Lily's Mirage (Hell Yeah! )

by Sable Hunter

  “It’s my sister,” she muttered, confused as to why Flora would be phoning so early – or at all, for that matter. “Flora?”

  Blade sat up in bed, rubbing his face, his eyes on Lily as she held the phone to her ear. She was standing at the window, looking out at the ocean while her sister spoke. He couldn’t understand the words, but he could tell by the indistinct tone of her voice that she was either upset or excited about something.

  Lily didn’t say much, she said “yes” a few times, and “I’m not sure”, but after Flora’s lengthy discourse, she finally said, “I understand, I’ll think about it and call you back”.

  Once she’d hung up the phone, Lily just stood there, unmoving.

  “Something wrong?” he couldn’t help but ask.

  “No.” She slumped her shoulders, sighing. “Yes.”

  “What?” He jumped up to come to her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Dr. Kimmel managed to get me an interview for a clinical trial. They had someone drop out and they want me to come for testing. If I qualify, they’ll do a…procedure. He thinks they can save my life.”

  8

  “What did you say?” A rush of happiness unlike any he’d ever known swept over Blade. He’d heard her, but he needed her to repeat the miraculous words.

  Lily moved a few feet away on legs that were proving to be a bit unsteady. She repeated what Flora had told her, as much to convince herself as Blade. “My sister said that Jay Kimmel just called to tell her I’m being considered for a spot in a clinical trial.”

  Blade went to kneel at her feet. “This is amazing. Wonderful. The most incredible news I’ve ever heard.” He wrapped his arms around her. “An answer to prayer.”

  Her arms crept around his shoulders and Lily cradled him to her breast. “Oh, Blade, I’m scared. I don’t know about this.”

  “What’s to know? This is a no-brainer.” As he said the non-serious phrase, he realized how it sounded, especially in light of her condition. “You know what I mean.”

  “Yea, I know what you mean.” She ran her fingers through his golden mane. “It’s just…” Her voice broke. “I just found you. This type of thing doesn’t come with guarantees. I could lose what time with you I have left.”

  Blade buried his face against her chest. “I want you to live.”

  “Oh, I want to live too, more than you know.” She hugged him tight. “Especially now.”

  “Tell me more,” he requested, sitting back on his heels. “What did she say? Exactly.”

  Lily was trembling. “If I’m accepted, the trial includes a new procedure, injecting the tumor with a virus of some kind. I don’t really understand it all. What I did hear was how very risky the operation can be.”

  Blade stood and began to pace across the room. “I can only imagine how you must feel.” He held his stomach. “God, I feel sick myself.” Walking to the window, he hit the wall next to it hard enough to make the people next door jump, if there was anyone there. “I want you now, but I want you forever.”

  She went to him. “I can go through the testing process, just to see if I qualify. I could always change my mind about the rest.”

  Her suggestion made him wheel around. “I want to be there with you. Can I be there with you?”

  She nodded. “Of course, I wouldn’t want to make this decision without you.” Her heart was racing. “I’ll have to go back and pack. If I’m going to do this, I must leave immediately. There’s a stringent schedule for the clinical trial testing. They’re being conducted by Duke University, so Flora says they’ll arrange for a helicopter to pick me up and fly me to Durham, North Carolina.”

  Blade began to dress. “Well, what are you waiting for? Call her. I don’t want you to miss this.”

  “What about you?” she asked as she dressed herself.

  “I’ll follow you, I’ll get the quickest flight I can and be right behind you,” he assured her unequivocally. He handed Lily the phone. “Call your sister now.”

  None of this seemed real to Lily. She felt like everything was moving far too fast. Dialing the number, she sank to the bed when she heard Flora’s voice. “Okay, I’ll come. Although, I want to hear more details before I decide.” She looked at Blade. “Before we decide.” Her face broke out into a smile. “I’ve met someone, Flora. He’ll be there with me.” Still talking to her sister, she held Blade’s gaze. “I’ll go through the testing, yes. I know. I might not qualify after they evaluate the glioblastoma.” She nodded. “Yes, I’m aware of the risks…and the potentiality. Okay.” She smiled at Blade. “I’ll be ready. Yes, St. Philip’s Island. There’s only one house. The helicopter can land on the beach. All right. I’ll see you soon.”

