Destroy (A Standalone Romance Novel)

by Adams, Claire

  “Nothing much. He wanted us to have dinner together.”

  “Obviously you said no since you’re eating our leftovers,” Tiffany commented.

  “Right. I told him I had a headache…”

  Tiffany burst out laughing. What is it with people? Can’t a girl have a headache without someone laughing at her pain?

  “You didn’t really say that, did you?”

  “Oh yeah. I did. What’s more, it was true. I had a splitting headache and all I wanted was to get home and relax.”

  “What did he say when you told him?”

  “He laughed like you did. But you know, even if I didn’t have a headache, I wouldn’t have gone out with him tonight.”

  “You wouldn’t?” Tiffany sounded surprised.

  “No, I wouldn’t. He takes the fight he had with his wife last night far too lightly, it seems. He’s trying to escape reality. I was his escape. But now I don’t know. Should I throw myself off the deep-end, or should I back off?”

  “I’m the wrong person to answer that question, Hattie. For me, the guy is a jerk. He is an egotistical SOB. He’s lost a son. So what? People lose dear ones all the time. Why should we treat him any differently? Okay, he’s hurt; he’s trying to escape the reality of it all, as you said, but that’s no excuse for playing hooky with you.”

  “Are you saying he’s using me?”

  Tiffany turned her head to me. “What do you think he’s been doing since you’ve come to D.C.? You just appeared at the right time at the right place.”

  “I served myself on a silver platter, you mean?”

  “Precisely. You have been his release valve ever since you showed up. He’s making all the right moves to seduce you, but his heart isn’t into it. Maybe now that he’s been scolded and had his nose rubbed in it, will he realize that you’re not his puppet and he’s not going to pull the strings anymore.”

  “I guess you’re right. But I am to blame as well…”

  “In what way? How? You just showed up. All he did was tempting you with an ice-cream cone and in bed you went. You’re not to blame for any of this.”

  “I should have said no. I should have refused his advances. Why did I go along with his seduction?”

  “You know why, Hattie. You even admit it to yourself and to me: you love to have sex with him. If you had not met him in New York, you wouldn’t have fallen for the guy the way you did.”

  I had to agree with her. The one-night-stand in New York truly sealed my fate. I was doomed the minute I walked into that hospital.

  “What do you think I should do now?”

  “Listen to me, Hattie,” Tiffany said, getting to her feet and gathering our empty plates. “Don’t start running from the problem. You’ve done nothing wrong as far as your professional record is concerned. If your personal life sucks right now, that has nothing to do with your career. You should not move an inch.”

  “But I’m putting undue stress on Jeff and his wife by being there.”

  Tiffany dropped the dishes in the sink with a clatter. “Don’t you start being the pawn in this game, Hattie. Stand up for yourself. You’re a fantastically talented surgeon–that’s all you need to remember right now.”

  “Thanks for the compliment, but I really don’t feel that great at the moment.” I fell silent and cleared our coffee table of the remnants from our dinner. “Besides, I’m thinking more about Elizabeth. That woman has gone through hell and back and she still shows me the courtesy of praising my work.”

  “Exactly what I was saying a minute ago, Hattie. Elizabeth Aldridge has some years on you and the sagacity of separating professional and personal lives from one another. She praised your work–rightfully so–and could slap your face silly the next minute for accepting to sleep with her hubby.”

  “Yes, you’re right. She hates me personally and appreciates me professionally; I don’t think I could ever do that.”

  “Wait a few years and you’ll be surprised at what you’ll be able to do,” Tiffany concluded as she put the dishes, pots, and pans in the dishwasher.

  In no time, Thanksgiving was upon us. I had promised to visit my parents (if at all possible) in the next few weeks. In reality, I wanted to get away. I wanted to recharge my batteries. I wanted to put some distance between Jeff and I for a few days. The hospital wouldn’t let me get away for Thanksgiving, of course, but maybe the weekend before that would be okay? I wouldn’t say anything to Jeff about my intention; I would just ask Dr. Kerry if I could sign out for three days. She agreed readily. For some reason, she thought it was a great idea. I wasn’t sure if she had talked to Elizabeth or even to Jeff, but all that mattered was that I was getting out.

