Page 90 of The Story of Us
Charlie’s gaze lingered on Nate and Eloise’s clasped hands.
“Okay, then. ECG and bloods have confirmed it was a small heart attack,” the blonde doctor said.
All the air in the room evaporated, and Eloise swayed a little on the spot.
“I’ve got you,” Nate whispered, pulling her into his arms again.
“What happens next?” Michael asked.
“We’re going to keep her in for monitoring and organise an appointment with a cardiologist.”
This time, Eloise found her voice. “And then?”
“She’ll need to make some changes to her lifestyle. Follow a heart healthy diet, steer clear of alcohol and make sure she stays active. The specialist will explain more.”
“What about the wedding?” Charlie asked.
Eloise whipped a glare at him. Was he serious? Who gave a damn about his wedding right now?
Charlie held his hands up. “Calm down. I didn’t mean it like that.” He shifted his attention back towards the doctor. “I’m getting married on the weekend. Will Joanie be able to come?”
“Let’s see how the next few days go.”
An awkward silence descended on the room after the doctor answered a few more questions from Mary and then left.
“Which one of you suckers is going to draw the short straw and tell me I’ve got to give up booze?” Joanie rasped.
This time the tears sliding down Eloise’s cheeks were happy ones.
* * *
It was alwaysobvious when Nate was being watched. First, the back of his neck would get all prickly. Then his chest would tighten as he tried—and failed—to covertly decipher who had spotted him. Thankfully, it didn’t happen as frequently as it did in America, but as anyone who had spent any time in the public eye could attest, there were always times when you just weren’t in the mood. Or it wasn’t appropriate, like right now as he waited for his order at the coffee shop on the bottom level of the Somers Gully Base Hospital. His gaze swept the room again, eyes locking on the tall man wearing jeans and a UCLA jumper near the door. This was the part Nate had always struggled with. What if he was wrong? Because what was he meant to do? Acknowledge the person? Smack a smile on his face and switch on the part of his personality he liked the least? That would encourage more contact, which he had no patience for right now. Eloise needed him.
Because he was part of her family.
Nate paused. Dipped his chin to his chest and broke eye contact with the stranger across the room. He could pretend he’d always thought of Eloise as family because Wattle Junction was kind of like a huge family. And she was his best friend’s sister.
But this was different.
Even though he’d gone into their arrangement with his eyes wide open, he’d underestimated how much it was going to hurt to watch her leave and chase after her dream. She’d become a part of his life in all the big and small ways. Every moment with her was automatically the best part of his day.
Someone cleared their throat and Nate sighed. Damn it. He blinked when he realised who was in front of him.
Charlie.
“So …” His best friend folded himself into the seat next to Nate. That was a loaded opener if ever Nate had heard one.
“You and Eloise, huh?”
Nate slid his gaze towards Charlie. What was the right response here? It wasn’t like Charlie hadn’t known they were spending time together. For God’s sake, everyone within a fifty-kilometre radius of Wattle Junction knew she’d been staying at his place. Just because they’d chosen to avoid disclosing what was really going on didn’t mean there hadn’t been a lot of questions. But lying to his best mate wasn’t an option either. “Yeah,” was all Nate said.
“Looks pretty serious.”
Nate’s feelings were so far past ‘serious’ that it was nothing more than a tiny, microscopic dot in the rear-view mirror. He dragged his hand through his hair and swallowed a yawn. Last night hadn’t involved much sleeping, and when he added the stress and worry from this morning to it all, he was exhausted. It was a miracle Eloise was still standing, really. But he didn’t want to talk about that now, so he redirected the conversation and hoped Charlie would take the bait. “Says the man about to get married.”
Charlie offered him a rueful smile. “Yeah, that shit’s pretty serious. It’s come around quick.”
A sudden thought occurred to Nate. He’d been a rubbish best man and friend lately, distracted by Eloise and everything that was going on with his books and Jemima Jenkins. “How are you feeling about it all?”