  Blade felt exhilarated and scared to death – all at the same time. “I’ll get the car from the garage. When will the helicopter arrive on the island?”

  “Jay said they’d send it from a hospital near here, so it won’t be long.” Lily threw a few items in the bag she brought. “It might beat us to the island. I guess I should’ve told them to pick me up here.”

  “We’ll make it, we’ll make it.” He kissed her quickly. “I’ll go get the rental and meet you out front.”

  Lily watched him go, her mind racing almost as fast as her heart. She gathered the few things left in the bathroom that belonged to them and made sure to leave the key for checkout. Every step she took seemed like a step into the unknown. Her skin was prickly with chill bumps and her breath was coming in shallow pants. When she reached the hotel lobby and made her way to the front, she saw the valet hand Blade the keys. He glanced in the door, saw Lily and waited for her. Lily wanted to pinch herself. Was this real? A few days ago, she’d had no hope and no Blade – now she had both.

  And she couldn’t bear the thought of losing either one.

  Lily was fraught with nerves all the way to Lili. On the drive from Hilton Head to Saint Helena’s, she kept saying things like, “I want you to be careful on the drive to the airport,” and “When you get there, don’t pay a lot of attention to Flora, she has no filter.” When they were on the ferry back to St. Phillips, Blade made sure he had her cell phone number and promised to call as soon as he drew near the city. He also arranged for Seba to wait and take him back to the rented Jeep as soon as Lily departed on her journey. The last call he made was to book his own flight to Durham.

  “I don’t know where I’ll be, but you can find me. I’m sure there’ll be someone who knows something.” She bowed her head and clenched her hands into fists. “Oh, God. You know, I was too afraid to hope for this and now that it’s happened, I’m too afraid to believe it’s true.”

  “Come here.” Blade held her in his arms all the way to the island, then carried her off, kissing her every few steps. “Everything’s going to be okay. This is meant to be, we meet and fate makes it possible for us to be together forever.”

  “Hold me tight, I’m shaking.”

  Blade cradled her close until they arrived at the cottage, where he set her down and unlocked the door. “Now, how can I help?”

  “I’ll just pack really quick.” Her eyes fell on the painting. “I wish I could take Mirage with me, I feel like it would bring me luck.”

  He wanted her to have whatever would make her the most comfortable. “Then take it, I’m sure there’ll be room. Just tell them you can’t leave it behind.” While she gathered her things, Blade found some tape and newspaper and he wrapped the painting as carefully as he could in the amount of time he thought he might have. He’d no sooner finished, than the roar of a helicopter could be heard in the distance.

  “Oh, Blade, I don’t think I have everything,” she fretted, feeling jittery. “And look, it’s starting to rain.”

  “I’ll grab an umbrella and don’t worry, I’ll gather anything you left and bring it with me. The Gullah painting and your sand crane. The camera.” He knew he was babbling, he was just too nervous to think straight. Seeing the lights of the arriving helicopter through the window, he hurried h
er along. “Come on, I’ll walk you down.” He gathered Abraham’s painting and her bag, then took her by the arm, holding an umbrella over her head. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll be with you every step of the way, whatever you decide.” Once they were near the chopper, he embraced her one more time.

  “I feel like if I leave you, I’ll never see you again,” she spoke against the soft material of his shirt.

  He glanced at the small helicopter and the waiting attendants. “You’ll see me soon, I guarantee it. I’ll pack, shut down the house, make a few phone calls and be on my way to you.”

  “Okay.” She lifted her face to him and he kissed her tenderly. “I’m so glad you came into my world, Blade Jensen. You’ve made my whole life worthwhile.”

  Blade crushed her to him. “I love you, Lily Bastien, and I plan on loving you for a long, long time.”

