Page 46 of Hush

And she’d promised to do so, prancing off to Seattle like the Queen of Sheba. But now, she was back and making a mess of his life again.

I can’t let her do this to me, he thought, his mind spinning.I can’t let her destroy my relationships with the people I love.He realized that a thought had surfaced, one that shook him to his very soul.If I don’t stop her now, I’ll never be free.

Jaden’s blood pressure was climbing steadily. “I don’t like this, Ben. We need to close,” Dr. Abbot warned. “I need to bring him out.”

Forcing himself not to let his worry spread to his fingers, Ben gave his work a final inspection. After efficiently stitching up the long incision on Jaden’s forearm, he and his surgical nurse cleaned the site and bandaged it, adding a soft splint that would be replaced by a firm cast in a few days, after the swelling decreased.

Even as Ben stepped back to let the surgical team move Jaden and the anesthesiologist begin the work of reversing the sedation, he couldn’t help but want to stay close by, just to be near him.

But he owed it to Elise and Garrett to give them an update. And he knew Dr. Abbott and the recovery team would take excellent care of Jaden. So, reluctantly, Ben turned away.

Slipping out of his over-booties and removing his cap in the prep area, he washed up, then tucked into his coat and bee-lined to the waiting room. Garrett sat with his forearms on his knees, and Elise paced the carpet in her stockinged feet. Upon seeing him, her face clouded with so much emotion Ben had to hold himself back from rushing to her side.

“Surgery went well,” Ben said, making eye contact with them both. “He’s going to need some extra time to recover. Being under anesthesia again so soon was hard on him.”

Elise’s eyes filled with worry.

“But he’s okay,” Ben added. “I think he’s just worn out.”

Inhaling a slow, tight breath, Elise nodded.

“Thank you,” Garrett said, standing. He came over and shook Ben’s hand. “When can we see him?”

Ben eyed Elise. “Pretty soon. A nurse will bring you back when he’s ready.”

Under the hot water in the staff locker room, Ben tried to push past the emotions pinballing through him. The idea they could have lost Jaden tonight wouldn’t let him be. What if he’d gone into respiratory arrest or arrhythmia? Complications in surgery were rare, but seeing Jaden’s small body so vulnerable had shaken him. That, and the expression on Elise’s face when he’d returned to share the news. He expected her to be relieved the surgery had gone well. So why had she looked so distraught?

After dressing, feeling so drained that rising to stand after tying his shoes made the room spin for a second, he left the empty locker room and descended the stairs, intending to check on Jaden before heading home. Thankfully, Jaden’s trip back from Neverland had gone smoothly, just slow. Ben expected him to stay in the hospital for another day so they could monitor for any possible complications.

Inside Jaden’s darkened room, a small halo of light shone from a lamp, illuminating Elise’s delicate features as she sat at the edge of the bed, holding his good hand. Moving on soft feet, Ben approached them.

Elise’s head darted up, her eyes filling with that same turbulent look.

“How’s he doing?” Ben asked, pausing at the foot of Jaden’s bed. He glanced at the monitors, satisfied Jaden’s vitals appeared stable.

“Okay. He went right to sleep.” Elise turned to watch Jaden’s still face, brushing a hand across his brow.

Ben paused, feeling stuck—he didn’t have a right to stay, yet he didn’t want to leave them. He thought about Ashley, possibly plotting her next move to destroy him yet again, at this very minute. “Elise,” he said, his voice desperate. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

Elise’s face stiffened. “I already know,” she said.

“You do?” Ben said, blinking back his confusion. “Wait, who told you?”

“Caitlin.”

Ben shook his head, as if his brain were a box of marbles that needed to be realigned. “How does Caitlin know?”

“When I told her about…what happened, she wanted to find out more about you. She’s a lawyer, remember?” Elise added, her tone icy. “She told me about Ashley.”

“Wait,” Ben said, feeling the room sway. “What exactly does Caitlin know?”

Elise pushed to her feet. “Did you rape her?” she whispered, glaring at him.

Ben staggered backward. “No!”

“I can’t believe I trusted you,” Elise said, her voice harsh, angry. She hugged herself. “Do you know how hard it was to let you anywhere near Jaden after I heard that?”

“Elise, please,” Ben said. “Let me tell you what’s really going on, okay?”

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