Forbidden Serenade: Final Notes (Book 3)

Chapter Eighteen

The ringing of my phone startled me awake. Sitting up, I looked wildly around the room, searching for it. Elijah stared at the coffee table. Following his gaze, I saw my ringing phone. James' name lit up the screen. Was that the reason for the hard set of Elijah's jaw?

I reached out and grabbed the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Riley," James' voice came through loud and confident. I glanced at Elijah, guilt and fear washing over me. What would be James' reaction upon discovering his presence here? "Tiffany and I are leaving. You're welcome to come visit Sam. I had a discussion with him regarding what occurred."

My hand raised to my forehead as I closed my eyes. "Why? Why would you do that right now? That's the last thing he needs, James. We need to be supporting him, not scolding him for this."

"This was an unnecessary stunt to get our attention and to bypass responsibilities."

Opening my eyes, I dropped my hand onto the couch beside me. "He needs our love and support right now."

Elijah's fingers traced over my hand. I looked down as every one of his touches sent an electrical shock through my dead body. Each zap restarted the tiniest piece of my heart.

"You baby him, and this is the result. He needs to man up."

James' voice reminded me of why I had to keep my distance from Elijah. It wasn't just me losing my kids; it was Elijah's career being ruined.

Pulling my hand from beneath Elijah's, I set it in my lap. I was too much of a chicken to view his reaction. I kept my gaze down as I spoke to James. "We should speak with the doctors and therapists for their recommendations. I'm certain they would..."

"He's my son, Riley," James said, interrupting. "I'll raise him how I see fit. I'll check in with you in the morning."

He hung up, and I lowered the phone to my lap. "I have to get to the hospital. James is leaving, and I don't want Sam alone." Standing up, I stretched my tired and aching body. My nose crinkled as I ran a hand through my messy hair. "I need to shower. I didn't mean to sleep that long."

Elijah stood up, keeping a distance between us. "Why don't you take me to Sam's room and let me talk to him? You can come home and shower and whatever else you need to do. I'll stay with him until you get back."

I shifted between my feet and folded my arms over my chest. It seemed like a perfect solution. It gave Elijah time to speak with Sam and me the time to shower. Regardless, I felt guilty taking care of myself instead of spending time with Sam. What else was I going to do, though? Stand outside the room while Elijah spoke with him?

"Okay," I said. "As long as you're sure you don't mind. When do you need to leave?"

Elijah shook his head. In this moment, he seemed significantly older beside me. Like he'd aged years suddenly. "I'm not worried about that."

I didn't push him any further. For once, I simply accepted the help because I needed it now. Sam needed it.

I drove us to the hospital in my car. Elijah hadn't arrived in one. I assumed he must have used a car service and been dropped off.

He was silent on the ride, simply looking out the window like he was pondering his entire life. I kept the music low. Inevitably, one of his songs came on the radio. Though I smiled, he didn't give any reaction.

After parking, I led the way into the hospital. He never reached for my hand and kept a respectful distance. He switched his hat forward, pulled the hood up from his hoodie, and kept his face down toward the ground. It took me a second to realize what he was doing.