  “I love you too.” She kissed him one more time, then clung to him while he walked her to the open door of the helicopter and handed the painting to one of the medical attendants to put in a safe place. “Be careful with that painting and with her,” Blade told the man, “you’re carrying precious cargo.”

  With those parting words, Blade stepped back so the chopper could lift off.

  Lily leaned on the window and waved to him until they took flight and she could see him no more.

  Blade rushed back to the house and gathered both of their things as promised. He found the camera, Thandie’s painting, and the sand crane she’d intended to use to protect herself with – from him. The memory brought a lump into his throat. Rushing around, he found a few other items of hers that she’d left behind and he slipped them into his suitcase. Within minutes of the helicopter taking off for Durham, he’d rejoined Seba and was taking his last journey on the ferry from St. Phillips back to Saint Helena. As soon as his feet touched dry ground, he gave the helpful young man a hefty tip and hit the road. He was just about to turn onto the bridge when his cell rang. Slowing down, he answered the phone. To his shock, the voice on the other end was the private investigator he’d hired to find Katy’s killer.

  “Blade?”

  “Kenner, what’s up?”

  The next words out of the PI’s mouth were so unexpected and so longed for that he had to ask the man to say them again. “What did you say?”

  “I’ve got a lead on Ruth Carlton, she was picked up for bad checks in Milwaukee. When her fingerprints hit the system, a buddy of mine let me know. She’s going by an alias, Donna Rich, but I’m almost sure this is the stalker who took your daughter. Can you get up here to Chicago within the next few hours and view a line-up?”

  Blade was hit with warring emotions. This was what he’d been praying for, but now he needed to be in two places at once. “Kenner, I’ve got a situation.” He took a deep breath. “Look, I’ll be there, but then I’ve got to head right back down here. I can’t spare more than an hour or two, I’ve got an emergency. Can you set it up so they’ll be ready when I arrive?”

  “I’ll do my best. I thought you’d want to know.”

  “Oh, I do. I do.” Blade mentally ticked off a plan. “I just need to make a phone call and change my flight. I’d better call my agent too.” God, he hoped Lily would understand and they could delay her evaluation just long enough for him to verify Carlton’s identity.

  “Good deal. Call me when you land up here and I’ll meet you at the airport.”

  “Thanks.” He ended one phone call and glanced down to make another. A car horn blasting in front of him caused Blade to look up. “Holy Hell!” He swerved to miss an oncoming vehicle and when he did, he lost control of the car on the wet road and slammed into a concrete embankment.

  Blade’s last thought before everything went black was of Lily.

  “Just go on with the testing, Lily. I’ll wait for your friend. What did you say his name was?” Flora fiddled with her bag and her umbrella.

  “Blade Jensen.”

  “Hmm, sounds familiar,” she mused. “What did I do with my kindle? I need something to do while I wait. When you see Jay, tell him I have his water bottle, he left it in the car.”

  “All right.” Lily chafed her arms. “Please guard my painting with your life.”

  Flora groaned. “You and your paintings. What is this?” She poked at the newspaper wrapped canvas. “A Rembrandt?”

  “No, it’s one of Abraham Duvalier’s. Bliss and her family are related to him and Charlotte, you know. I found the painting hidden in the attic. I’m going to have it restored and placed in the collection for the family.”

  “Your obsession, Charlotte and Abraham. I should’ve known. You didn’t hallucinate anymore ghosts while you were gone, did you?”

  Lily didn’t answer. She didn’t want to resume an old argument. “Why do they have to keep hospitals so cold? Morgues, I can understand being cold, but why hospitals? Looks like they’d be concerned about people getting sick here.”

  “What did you say?” Flora asked as she dug deeper into the cavernous tote bag that she always kept with her.

  “Nothing, just watch for Blade. He should be here any minute.” She glanced at her phone. There was still no call. “God, I wish I’d gotten his cell number. I’d call him.” But she hadn’t, things had happened too fast for her to be organized or think clearly.

  “You don’t have your friend’s number? That’s a little strange, Lily.”

  “Well, there was no cell service on St. Philip’s.” Oh, why was she bothering to explain. “I have to get back in there, they only gave me a ten-minute break.”

