Whispered Curses: A shy girl alpha male romance novel Read online

  Maybe it was fear, since I’d never been in a real relationship before. Or perhaps it was fear because Eden seemed so delicate. A bit timid. As if she wasn’t quite sure yet where she stood in the world.

  A pushy, domineering man would be the worst thing for a nice young girl. I would never want to inadvertently guide her in a direction she didn’t want to go. I would never want to tell her what to do.

  But I already had. I’d told her to ignore her grandmother’s comment. I’d gently pushed her into giving us another chance. Just because it felt completely right to me didn’t mean that it was right for her.

  No matter what happened, I’d have to keep my eyes open, and my emotions in check. The underworld that was my namesake could be the hell on earth I’d have to go through if I ever hurt Eden.

  ~ Chapter 21 ~ Eden ~

  * Long White Hallways *

  It was a huge relief to send off my essay, knowing that fresh eyes would be going over it before it was handed in. This gave me a little time to listen to quiet music and try to compose myself before we landed.

  While I was writing, I had to focus. Now there was a bit of space for the thoughts to spin around my mind like a tipsy tornado.

  Eric seemed to always be in problem-solving mode. I found that extremely interesting. He wasn't aggressive about it, just forthright. He wasn't obtrusive, he was used to taking charge of the situation, and creating a positive outcome.

  Perhaps it was from clawing his way to the top while he was building his business. Or some people are just hardwired in different ways.

  I'd always been the person to sit still and think things through for hours and days before making a decision. I would never be known as a person of action. It was not my nature.

  Maybe it was because I was usually lost in books and quiet thoughts. Maybe it was that standing up for myself was terrifying.

  No matter how my mind functioned naturally, Eric seemed to be excellent at nudging me out of my shell. He wasn't demanding, he was playful about it. I knew that I was safe to tell him no at any time. Sometimes I just wanted to please him.

  And I dearly wanted to find that part of myself that jumped into action without endless pondering.

  Some people can just go with their guts. I don't think I've ever trusted my gut. Everything got tangled up in a wave of nervous tension.

  Like knowing that Eric had been strangely aggressive in pursuing me, even calling in help. I honestly didn’t know whether that was admirable, or strange. I didn’t know if it was a red flag. We felt so right together that it seemed that something so bizarre should be forgiven.

  Perhaps it was my paranoia, but the first month of my last relationship I felt on top of the world as well. Not even a quarter as wonderful as I did now, but it was a high at the time. I hoped that my dark thoughts and nervous ways didn’t let bad things creep into what could be everything I’d ever dreamed of.

  As Andrea gave me some gum to chew during landing, Eric held my hand tightly. No matter what I thought of our relationship overall, I was extremely glad he was here to take care of me. The thought of going to see my mother in the hospital was completely freaking me out.

  A town car was already waiting for us on the tarmac. I didn't even know where we were going, but he guided us to the hospital and already knew exactly where my mother's room was.

  "I got a text that the surgery went well," he said gently, leading me along. "She just came out of recovery, and was wheeled to her room twenty minutes ago.” It was a huge relief that he was so on top of everything.

  As we walked down a long white hallway, Eric kept an arm around me. I looked up to see him watching my face. I shrugged slightly. "Yeah, I know. I'm one of those people who get jumpy in hospitals."

  He stroked my back gently. "It's okay. Your only job is to chat with your Mom for a while, and let her know you're here for her. I will take care of absolutely everything else."

  "Thank you," I whispered, wondering why I was instantly teary so easily. It was probably stress.

  Mom was a bit older when she had me, and had always been a little fragile. She was easily sick or injured, but this was likely the worst trip yet.

  "Remember," he said as we approached the end of the hall, "She just came out of recovery, so she might be asleep, or groggy, or,” he grinned down at me, "High as a kite. Anesthetic affects people in different ways. So don't be alarmed if she's loopy."

  I nodded, then we were standing in front of the door of a private room.

  Eric hesitated, which was rather unlike him. "I'm pretty sure they only allow one visitor at a time," he said. "And this would be a very strange way for her to meet a stranger. I'll be sitting right here," he said, pointing to a row of chairs. "You take your time, okay?"

  Ignoring the two nurses in green scrubs walking by us, I stretched up to give him a kiss. “Thank you," I said again.

  He gave me a hug, then set his hands on my shoulders. "It's time for you to be a tough chick," he smiled.

  I nodded, then took a few tentative steps through the half-open door.

  My mother looked pale, and at least ten years older, lying motionless in the bed. Unlike any hospital room I'd seen previously, this one was nicely decorated like a hotel, with warm lighting instead of ugly fluorescents.

  A woman in purple scrubs was sitting in a corner chair, and she jumped up immediately. "Hello," she said in a gentle voice that was nearly a whisper. "You must be Eden. I'm Katy, your mother's nurse."

