Listen, mate, I’ve got a supplier meeting to get to but we’ll be up to visit her later, OK?’ Jake said, slapping Noah on the back.
    â€˜Thanks for coming, guys, I really appreciate it.’
    They took it in turns to say goodbye to him and threw polite smiles to me before leaving. Noah heaved a huge sigh then turned to me.
    â€˜You don’t have to be here, you know. I can manage on my own. Go back to Sunflower Cottage if you want.’
    I bit my lip and looked at the floor. ‘Look, I know I’m not your favourite person in the world. You’ve made it clear you don’t like me and I don’t blame you. But being here on your own isn’t a good idea. What if things take a turn for the worse and you need someone to support you? Wouldn’t you rather have someone here instead of no one at all?’
    His expression softened and he nodded. ‘I never thought I’d say this, but you’re right. Rose isn’t out of the woods yet and, if I’m honest, I’d appreciate the company. Nothing worse than being alone with your worst thoughts swirling round your head.’
    We looked at each other and exchanged weak smiles. For the time being at least, it seemed our bickering was over.
    *
    Rose was dazed, confused and pretty grumpy. Not surprising, considering she’d taken a nasty tumble down a flight of wooden stairs.
    â€˜You’d think, after everything I’ve been through, they could give me a decent cuppa!’ Her words were slightly slurred and her gaze went all over the place. ‘This tastes like horse piss!’
    I covered my mouth to hide a giggle. She was probably the person least likely to swear, so to hear it coming out of her mouth was funny.
    â€˜We’ll talk to the nurses and see what they can do,’ Noah said. ‘What happened, Rose? How did you fall down the stairs?’
    He gently took her hand in his and I felt my breath catch in my throat. The bond between them was so tender and beautiful. It was clear to anyone how much they meant to each other. Noah’s voice, demeanour and gestures were completely different around her. He was spiky and sullen to me, but with Rose it was as though he allowed himself to open up a little more, like she was the one person he valued in the world above everyone else. Meanwhile, she looked at him like a mother would a son.
    She shook her head and sighed. ‘I’d been putting towels in room two and I was rushing back down to make a start on the welcome basket for the new guests. I must’ve gone too quickly because I tripped and fell.’
    Noah smiled and I saw him give her hand a squeeze. ‘What are we going to do with you, eh? Can’t leave you alone for five minutes!’
    Rose let out a weak chuckle that made her cough. He immediately rushed to help her and propped up her pillows.
    â€˜Can I get you some water?’ I asked.
    She nodded and I went to the water cooler outside to fill a cup of water for her. As I made my way back, I noticed they were deep in conversation about something. I stopped a few feet away to listen.
    â€˜You’ve got the garage to think