  Tiffany was happy for me. She thought it was the right move to make. She would be on the phone–texting me–every day. She didn’t want to interrupt my mini-vacation any more than that.

  The evening I left, instead of going home, Tiffany had brought her car to the hospital and she drove me to the airport. As we pulled out of the garage, I bent down in the front passenger seat so that Jeff wouldn’t see me–he was again waiting for me in front of the hospital’s entrance. At least I thought it was me he was waiting for. I had not seen him in a couple of days, and since I had been working in the transplant department for the last week, I made sure our paths didn’t cross. I wanted to cool my heels a little, and give him the opportunity to do the same.

  As I arrived at the airport, I made a beeline for the washroom and changed into jeans and t-shirt, comfortable runners and a warm hat. Omaha can be horribly cold around Thanksgiving. I wanted to be as prepared as I could be. I packed my suit, shirt, and high heels in my case and returned to the check-in counter. I made a quick work of getting my boarding pass out of the electronic machine and rushed to my gate. I was just in time to board the plane. No lounging around this time. Yet, I took a quick look about me to make sure Jeff wasn’t in sight. He wasn’t.

  As soon as I sat down, I exhaled a sigh of relief. I was out of that infernal grind.

  The next thing I knew; we were landing. I had slept all the way. I felt as if I had had an entire night sleep. It was great. I knew my brother, Eliot, would be waiting for me at the exit gate. As soon as I was out of the plane, I practically ran down the length of the arrival’s hall. It seemed I was anxious to be home. I couldn’t wait to see my parents–my father especially.

  Eliot took me in his arms as I rushed to him. I don’t know why but I started crying.

  “Hey, hey?” he said, holding me at arms’ length. “What’s going on? Has anything happened?” I shook my head. “Why the tears then?”

  “They’re happy tears, Eli. I am just so happy to be away from everything and happy to be home.”

  He pulled me back against his chest again. “We missed you too, sis. It’s been too long since you were here last. Everyone is waiting for you. It’s like you’re the celebrity now.”

  We were walking down to the parking lot. Thank goodness I was wearing my dawn-filled jacket, otherwise I would have frozen the minute we went through the door. I didn’t bother asking him what the temperature was, but suffice to say it was horribly cold.

  “I don’t know about being a celebrity, but I truly enjoy the work. To see the faces of these recovering patients after they’ve received a new organ is truly priceless, Eli. Every day I thank God for my having the chance to give people another lease on life.”

  “And you’re becoming very philosophical, too, aren’t you?”

  I threw him a big smile as we got to the car. He had bought a new SUV the minute he heard his wife Janette was pregnant. “How’s Janette?” I asked as I climbed (literally) onto the passenger seat. “When is she due?”

  “Oh, not before April. It will be a spring baby,” Eliot replied as he pressed on the ignition button. I must admit; it was a fabulous vehicle. All the comforts of home. The heated seats were truly a surprise–loved them. The GPS was as clear as could be. Anyway, I was in total admiration of the SUV’s interior when
Eliot asked, “Did you give Mom’s number to one of your colleagues?”

  The question threw me for a loop. “No, I mean not that I recall. My roommate is the only one who has Mom’s number as far as I know. Other than that, I had to give her number as ‘the next of kin’ when I first registered with that hospital. Why? Has someone called?”

  “Yes. A guy name Jeff Aldridge. He talked to Mom for a bit. Apparently he’s the doctor that she met at your place when she was there.”

  “Oh. Well, yes. He talked to Mom when we had dinner together. His parents suffered from Alzheimer’s before they passed and he gave her some tips regarding Dad’s treatment. Why? Did he want something else?”

  “I only talked to him briefly when I was at Mom’s place to pick up Janette, and he only wondered if you were here. He didn’t seem to know where you were.” Eliot turned his face to me briefly and smiled as I sank back in my seat.

