Chapter 29

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After spending every Saturday for six months at St Vincent's hospital, I wasn't the only one finding it hard to believe that this was our last ever community service session. Tyler, being the most sentimental out of us all, decided to take a trip down memory lane.

"Do you remember that one time I held the door open for you in freshman year and then Jarred tripped me and the door slammed shut in your face?"

I frowned as the elevator began moving. "I do, actually."

"Remember when Jarred leaked your nudes?" Dennis asked Tyler and then smirked. "I have them backed up on my old laptop in case you ever decide to get adventurous."

Tyler gasped in horror. "See? You're the reason why I can't be a better person."

Jarred was absent today after supposedly going down with the flu. Luckily for him, it was actually the flu season so it was somewhat believable. However, I knew that he wasn't sick but was actually receiving some surprising news from Kayley today.

I'd been anxiously waiting for her text for exactly one hour and sixteen minutes.

"From this moment on, I am no longer a slave to the hospital." Tyler threw down his duster along with the cleaning spray in front of Mr Creed, dusting off his hands. "Now, I can finally pursue my Hollywood dream in peace."

Mr Creed waved a hand, without taking his attention away from his newspaper and just like that, we were dismissed. Reid, Dennis and I shared an apprehensive look as Tyler sprinted out of the room. Following his lead, we dropped our lanyards into the box at the front reception. A few of the young nurses ogled the boys as we passed.

"Aw, man." Tyler peered down at his phone and sighed. "My publicist says I have lunch with my grandma scheduled in five minutes."

"Your what?" I asked, incredulous.

"My grandma."

"No - the other thing."

As Tyler got distracted by an incoming call, Reid pulled me back, hesitating when I looked questioningly at him. "Hey, I want you to meet someone."

Up ahead, Dennis and Tyler were waiting for us to catch up but Dennis caught on much quicker than Tyler did and dragged him away. I watched them disappear and then shrugged at Reid. He gestured for me to follow and we crossed the foyer, heading towards the ICU department. In my mind, I knew where this was going and my chest suddenly felt painfully tight.

We stopped in front of Room C-16 and through the rectangular window, there was a girl. She was impossibly pale, even against the white sheets, stunning auburn hair closer to gold than to red, carefully gathered over her shoulder. She was beautiful, looking as if she was sound asleep although the machines kept her heart beating for her.

"Meet Savannah," said Reid quietly. "It's been seven hundred and sixty-two days."

762 days, I thought. Two years of waking up in the morning, unsure if his sister had made it through the night. Two years of picking up every call, wondering if it was the best or the worst news of his life. That was no way to live.

Recalling the first few months after losing my dad and my brother still felt like a knife in the gut. I would force myself to remember the small details like Daniel's obnoxious laugh or Dad's quiet humming as he worked through the early hours of the morning. During those months, I could almost trick myself into believing they were still here. But when reality came knocking, I was alone in a silent house and the room next door would still be empty.

"I think I'm losing my mind," Reid admitted, shaking his head. "Everyone has given up her; the doctors, my family and every single specialist I've sought out. But if there's even a 0.1% chance... I can't let her go."

"Is there?" I asked and then cleared my throat. "Is there any chance, statistically?"

"Not really," he replied. "We'll need a miracle."

That was one way of putting it but Reid smiled, a little wistful and a little lonely at the same time. It made me feel as though my chest was squeezing, knowing that he was still holding onto hope after all this time.

"She always saw right through my bullshit - and I was difficult, as a kid." Reid looked back at his sister, expression closing off as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "She kept me in line, kept me grounded and she believed in me with everything she had. And if I don't get to introduce you one day... this will have to do. I think she was someone worth meeting."

I had never believed in miracles - mainly because I never got my own - but this time, I believed with every fibre of my being.

-

"He was in the bathroom for twenty minutes."

"But he came back! And you said he was happy."

"Yeah. Happy but terrified."

As Kayley stressed over everything Jarred had said during lunch, I walked into the kitchen and almost screamed when I saw Chris. I had thought it was just Mom and I in the house since it was so quiet but apparently he'd been here for a while as there was a neat pile of clean dishes on the benchtop.

"Anyway," Kayley said with a sigh. "I have to go but I'll call you back later."

"Okay, let me know if he says anything else."

