“I’m not moping around,” said Lisa.
“Sure you are, and I know the reason why,” said Shannon. “You’re in love with Josh.”
“That’s not true,” said Lisa. “We only went out together because we wanted to talk about the accident at the restaurant.”
“Oh, whatever,” said Shannon. “You’re just trying to get attention. You’re pathetic. If we switched places, you’d have a total breakdown. Who cares if you were there? It’s not like you were in any danger. Stop making such a big deal out of it.”
“I don’t expect you to understand,” said Lisa.
“This isn’t about me,” said Shannon. “Look, Josh has a soft heart. If he’s being nice to you, it’s because he feels sorry for you, not because he likes you. He’s not interested in you. Why don’t you get lost?”
Lisa knew Shannon wouldn’t stop pestering her for any reason, and even though she felt ridiculous for letting Shannon boss her around in her own house, she didn’t have the heart to quarrel with her. She went upstairs, but before she could take refuge in her room, she saw Josh coming down the hall toward her.
“Lisa, I was hoping I’d get to see you before I left,” he said. “Do you have a minute?”
“I guess,” said Lisa. “Is something wrong?”
“Not really,” said Josh. “I never expected my dad to move my mom to the hospital. I’m glad your dad isn’t taking care of her anymore, but I feel terrible about making things more difficult for you.”
“You haven’t,” said Lisa. “I’ll see you at school. Goodbye, Josh.”
She started to go into her room.
“Lisa, wait,” said Josh. “You’re obviously upset. Did I do something?”
“No, it’s not you,” said Lisa. “I’m just confused. Sometimes, everything makes sense, but other times, I don’t know where I stand. Either my expectations are totally unrealistic, or I’m awful at guessing what other people are thinking.”
“Then why don’t you just ask?” said Josh.
Lisa looked into his eyes to see if he was mocking her, but there was no malice in his gaze. She realized she was standing very close to him, but she didn’t feel like stepping back, and every intangible part of her reached toward him.
“The only way to tell how someone really feels is by seeing how they act,” she said. “Words are cheap. Take you, for example. You’d probably say nice things to me even if you hated me.”
“Lisa, I don’t hate you,” said Josh. “I never have, even when we were fighting. I actually think you’re incredible, but since you don’t believe me, I guess I’ll just have to show you.”
His hand touched her cheek, smoothing her hair out of her face. She lifted her lips to his and closed her eyes, caught up in a blissful rush of excitement as he kissed her. Clasping her arms around him, she pulled him close, feeling the warmth of his body against her own. She never wanted him to stop, but the moment ended as quickly as it had begun. She gazed up at him in wonder.
“Are you real?” she said.
“I was wondering the same thing about you,” he said. “I think I might be dreaming.”
“No, I feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before,” said Lisa. “I can’t explain it. You’re wonderful, Josh. It’s such a relief to finally say it out loud. I’ve been so confused. I know I’m probably not making very much sense, but I’m basically trying to say I don’t want things to go back to the way they used to be.”
“Neither do I,” said Josh.
They went into Lisa’s room and sat down on the window seat. Lisa felt giddy with excitement, but she was still confused. She looked out the window. Veronica and Stephen were splashing around in the surf, and Shannon was sitting on the hood of the car with her elbows on her knees and her suitcase beside her.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave,” said Lisa.
“Me too,” said Josh. “I never thought I would find anyone who could make me so happy. Why don’t we plan to spend some time together tomorrow? I’ll have to check with my dad to make sure he doesn’t need the car, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I would like that very much,” said Lisa. She gazed down the beach. In the distance, Molly was pottering around in her garden, tidying up the sprawling plants and rearranging the garden gnomes. Graham was nowhere to be seen. Lisa thought Molly looked lonely.
“Is something wrong?” said Josh.
“It’s been a while since I’ve visited Molly,” said Lisa. “I think I’ll go to her house this afternoon and see how she’s doing.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” said Josh.
“I don’t see why not,” said Lisa. “Graham doesn’t know I’m suspicious of him, and he’s always been friendly to me. It’s all part of his act. Don’t worry, Josh. If I thought it was dangerous, I wouldn’t do it.”