  “I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving,” I said. “I didn’t want to talk to him, actually.”

  “Why? Is he after you by any chance?”

  I nodded. “Yep. But since I learned that he’s married, I am trying to avoid him.”

  Eliot continued to smile. “It was bound to happen, Sis. You’re a gorgeous woman and any man would want to take you–married or not.”

  “Well thanks, Eli, but I would rather if the guy didn’t have a ring on his finger.”

  Chapter 29

  “Ah there you are!” my mother exclaimed as she opened the door of our house.

  “Miss you, Mom,” I said as I put my arms around her neck and kissed her on the cheek. “How have you been?” As I was asking the question, I saw my dad standing behind her with a frown across his brow.

  “Just fine, dear.” Mom then turned to my dad. “Look who’s here, Gerald. It’s Heather. Our daughter. She smiled when we both saw recognition in his eyes.

  “How are you, Dad?” I said, going to him.

  “Where have you been? Why are you so late coming home? Out with the boys, were you?”

  “No, Dad, I wasn’t. But I am sorry for being late. How are you?” I peered into his eyes.

  “I am fine. But it is late. We should get you to bed. You’ve got school tomorrow, haven’t you?”

  “Not on Saturday, Dad. But I will be going to bed right away.” I felt a pang of sadness hit me in the stomach, as if Eliot had been punching me. My poor father!

  “Let’s get your case in your room,” Eliot suggested, getting my carryon out of my hand.

  “Right behind you,” I said, going up the stairs with him.

  As soon as we were in my room, Eliot said, “It’s been hard on Mom, as you probably know. But the hardest part for everyone I guess is that he doesn’t recognize people anymore. Especially when we don’t have a photograph handy to show him. So they are beginning to think it really is Alzheimer’s. He did better for a while like Mom had told you.”

  “Is that why he had a photo of me in his hand when we came in?”

  “Exactly. Yet, our efforts were rather in vain. When he hesitated and didn’t recognize you right away, I was afraid he would ask you to leave.”

  “Oh my. Did he do that before?” I was horrified at the thought that my father would soon forget who we are.

  “Yes. Just last week, he asked Alice and John to leave the house after dinner. He had been fine through the meal and then all of a sudden he turned on them. If it wasn’t so tragic, it would be funny.”

  “I know,” I said, nodding. “He will regress continually if it is Alzheimer’s.”

  “What if he doesn’t know his grandchild?”

  I bowed my head. I didn’t want to tell him, but I had to. “He will be overjoyed, Eli, when you show him the baby for the first time and explain who he is. But, I’m afraid, after that, he’ll forget that he has a grandchild. He might even think the child is one of us.”

  “I don’t know how we’re going to cope with that,” Eliot said, sitting at the edge of my old bed.

  “Just think of Mom. She’ll be the one who will need the support you guys can give her. The more she can baby-sit the baby, the better it will be for the both of them.”

  “Oh well, we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess.”

  “And we will, Eli.”

  “Yes, but you won’t be here, will you?”

  “I’ll be here for the birth of my nephew–gosh, nothing is going to stop me from coming back the week before. I’ll even ask for leave as soon as I get back.”

  Finally, my brother smiled. I did too.

  “Let’s go down before they go to bed,” Eliot suggested.

  “When am I seeing you again then?”

  “We’ll be here in the morning. Janette and Alice will help Mom with Thanksgiving dinner and John and I might take you and Dad for a spin around the ice-rink. What do you say?”

  “Are you serious?” I was staring at him goggle-eyed.

  “Of course I am. What do you think you came back for? We figured you can do all the shopping you want in D.C., but you’ll never be able to skate with your brothers such as you do here.”

  I hadn’t put a pair of skates on for nearly three years. “Of course, and yes, Eli, I’d love to go skating with you guys.”

  The next morning came far too soon. Sleeping in one’s own bed after a long absence seemed to be the right prescription for getting rid of stress and anxiety. The smell of bacon and eggs, coffee and biscuits was literally enticing. I couldn’t get dressed fast enough. I was not only famished but I hungered for my mom’s embrace. I needed to feel loved.