When she hung up, I pocketed my phone. "Is my mom around?"

"She's in her study," Chris smiled, drying his hands on a tea towel. "Uh, I - I was wondering if you have a couple of hours to spare?"

I was baffled, especially because Chris and I barely talked apart from the occasional greeting when he dropped by. "Sure. Why?"

"We could grab dinner and catch up on the whole uncle-niece thing." He paused, suddenly unsure, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I already talked to Marina but don't stress if you're busy. We can reschedule."

I was slightly taken aback but nodded, even surprising myself.

"Great!" Chris looked pleased. "I have just the place."

"Sounds good," I said. "Let's go."

The ten-minute car ride was generally small talk and though it didn't make me feel uncomfortable, I was glad to pull up at the Biltmore Hotel. After valet took Chris's red convertible, we were guided inside the Palme d'Or restaurant and a waiter immediately showed us to our table. It was definitely one of the more swanky places that I've been to, with the high ceilings and polished, wooden beams.

I sat down opposite Chris and the waiter handed us a menu each before he went off to serve a group of rich old men returning from golf at the country club across the road.

Chris examined the menu carefully. "I've heard that Bouillabaisse is good. I never got to try it on my honeymoon."

It never occurred to me that Chris might be married and he seemed to sense my curiosity because he went on to explain; "My wife Emily is in Seattle with Bella, our daughter. She's ten years old. We Skype almost every night and she's dying to meet you."

"They should visit," I suggested. "I'd really love that."

Chris only smiled at this so I assumed that he was still trying to smooth things over with my mom. They both seemed as stubborn as each other.

"For the record," I sat up a little in my seat, clearing my throat. "I think it's cool how you managed to track us down. Even if you were super creepy at first."

He laughed, setting down the menu. "I promise I didn't know you were going to be at the charity gala. I had no idea that you were dating one of the Castellan boys."

"Oh, I'm not." I corrected quickly and changed the subject. "So, how did you find us anyway?"

"It took me more than a year." Chris ran a hand over his stubbly chin, blue eyes meeting mine as he grew sombre. "We'd given up hope but after we lost Nora to leukemia two years ago, I had to find Marina. I couldn't just accept losing both of my sisters."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," said Chris and smiled sadly. "Your grandmother would've loved you. Family meant the world to her so it broke her heart when Marina left. For the many years afterwards, she told everyone that her eldest had gone off to become the next President of the United States." There was a pained look on Chris' face but his smile didn't waver. "People humoured her but I think she knew how brilliant Marina truly was. She believed it."

I felt a pang in my chest, realizing just how much Mom had left behind. I wondered if it was really worth it now, losing everyone she loved to chase her own dreams. I wondered if she ever wanted to reach out to them, just to let them know she was okay. I wondered if my grandparents knew in their hearts that their daughter got everything she had ever wanted in the end - even if it wasn't the Presidency.

"What was her name?" I asked and then cleared my throat. "My grandmother?"

"Paula. And Tomas is your grandfather."

Paula and Tomas. I had told myself that there was no point resenting my mother for the choices she made about her own life. But it sounded like she had loving parents who wanted the best for her even if it costed them her. She also had four siblings, one of which was sitting in front of me, after years of never giving up on his older sister. A family that she deserted.

"It's okay," said Chris quietly, no doubt reading the look on my face. "We have time and we can't waste it with blame. There are two uncles and their families for you to meet. A grandfather who just got a cell phone. We have time, Lex."

I just nodded, unable to find the words.

When the waiter returned to take our orders, we both ordered the boeuf tartare with buttered croutons for entrée. While I decided on baked salmon for my main, Chris wanted to try the foie gras with orange glaze. Our menus were taken away and when Chris and I were left alone again, I wasn't sure how to continue the conversation where it left off.

But thankfully, I didn't have to because we were interrupted by a buzz of commotion outside the doors of the restaurant. A group of security guards were escorting two people inside; a tall man and a younger woman with waist-length blonde hair.

They were taken into the restaurant and straight through the back.

I couldn't see their faces but the back profile of the man, in particular, hit me with a wave of familiarity that I couldn't place at first. The dark hair, neatly slicked back and a designer suit that probably cost more than the entire menu at Palme d'Or.

Demetrius Castellan, I realised at last.

And that woman with him was certainly not Valentina.


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