  Lily took one last look over her shoulder toward the door. She’d so hoped Blade would be here by now. She needed for him to hear all this medical jargon, possible side-effects, and the million and one things that could go wrong.

  When she returned to the doctor’s office, they picked up where they left off with the myriad questions. Apparently, her mind-set and outlook played a big part in their decision-making process. There was also a battery of tests and lab work to endure – blood tests, MRI’S, brain scans, EKG’s – you name it and she was scheduled to have it.

  Lily hated the familiarity of it all, this wasn’t new to her. She’d lived through this type of scenario time and time again. The people who conducted the tests didn’t talk to you, nothing more than a direction on how to sit or that she’d feel a sting or some pressure. After hours of submitting to one indignity after another, she couldn’t help but feel less than human. No word of complaint left her lips, these people were merely doing their jobs.

  “Could you check and see if my friend has arrived?” she asked for the umpteenth time.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the nurse answered without changing tone. Lily was getting the distinct feeling that they were just telling her what she wanted to hear.

  “He’s supposed to be here. At least go check with my sister, please?”

  The nurse patted her arm. “We’re going to take you to a room where you can rest. The doctor wants me to start you on fluids, he says you’re dehydrated. He’ll come see you for a consultation once the test results are all in.”

  Lily looked around her, feeling helpless. There was no clock on the plain gray walls, only a few posters. They’d taken her watch and Flora had her purse. She didn’t even know how long she’d been here, it seemed like days. Surely Blade had arrived or would arrive shortly.

  After what seemed like an eternity, with only an ancient magazine to keep her company, another nurse came to escort her to a room where she could await the final consultation. Lily protested the bed and the IV, but the technician said it was necessary. She closed her eyes while they inserted the needle. “Can you tell me what time it is?”

  “Almost six. They’ll be bringing you something to eat shortly. Since this is a research facility and not a regular hospital, we don’t have a cafeteria. They do make a run to a nearby restaurant for anyone who is unlucky enough to be here at mealtime.”

  Lily wasn’t worried about food, she was worried about B
lade. The distance between the barrier islands and Durham was a little less than 350 miles, seven hours by car, but just a couple of hours by air. “He should’ve been here by now.”

  “There you are!” Flora announced as she joined Lily, her arms laden with her bag, Lily’s purse, and the painting. “Jay is on his way, he wants to hear what Dr. Fields has to say. If you get accepted for the trial, I think they’ll be able to do the procedure itself at one of the facilities in New Orleans. That way, we can be close to home for the recovery time.”

  “I haven’t decided to do it, yet, Flora,” Lily reminded her. “I want to hear what the doctor has to say and I want to talk to Blade.”

  “Blade, what kind of name is Blade?” her sister asked as she settled down in a chair next to the bed.

  “A sexy name for a sexy guy,” Lily quipped, her eye trained on the door for any sign of him. “Did you tell anyone at the front to watch for him? Have you checked my phone for messages from him?”

  “Calm down, I told them.” Flora dug in Lily’s purse. “Here’s your phone. I don’t see any messages. I think it needs to be charged. Let me get my mobile charger for you.”

  Lily wanted to scream at Flora’s methodical approach to the mundane. “I’m just worried, he should’ve left right after I did.”

  “I can’t believe you met someone.” She crossed her legs and gave Lily a quizzical look. “So, who is this guy and what’s he like?”

  Lily smiled dreamily. “Well, he’s wonderful. And so good-looking. I met him first at the rental car place. I didn’t recognize him, of course, but he left his phone in the office and I took it out to him where he was waiting by the pump. When he assumed I was after an autograph, I informed him that I didn’t know him from Adam.”

  “Wait.” Flora held up her hands. “An autograph?”

  “Yea, Blade Jensen, he’s an actor. I didn’t recognize the name, but I don’t watch television or keep up with the movies and celebrity gossip.”

  “Blade Jensen, People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive Blade Jensen?” Flora’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You did not hook up with Blade Jensen.”