Chapter 48

Consumed with guilt, I used some tissues to clean Darren up and hide any evidence of our rather inappropriate hospital behavior before heading to the bathroom to wash my hands.

“Do you feel better now?” I asked when I returned to his bedside.

“Yes,” he said, “but I still want to go home.”

A hospital staff member came into the room then, carrying a wrapped floral arrangement.

“More flowers for you, Mr. Nichols,” she said, placing the vase on the window sill beside the others he’d received. “You’re a popular person.”

“I guess so,” Darren said before thanking her.

Once she was gone, he asked me to unwrap the flowers and give him the card. I was shocked to see a lovely bouquet of red roses beneath the paper covering.

“Did you send these?” he asked me.

“No,” I said, shaking my head.

“You’re lying.”