Page 86 of The Worst Guy Ever
“Rob? What? Why was he calling you?”
My ears prick up at the sound of his name. I try to keep it cool, but my heart sinks when he speaks again.
“Uh-huh… oh no, is she OK?”
I feel a tightness in my chest, my heart racing.
“OK. Yeah I can pass that on. She’s right here, actually,” he turns to face me, brows knotting together. “I’ll tell her.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. I don’t know what’s going on, or why Rob has called Luke’s grandma to try to get hold of me, but I know this stupid secret we’ve been keeping is about to be exposed.
“OK Granny, I’ll call you later. Love you.”
Luke hangs up and I stare into the layers of flaky pastry, my cheeks burning and head swimming.
“That was my Granny Annie,” Luke says, “Rob called her and asked her to call me and get a message to you, Hattie.”
Kara looks back and forth between us. “That’s weird.”
“What was the message?” I ask, attempting nonchalance and failing.
“His mum had a fall. He’s at the hospital with her and he doesn’t have his phone. That’s why he wasn’t there this morning.”
“What was this morning?” Kara asks.
“I have to go.” I grab my bag from the counter and dash for the door, pulling my boots back on.
“Hattie?” Kara asks again, and I can’t answer. I just can’t have her knowing I was waiting for him, and I especially can’t have her knowing I was this bummed out about it. And none of it matters, because his mum is hurt, sohewill be hurting, and I have to get out of here right now and go to him.
“Rob?” Kara yells from the doorway. “Is that who breakfast was with? What is going on, Hattie?”
I get into my car and don’t look back.
I must cover half of the hospital by the time I find the ward his mum is in. Not wanting to intrude, I hang back in the corridor but ask the nurse on shift to let him know I’m here.
He appears from behind a curtain, relief written all over his face as he approaches. When he’s finally in reach, I wrap my arms around his waist. His arms come up to pull my shoulders into him, and I settle my head in my favourite spot underneath his chin, my cheek against the skin exposed by the shirt buttons he’s loosened off in the night.
“What happened?”
“I got a call at work to say she’d had a fall in the garden. My Auntie Sheila called an ambulance and they brought her here.”
“Is she OK?”
“She fractured her arm and hit her head on a step, so they kept her overnight to monitor for concussion. She’s sleeping just now.”
“I’m so sorry. Are you OK?”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t lie to me.” I cup his face in both of my hands. “I can see that you’re not.”
He squeezes his eyes open and shut a few times. “It’s just, it’s my mum, you know. She’s everything to me, I really thought for a minute I’d lost her. I got that call and just panicked and ran.”
With the pad of my thumb, I wipe away his tears. “It’s OK.”
“I’m sorry for standing you up. I left my phone in my office and didn’t want to leave Mum’s side. The only number I know is Luke’s granny, so I got her to ring him so he could reach you.”
“Rob, there’s no need to apologise. It can’t be helped.”