  "How is she?" I asked, matching her quiet tone.

  She was almost as old as my mother, and had lovely gentle energy around her. Her instant smile made me feel a lot better. "She's doing really well," Katy said. "She was talking a bit when they transferred her from recovery to this room, but then she closed her eyes again. It's completely normal. People drift in and out for a while."

  "And the surgery went well?" I asked.

  "Absolutely. Dr. Armstrong said that everything went perfectly. Obviously, she needs to stay off it for several weeks, then there will be a bit of physio to build her back up. Then she'll be walking around pretty much like normal."

  She cocked her head, looking at me carefully, and lowering her voice even more. "Your mother wasn't a long-distance runner, or a ballroom dancer or anything like that, was she?"

  I shook my head. "No, she was a bookworm. She liked long slow walks, but that's about as athletic as she got."

  Katy nodded with relief. "Then she'll be absolutely fine. She'll be back to long walks in a few months."

  "Eden?" A weak voice rasped from the bed.

  I rushed to Mom's side, taking her hand. "Hi," I said gently.

  She blinked slowly, then stared at me. “I can't believe you're here."

  "Mrs. Palmer, do you feel like sitting up a little more?" Katy asked.

  Mom nodded, and Katy raised the head of the bed and arranged her pillows perfectly. It was wonderful to see that Mom would be taken care of completely.

  "There's water right here if she needs it, but only a little at first. I'll be in the hallway if you need me for anything," Katy said, leaving us alone.

  "So, breaking my leg is a great way to get you out here to visit your grandmother," Mom chuckled weakly.

  "No fair," I rolled my eyes. "You know how much it costs to fly out here."

  Mom's face fell. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Eden."

  "It's actually okay,” I grinned. “A friend of mine flew me here in his company's private jet."

  Mom gave herself a shake, sitting up straighter. She was looking a bit more clear. "Friend? Is this a friend of the male persuasion?"

  Drat this perfect lighting. There was no way she didn't see me blush furiously. Mom laughed a tiny bit. "What's his name?"

  "Eric. I'll tell you all about him when you're a bit stronger and not hopped up on goofy juice or whatever they used on you." I pulled a chair over, then gripped her hand again. "I hope it wasn't too terrible."

  Mom released a long low sigh, rolling her eyes. "The wor
st thing is it was my own bloody fault."

  "Everyone trips sometimes, Mom."

  "Yes, but I had a warning."

  There was something in her tone that pointed out precisely what she meant, but I asked anyway. "What sort of warning?"

  "I was at your grandmother’s for tea. She did that little zone out thing she does, and she said, ‘It’s okay to be hurt, you’ve got to share it with those who care’.”

  "That could mean absolutely anything," I said.

  She gave me a flat stare. "The day before, I had twisted my ankle a bit. I was cooking at Nick’s house, and sort of tripped over my own feet, landing on the side of my ankle. It hurt like heck. I knew I should have asked him to finish dinner, but I didn't want to be a bother since I was staying at his place. If I had sat down and put ice on it, it probably would have healed within a few hours."

  I shook my head, knowing exactly what she meant. Much like me, my mother never wanted to rock the boat, or create waves. We never wanted to be a bother.

  "So the next day, Nick called for me to come downstairs to help him with something. In my rush, my ankle turned and I missed a step." She winced at the memory. "The pain was crazy, but knowing that it was my own stupid fault scared me even more."

  "It wasn't your fault, Mom."

  She gave me that look. That special mother expression with one partially raised eyebrow that stated she knew I was full of crap. “Our family understands that you don't go against The Knowing," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "We don't ignore those unusual little messages."

  "There's absolutely no scientific evidence of psychic powers ever proven,” I said, trying to sound more sure than I was.

  "Well, the proof is in the pudding," she said. "Or in this case, the broken leg."

  She squeezed my hand hard, looking at me intently. "Eden, promise me. Promise me that you will always obey Nana’s whispers."

  My eyes snapped shut and I felt my face clench.

  "Oh god, Eden… What have you done?"

  Forcing myself to look into her eyes, she was positively horrified. "Did you do something that was against… You know?"

  I couldn't look at her, staring down at our hands. "Not quite, technically," I said. "But what she said was really abstract, and it could be taken so many ways. And the thing she was talking about isn't even really a real thing," I babbled. "Like, a weird old version of a name isn't the name someone goes by, so that doesn't make it real. So you could say that…"

  "Eden." I looked up to see her face like thunder. "We don't go against The Knowing. Bad things always happen. Remember when your sister broke her wrist? Remember when… well, you know."

  "I know, but–"

  “Did you not stop to think for one second that it might…" She stopped herself mid-sentence, shaking her head. "No, that's ridiculous. I'm sorry."

  My throat nearly closed. "What were you going to say?" I choked. I felt my back freeze, then my core. She couldn’t be saying what I think she was implying.

