Page 85 of The Accidental Wife

Shayla

Is therea pain worse than watching the man you're in love with break down in your arms after losing someone he loves dearly?

This was the man he looked up to growing up, and he just watched him die right in front of his eyes. The way his head fell into my lap and his heartfelt sobs would haunt me for an awfully long time. Grandpa Joe held my hand so tight they hand to pry his fingers from mine. I couldn't suppress the whimper that escaped me, especially when I heard Elaine's screams of despair over losing her father. I know that feeling all too well. Grandpa Joe died surrounded by his children and grandchildren; even if he didn't recognise any of them, in the end, he died in peace with the image of the love of his life before his eyes.

Someone once told me that right before you die, the angel of death appears to you as the person you love the most, and to Grandpa Joe, that was Grandma Maisie. I may have only met him a couple of months ago, but I grew to love him just as I did my own grandfather.

I rub the back of Cole's neck while his body shook with hoarse sobs, and it honestly broke my already wrecked heart. I brush my fingers through his hair soothingly, and his arms tighten around me. I lean over and whisper in his ear. "They're going to take him away soon. Say your goodbye." He shook his head, sobbing.

"I can't,"

"You'll regret it if you don't," I tell him, lifting his head so I could look into his face. I brush his tears away, but more just followed.

"He's gone, Shay. He can't even hear me." He whispers woefully, and I shake my head.

"You don't know that. I'm sure he can hear you." I tell him earnestly, and he looks over at his grandfather. "I'll give you and your family some privacy," I say and try to get up, but he shakes his head.

"No, please don't go. Let's say goodbye together." I nod, and he laces his fingers with mine and turns to face his grandfather. He takes his hand into his and inhales a deep breath. "Grandpop, you were and will always be my idol. You taught me everything I know, and I'll cherish all those times I spent with you and Grandma for as long as I live. I'll continue to make you proud. I promise. I love you." He says and presses a kiss to his hand. "Tell Grandma I love her too. I’ll miss you, Grandpop."

I rub Coles back soothingly and lean in close so I could say goodbye to him too, "I wish I knew you sooner, Grandpa Joe. I'm glad I met you and got to spend some quality time with you. Even if it was short, I'm going to miss our time together. We never got to finish our book, and who's going to sing Frank Sinatra to me now?" I sniffle, brushing my fingers over his soft cheek. I sigh. "You're an incredible man, and you'll live on in our hearts forever. And don't you forget your promise to me, okay, you tell Grandma Maisie I want to meet her someday." I smile sadly, and Cole takes my hand and places it with his over Grandpa Joe's hand, "Until we meet again, Grandpa." I whisper, and I play the song he requested when he did pass. 'My Way by Frank Sinatra' Cole presses his forehead to Grandpa Joe's hand and sobs along with the rest of the family.

I look up when I see Elaine come up beside Cole, and I slip away when she hugs him and let them grieve privately, together as a family. I stood in the doorway and watched them say their goodbye. It was so heart wrenching to watch, and a little voice in my head kept telling me I didn't belong there, but my heart wouldn't allow me to leave Cole when he was hurting. I pushed aside my own woes and was there for him, not because I had to be, but because I wanted to be.

I walk to the vending machine at the end of the corridor to get something to drink, but I just stood there staring at it blankly. "Shayla?" I blink and jump out of my trance. I look back and see Elaine standing behind me.

"Mrs Hoult, I'm so sorry for your loss. I know all too well how it feels to lose your father." She sighs and dabs a tissue to the endless tears that fell from her eyes.

"Thank you, dear, and you can call me Elaine." She says, and I stare at her, surprised, and sigh. "Would you spare me a couple of minutes to talk?" I nod and gesture to the seats by the vending machine, and we sit together. "First of all, I want to apologise to you for the way I treated you throughout your marriage to my son. You turned out to be the complete opposite of everything I thought you'd be. I honestly thought you were using my son for a quick pay-out, but I watched you with Tristan, and I realised that I might have been wrong. My suspicions were confirmed when I got a call from Franc, and he told me you signed away any rights to a settlement and walked away without a penny." She bites her lip and sighs.

"He also explained that when he asked you why, you said you would never take money you didn't earn, and that money rightfully belonged to him through all the hard work he and my husband put into the company." I nod and look down when she places her hands over mine and squeezes them. "I misjudged you, and for that, I'm terribly sorry, Shayla. My son adores you, and so did my father. I really hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me?"

I lift my gaze to hers and nod, "Of course. I appreciate the apology. My marriage to your son may not have lasted, but you were right. We're too different, and I don’t fit into his world, but I do care for him deeply and wish him nothing but happiness in whatever he chooses to do next." I explain, blinking back the tears that I feel burning the back of my eyelids.“Cole is a wonderful man.”

Elaine smiles sadly and pats my hand, "You're an incredibly unique girl Shayla Hart, and the love and respect you've shown my father in his last moments will forever have a special place in my heart." She sighs, wiping away her tears. "You'll come to the funeral, right?"

"I'd like to if that's okay with you?" I ask bashfully, biting my bottom lip, and she smiles.

"Of course, you will be there. I would have it no other way." I smile a little and nod gratefully. "Would you mind if I give you a hug?" I look at her, surprised, and shook my head. She wraps her arms around me and hugs me tight, her hands brushing my hair. "Good luck with your future, and if you ever need anything, you can reach out to my family or me, always. And thank you for being here for both my father and my son today." She declares sweetly, pulling back and looking at me.

I wipe away the tears the spillover my cheeks and nod. "Thank you, Elaine," I watch her as she gets up and walks off down the corridor.

* * *

After I attemptto pull myself together, I go back to where everyone else was standing, and I look around for Cole but don't see him. I wonder if he's left as I walk through the corridor and find him around the corner, his arms around Sophie, who is consoling him. Watching him with her, I honestly didn't think my heart could break any more than it already has. My vision blurs with tears that pool in my eyes when she kisses him. I slip away before anyone sees me, and I walk away, my insides bleeding. The only way I could describe how I was feeling at that moment was wanting to scream; my lungs felt like they were on fire as I hurry out of the hospital to get oxygen. I was slowly suffocating like someone was siphoning the life right out of me.

I throw myself into the car and drive off, away from the hospital, away from him.

As I park up my car at my apartment, my phone rings.’ Cole calling…’ flashes across my screen. I pick up the phone and stare at his name, and hot tears roll down my already pale cheeks. "Let me go." I whimper sobbing. "Please, Cole, let me go." I'm so tired of hurting. He's with his girlfriend. What does he still want from me? I don't understand. Can he not see how hard all of this is for me?

I turn my phone off and walk up to my apartment. I walk in and collapse onto the sofa, utterly drained. "Shay?" I open my eyes and look over at Jo, who frowns and walks over to me. "What's wrong?"

I sigh and shake my head, "Cole's grandfather just passed away right in front of me." I explain. Jo takes my hand and sits next to me.

"The one you've been reading too. Oh no, that's so sad." She says, brushing my hair away from my face. "Was Cole there?" I nod.

"He was. It was awful, Jo, the way he collapsed into my arms and cried, I just…it broke me." I cry, reliving his pain. "His grandfather thought I was his wife, and his hand, held onto mine so tight the moment he passed away, they had to rip his hand off mine." I sob, and Jo covers her mouth with her hand, her eyes filling with tears. "I just keep replaying that moment over and over again, the way Cole's body shook, his anguished sobs, it all hit me so hard."

"Oh, babe, come here." Jo pulls me so I could lay my head in her lap. She brushes her fingers through my hair while I cry, explaining everything that happened with his mother and Sophie showing up.

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