She sighed and wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.
“I think you overestimate me. I’m not so strong. Not after this.”
Ryan chuckled and kissed the top of her head.
“You’ve always been stronger than you thought. And you are now, too. You’ll be fine, Val, you’ll be just fine.”
He held her closer and brought her back to the sofa, where he cradled her in his arms, hoping she would eventually relax and fall asleep. When she eventually did, Ryan scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom, knowing she would feel better after a little rest.
When Valerie woke up, Ryan was sitting in the armchair at the foot of his bed, reading a magazine.
“Ryan,” she said, her voice still thick with sleep, as she tried to realize where she was and why she was there.
“Well, good morning,” he said, grinning. “It’s about time you woke up! I was starting to run out of things to do here.” He stood up and stretched, dropping the magazine on the armchair. “These tabloids are so boring. I don’t understand why people still buy them!”
He chuckled and got close to her, scrutinizing her face.
“I’m sorry,” she said, sheepishly. “I didn’t realize I was so tired. What time is it?”
He shrugged and sat on the bed.
“Almost dinner time. You hungry?”
She nodded, her stomach grumbling just at the sound of the word.
“Good, then let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving!”
He stood up and took her hand to pull her up. She felt a bit unstable and weak as soon as she got to her feet, and she understood she was going to be in trouble if she didn’t pull herself together quick. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten something in the last twenty-four hours, and this had been the first time she had been able to sleep after what happened.
Maybe Ryan was right, maybe it hadn’t been her fault. She had done everything she could to save that man, she had used all of her skills and medical knowledge, she had been the perfect doctor, the perfect surgeon, and she hadn’t left anything untried. Doctor Gray had been there with her and had told her it hadn’t been her fault. But still….
She blinked, hoping the image of the dead man would disappear, but she was sure it would never go away, not in a long, long time to come.
She sighed and followed Ryan to the kitchen, where he offered to make his very special fettuccine recipe and she wondered what her life would be like if Ryan wasn’t part of it. What person would she have become if she hadn’t gone to the Club on that rainy July afternoon? Where would she be now? She surely would never have moved to Boston and she would never have gotten out of her shell, if he hadn’t been her friend and hadn’t brought out the best of her. No matter what happened in their lives, Ryan would always be the one person she could depend on, the one person who’d always believed in her.
Hugged By An Angel Page 30