Page 87 of Forbidden Dark Vows

She twists her mouth to one side as if preparing to debate that point, sucks in a deep breath, and places an arm around my shoulders before I can dodge her. “Look, I don’t know what has happened tonight, but I won’t take you back to your room. I promise.”

“You w-won’t?” Tears sting my eyes like I just found my guardian angel.

“I want to help you, Ruby.”

“You know my name.”

“Yes. Will you trust me?”

How can I trust her when I don’t even know who she is? She could be a murderer disguised as a nurse. She might go around killing patients and making it look like they died of natural causes or complications with their condition. She might drag me into the stairwell and slit my throat.

But there’s something familiar about her, and I guess she must’ve been looking after me since I was admitted. I’m not afraid of her. I don’t know why, but I believe her.

“I trust you.”

“Thank you.” A glimmer of a familiar smile, gone before it’s fully there. “My name is Melanie.”

Realization spreads through me like a blackcurrant cordial spilt on a white tablecloth. Melanie. Harry’s sister is called Melanie. The smile… It belongs to Harry, not this woman.

“Are you…”

“Shh.” She raises a finger to her lips. “I’ll explain everything later.”

“Where are we going?” I follow her into the chilly stairwell, leaning on her for support, incredulous at how weak I feel.

“I’m taking you home with me.”

Melanie’s apartmentis small and cozy. She settles me on the sofa and covers me with a soft, fluffy blanket while she makes hot chocolate. I can see her from the sofa, fetching mugs from the wall cabinet in the kitchen, and spooning cocoa powder into them while the kettle chugs to life.

While she’s busy, I peer around the room. It’s filled with stuff. The sofa and armchair are piled high with cushions. The TV is on a stand filled with VHS tapes. The coffee table and every other available surface is littered with magazines and books, tiny porcelain dogs and cats, and dishes filled with shells and pebbles and sea glass. There’s barely a space that isn’t covered by something, but it also feels like a place in which to relax.

Melanie comes in with two cups, shoves some magazines aside to clear a space on the coffee table, and sets them down. Then she lights a cinnamon scented candle with a match and sits in the armchair, one leg curled underneath her.

It’s quite surreal studying her face, which is Harry’s face but with larger eyes and softer curves. Her hair is all soft waves that tumble over her shoulders now that she has set them free from their ponytail. I have so many questions, but she speaks first.

“Is Harry here? In Chicago, I mean?”

I wince. I remember hearing his voice, but so much of what has happened since I got sick has been nothing more than a hallucination, and I might’ve just imagined it.

“I don’t know.” I chew my bottom lip. How much do I tell her? “He has been looking for you.”

She sips her hot chocolate, blinking as the scalding heat brings tears to her eyes. “He won’t find me. I changed my name … after I left.”

“Why?”

She raises her eyebrows and smiles. “Now, there’s the million-dollar question.”

“We’re getting married. Harry would love it if you came to the wedding.”

She takes a deep breath. I don’t know why she disappeared after their mom died, but there’s a reason why she reached out to help me now, so perhaps I can convince her to come. I must at least try.

“I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “I haven’t been back to New York since… Well, in a long while.”

“How did you know me?” It’s the question burning a hole in my tongue. I know that she could’ve checked the hospital records,but I sense that I was more than just a name to her, or I wouldn’t be here now.

“I saw Harry after the accident. I wasn’t on his ward, but I saw his name mentioned in the news report and I had to know that he was okay. You were there too. The blizzard?”

I blink. That’s where I recognize her from. “The night nurse.”

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