Page 194 of The Stolen Moments Trilogy

My heart wrenches painfully when I look at her. She looks up sharply, disbelief and hope warring in her eyes.

I tighten my hand around her bottle of pills and hold it up for her to see. “I’m keeping this,” I tell her as I rise from my seat. “I’ll get one of the guest rooms prepared for you so the nurses can keep an eye on your condition. It’s best if you stay here for a while. I’ll give you your pills personally. Consider it a thank you for what you did for my father.”

She nods at me, her eyes wide. I turn to find Carter looking at me, his eyes filled with emotions I can’t quite place. He smiles at me gratefully and I look down as I walk out of the room, my heart in complete chaos, all over again.

Chapter 64

Emilia

I stand just outside Kate’s bedroom door, my heart hammering in my chest. I still find it hard to believe she donated a kidney to my father. For so many years I’ve hated her, convinced she’d never change. Convinced I’d never be able to forgive her. Yet here I stand, every thread of hatred slowly unravelling, reluctant gratefulness replacing it. I never thought that she might be suffering right alongside me, that the guilt might be eating her alive. I’ve grown so much as a person over the years, yet I was convinced she didn’t. I rest my forehead against the door and inhale deeply. I’m feeling so incredibly conflicted.

I jump when I feel an arm wrap around my waist, and my eyes flutter closed when Carter’s scent envelops me. He leans in, his chest against my back, and he lifts my hair out of the way. He presses a soft kiss against the back of my neck, and a shiver runs down my spine.

“Just go in,” he whispers. “She’d love it if you did. You don’t have to restrict yourself to only going in to give Kate her pills.”

He trails a path down my neck with his nose before pressing another kiss on the hollow of my throat. I melt against him and turn to kiss him. He smiles against my lips and deepens the kiss as I rise to my tiptoes. We’re both panting by the time I pull away, smiles on both our faces.

Carter presses a kiss to my forehead, his lips lingering. “Go on,” he murmurs. “Go in. I’ve got to run to the office. I’ll see you at dinner.”

I nod and rise to my tiptoes to kiss him. He pulls away reluctantly and looks at me with so much love in his eyes that my heart skips a beat. He smirks and pecks my lips one more time before walking away, leaving me standing in front of Kate’s room.

I’m nervous as I knock on the door. It’s obvious she didn’t expect me, because she sits up in bed and then groans in pain.

“Emilia,” she whispers. “I’m sorry. I thought it was Mom.” She glances at the alarm clock on her bedside table and frowns. “Is it time for my meds already? I thought I had another hour.”

I shake my head and walk to the chair Helen placed beside her bed. “It’s not. I just thought I’d see how you were doing,” I say, a tentative smile on my face.

Kate blinks in surprise and then smiles. “I’m good. Carter and you are taking such good care of me. I adore Mom, but it’s so stressful to have her around. The nurses are really great.”

I nod. “They were amazing with Dad too.”

“How is he feeling?”

I relax in my seat, my smile genuine this time. “Honestly, it’s like he’s a whole new man. He’s far more alive than he ever was before he got sick. He’s filled with light, with happiness. I’ve never seen him this way.” I glance at her and bite down on my lip. “And I owe it to you. Thank you, Kate.”

Her eyes widen and she holds her hands up. “Oh no, don’t. Don’t thank me, Emilia. I… I’ve spent years thinking of ways to make things right, but I was too much of a coward. It was easier to run from my problems and pretend everything I did never happened. I pursued a life of my own, and I even ended up getting married, however briefly, in my pursuit of a new life. But in the meantime, Carter’s life stood still. He forged ahead with his career, but much like your dad, he wasn’t truly alive. Not in the way he was when you were around. The kidney donation… it’s the least I could do, Emilia.”

I study her and then look down at my lap. “Milly. You can call me Milly. And did you really get married?”

I look up at her to find her looking at me, hope and disbelief in her eyes. She nods slowly, a smile slowly spreading on her cheeks. “It’s a long story,” she murmurs.

“Let’s call it even, okay?” I say.

Kate looks at me, brows raised.

“Let’s both stop living in the past. It won’t help either of us. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I no longer feel like you took some precious years from me… but if not for you, I’d have lost my father. You might have taken some years away from me, but you gave me others in return. Carter and I… we’ll be okay.”

Kate looks at me, curiosity lighting up her eyes. “You’ll be okay? Does that mean you aren’t leaving?”

I smile at her. “No, I’m not. I haven’t found a way to tell him yet, though.”

Kate frowns, a worried expression on her face. “You should probably tell him soon,” she murmurs.

I raise my brows in question, and she blanches. “What do you mean?”

Kate looks away, but not before I catch the brief flash of panic in her eyes. I bite down on my lip as hundreds of terrible scenarios run through my mind. Is he expecting me to leave? Has he been waiting for it?

Kate looks at me and shakes her head. “Nothing like that,” she says. “You still wear the exact same expression when you’re overthinking things,” she says, a smile on her face. “It’s just… he’s already bought a plot of land in London. Asher and he are gathering more investors so they can expand their company to England… so Carter can be with you.”

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