The New Rule: (The Casual Rule 2) by Ac Netzel

Author:Ac Netzel [Netzel, Ac]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-05-12T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Ben’s grandmother has been in the hospital for a little over a week. He tries to sound upbeat when he talks about her, but I know it’s killing him on the inside. I want to help, find the right words, do the right thing, but I’m afraid I’ll say something wrong and make things worse.

This frail woman is his hero. I can’t imagine what he’d do if… I can’t even think about the if.

“How is she doing?” I ask, stroking his arm.

“I think she’s doing better. The color in her cheeks was coming back a little. She’s tired, but that’s to be expected,” he says.

“Are you sure I should go in? I don’t want to disturb her or the rest of your family if they’re here too.”

He frowns, confused by my question. “Yes. I want you there. She’ll be happy to see you.”

“Okay.”

I really don’t want to go in. It’s not that I don’t like his grandmother. I adore her. I’m not good at these types of situations: visiting people who are dying… or may be dying. Whatever. I don’t know what the right thing to say is. But Ben needs me here. So here is where I am.

“Ready?” Ben asks, his palm pressed against the door to her hospital room.

I nod, rubbing the back of his shoulder gently with an “everything is going to be fine” smile plastered on my face.

We walk into her private room. An unpleasant blend of hospital disinfectant and an overpowering floral scent is wafting in the air. I hate that smell. It reminds me of illness and death. I glance around the perimeter of the room. There are gorgeous wall to wall floral bouquets and one large balloon bouquet, yet the room still feels sterile.

I look at Ben’s grandmother, asleep in her bed and seated right next to her is my least favorite person in the world.

Cam-eel.

I hope she’s sober this time… wouldn’t want her to revert back into the Star Spangled Psycho.

A huge grin spreads across her face. “Hi Ben,” she says coyly. This girl is beaming like a hooker whose client just wants to talk for the night. Has she already forgotten about the sick woman lying right next to her?

“Camille,” Ben says with a quick nod.

“Oh. Hello Julia,” she says, visibly disappointed to see me.

That makes two of us.

Does she think my first name is “Oh”? She always addresses me the same way; “Oh Hello Julia.” like I’m one of those three-name celebrities I love reading about… like Sarah Jessica Parker or Neil Patrick Harris. At least I’m in good company.

“Hello Camille,” I say coolly.

Ben walks to the side of the bed, careful not to bump into the heart rate monitor or IV attached to his grandmother and places his hand on top of hers. She opens her eyes and smiles.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he says softly, bending down and kissing her forehead.

“I’m glad I can still be woken up,” she answers.

“Grandmother,” he warns, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.