  She laid back a bit, her eyes drooping.

  "Mom, are you in pain?"

  "No, I'm too dopey to be in pain. But I think I should rest."

  "Okay," I said. "Would you like me to come back later tonight?"

  She squeezed my hand tightly. "You've just flown all this way. Why don't you have a big dinner and sleep, and come join me for breakfast in the morning? I’ll likely make a lot more sense by then."

  "Alright."

  I stood up and kissed her forehead. "You be a good girl for nurse Katy now," I said, mimicking her voice.

  She jokingly reached out as if she were trying to smack my shoulder. "Thank you for coming out here, Eden."

  "Anytime. Rest well."

  As I turned to leave, I felt like I was trying to push through a brick wall. My feet didn’t want to move. My breath was rapid and awkward. My heart was racing unevenly.

  Once I walked out into that hallway, I was going to have to break up with Eric and never see him again.

  I would have thought that knowledge would cause me to burst into tears. Instead, I felt like I’d been electrocuted. There was a weird hum in one ear, and my skin didn’t fit around my joints quite right.

  Shuffling one shoe in front of the other, my stomach tightened. I’d have to find a way to get through the next few minutes. Then the next few. One breath at a time, through lips that could never, ever kiss Eric again.

  ~ Chapter 22 ~ Eric ~

  * Green Space *

  As I waited in the hallway for Eden, I was extremely glad that I could get her here in time to visit with her mother. I didn't know much about surgeries and hospitals. But everyone who has been through it mentioned that having visitors was incredibly important.

  I could see that being surrounded by strangers would be unnerving. People you are familiar with help you feel grounded. At least, that seemed to be the case.

  When the nurse came out of Penelope's room, I introduced myself and gave her my business card in case there were any difficulties. She thanked me and went to the nurses' station two doors down. A few minutes later, I heard an older man ask the nurses for Penelope Palmer's room.

  "She has a visitor at the moment," Katy said. "But you can wait right here if you like."

  "Thanks. Is there any way you can tell me how she ended up with a private room? We can't afford that."

  I stood up, catching his eye as I walked toward him. "Eric Stone," I said, extending my hand. "You must be Eden’s Uncle Nick.”

  "Yes, I am." He looked confused.

  "I’m a friend of Eden's. Don't worry, the private room and nurse are completely taken care of."

  "Thank you," he said, clearly looking me up and down.

  I always tried to look as subtle as possible, but if someone had a sharp eye, they would probably notice my watch and my shoes. Maybe even that my designer suits were custom fit. I didn't try to walk around announcing that I was extraordinarily wealthy, but if someone was looking for it, the signs were fairly obvious.

  "So, a friend of Eden’s," he said. “Since her father's not here anymore, am I to be the one to give you the third degree?"

  I chuckled. "If you like, sure."

  He peppered me with questions regarding my work, my family, where I lived, and my hobbies. Each answer seemed to either impress or satisfy him.

  Then he shrugged. "Well, sounds good enough for me, I suppose."

  I looked up as Eden came into the hallway. "Hey, how did it go?" I asked softly.

  She nodded, looking a bit spaced out. "Mom is good, I think. Katy said that she could probably go home in a few days."

  Eden looked up and blinked as she realized we weren’t alone, and gave her uncle a little hug hello. "Uncle Nick, would it be easier for you if Mom goes to your place, or to Nana’s?"

  "I'll ask her," he said. "Either one is fine with me. Is it okay if I go in now?"

  "Sure, but she should take a nap after you say hello."

  "No problem."

  As soon as Nick was gone, I took Eden's hand. "Maybe we should get you some dinner," I said.

  She seemed clenched. Her shoulders looked tight and uncomfortable.

  "First, let's get you out of this hospital, all right?"

  She nodded quickly, and I led her out of the hospital and across the street to a park. I didn't know whether she actually panicked from being in hospitals, but being surrounded by a few trees and a bit of grass was usually helpful for any sort of anxiety.

  "Maybe a few slow, deep breaths,” I suggested, holding her hand as we sat close together.

  There was something intense churning through her mind. It was almost visible. A dark cloud of something downright creepy.

  "I didn't tell you how my Dad died, did I?" she asked softly.

  "No. I didn't want to pry. But I'm ready to listen."

  Eden stared down at her shoes, grinding her toe slowly into the dirt. "The last time Dad visited Nana five years ago, she stared up at the ceiling and whispered, ‘Never let yo
urself get out of range’."

  She paused for a minute, then began talking quickly. "Of course he just thought that it meant he shouldn't bite off more than he could chew, or something abstract like that. He never believed in her whispers. He went fishing with his best friend, and they were out of cell phone range. Dad had a heart attack. Dave couldn't call an ambulance, and had to paddle back to the car, drag Dad into it, and drive to a hospital. By the time they got there, Dad was unconscious and it was too late."