  “Ah, there you are,” she said, a broad smile on her lips. “Have a seat by Dad. I’ll get your plate ready.”

  “Okay,” I replied while pouring myself a cup of coffee.

  My dad ignored me completely until I sat across from him and patted his hand. He stared at me as if he had just met me. I didn’t take offense. I knew it would happen. He looked down at the newspaper and folded it. He passed it across the table to me. “You like the crosswords, don’t you?” I nodded. “Well, go for it then. They’re not too bad this week.”

  I was amazed. Five minutes ago, he hardly knew who I was and now he remembered about my liking to do the Saturday crosswords.

  “Ah yes, this is Saturday, dear,” Mom said to me, “Because we get the paper with the crosswords on Saturday.” She put a plate of poached eggs and bacon in front of my dad. “Don’t we, dear?” she asked him.

  “Yes, yes. I know. This is Saturday.” Dad then raised his gaze to me. “Well, aren’t you going to eat anything? Or have you finished already?”

  “She’ll be eating in a minute, dear,” my mom replied for me. I just smiled.

  This was going to be a learning curve for me. Although I would not treat geriatric patients–not as a career choice anyway–I was interested to see and hear their reactions under various circumstances.

  We ate in silence for my dad’s sake. Eating and talking was not recommended. One thing at a time.

  An hour later, John (my other brother) and his wife Alice arrived. She always amazed me. She was the cutie-pie in high school and she was still as cute as a button.

  “Goodness,” she said, “it’s so good to see you, Hattie. You look, I don’t know”—she turned to John—“older, I guess.”

  “Okay, okay, Alice,” I said, “it’s fantastic to see you, too. And yes, I’m a few years older and uglier as you said.”

  “Stop that, Sis,” John said, “and let me look at you.” He paused to peer into my eyes and then took me in his arms. “You’re still the greatest sister in the world.”

  John is an absolutely loveable fellow. He always manages to say the right things at the right time. I used to run to him when something went wrong at school or if Dad was after me for doing something I didn’t like. I used to take refuge in John’s room. Hide under his bed. I knew I would be safe there.

  When Eliot and Janette joined us in the kitchen a few minutes later, my dad got up and wen
t to the living room. I knew what was happening. I put a finger on my lips, indicating for everyone to quiet down. The noise of our voices was too much for him. Mom closed the French doors between the kitchen and living room so we could talk without disturbing my dad’s concentration on the TV screen.

  “How are you, Janette?” I asked.

  She looked at me, grinned and shook her head. “I’m fine, Doctor. I’m sick like a dog in the morning, but other than that, I feel okay.”

  “Alright, alright, call it whatever you like, but I’m interested, okay?”

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  “Okay, people,” Eliot then declared, “if you and John are ready, I’ll get Dad to take his jacket and we’ll be going.”

  “Are you sure it’s safe?” Mom asked, looking really worried.

  “Don’t you worry none, Mom,” John said, “Eliot and I will skate with him. You never forget how to skate.”

  “And I’ll take photos on my phone,” I said. “If either of you has a smart phone I can send them to you.” I looked at my two sisters-in-law.

  “Yes, yes, of course,” Janette said. “Eliot got me one last month.” She hesitated and looked at her husband. “You’ll have to show me how to get those photos, Eliot.”

  It took a few more minutes for everyone to get ready, but in the end, we piled in Eliot’s SUV, glad to be out of the house. I don’t know why I was anxious to be away. Maybe it was because I was no longer used to family gatherings. I didn’t want to hear any of the local gossips or take part in any of these “promised activities” which never materialized. “Let’s do lunch; I’ll see you next week in church; let’s go shopping at the mall,” and so on, were now things I no longer did or cared to do. Alice was right; I had aged considerably in the last few years. I was “older” but I don’t know if I was any wiser. It seemed to me that I had regressed into my teens ever since I laid eyes on Jeff. The man was becoming my nightmare. A tug-of-war between lust and love. And neither side seemed to be winning.