“Okay,” said Josh. “You know Molly a lot better than I do. If you think it’s safe, then it’s probably fine. It might even be a good thing. Maybe you’ll find out something useful. Just be careful. We’ve seen how far Graham will go to get what he wants.”
“I will,” said Lisa. She noticed Josh’s father beckoning to Stephen. Shannon was already getting into the car. The moment had finally come, but Lisa found it bittersweet. “It looks like your family is almost ready to go. You’ll let me know about the plan for tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’ll call you,” said Josh.
Lisa gave him her number, and they said goodbye. She looked out the window until she couldn’t see the car anymore, and then she went downstairs. Veronica was lying on the couch looking miserable.
“I miss Stephen already,” she said.
“You’ll see him again soon,” said Lisa.
“You don’t understand,” said Veronica, her eyes filling with tears. “He’s my favorite person in the whole world, and now he’s gone. What am I supposed to do? I can’t survive without him. I think I’m dying.”
“You’re not dying,” said Lisa. “You’re just in love.”
“What do you know about love?” said Veronica. “I bet you’re glad they’re gone. Just admit it, Lisa. This is what you wanted.”
“No,” said Lisa. She sat down beside Veronica. “I was wrong about them—especially about Josh.”
“Yeah, right,” said Veronica.
“It’s true,” said Lisa. “It’s hard to explain, but I can be myself around him without having to worry. I didn’t always feel that way, but I do now. I’m not even sure when it started. It might have been at the restaurant. When I saw who he really was, I couldn’t hate him anymore.”
Veronica sat up.
“Go on,” she said.
“I don’t know what else to say,” said Lisa. “He’s just a really good person, that’s all.”
Veronica stared at her in fascination.
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “You like him. Lisa, are you sure you’re not going soft in the head because of Mom and Dad?”
“What do you mean?” said Lisa.
“Are you kidding?” said Veronica. “They’re not on speaking terms. It’s been like that ever since the wedding. We haven’t even seen Dad for weeks, and Mom won’t talk. I asked what was going on, but she said I was too young to understand. She never ignores me like that unless it’s something bad. Don’t you wonder what happened?”
“It’s none of our business,” said Lisa.
“They’re our parents, of course it’s our business,” said Veronica, giving her a peculiar look. “Lisa, what’s wrong with you? It’s like you don’t even care.” She leaned forward, her eyes full of suspicion. “Do you know something?”
Lisa wished Veronica would stop asking uncomfortable questions. The last thing she wanted was for her to start poking around for answers.
“You’re jumping to conclusions,” she said. “Mom and Dad are probably just reevaluating their relationship. It’s perfectly natural. We’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Stephen thinks they might be having financial problems,” said Veron
ica, her expression becoming gloomier than ever. “He said that’s usually why people get divorced.”
“They’re not getting divorced,” said Lisa.
“You don’t know that,” said Veronica. “I wish you’d stop lying to me to try to make me feel better. It doesn’t work. I could probably move in with Stephen’s family if I’m too expensive to keep. I don’t belong here anyway.”
Lisa heard the sadness in Veronica’s voice. She wondered if it had always been there and she simply hadn’t noticed. Maybe she had taken Veronica for granted.
“You do belong here,” she said. “Don’t worry. Even if Mom and Dad don’t work things out, we’ll always have each other.”
“No offense, but I’d rather have Stephen,” said Veronica.
She went upstairs. Lisa was surprised by Veronica’s despondency. Previously, she hadn’t even considered the possibility of confronting her parents about their decision to separate—if such a decision had been made—but now she wondered if it was somehow her responsibility to try. Still feeling unsettled, she told her mother she was going to visit Molly, and hurried out of the house.
∞∞∞
Lisa arrived at Molly’s house and rang the doorbell. No one answered, so she went around the corner and found Molly admiring her work. The garden was exquisite. Flowers glowed in the shade under the trees, and the sweet sound of a wind chime mingled with the faint roar of the waves. Molly turned and saw her.
“Lisa, where have you been?” she said. “I haven’t seen you since the wedding! You should have come sooner. I have so much to tell you. Come inside! I’ll pour us some lemonade and we’ll talk.”
They went into the house and sat down at the table.
“So, do you remember how I promised at the wedding to give you my honest opinion about your potential truelove?” said Molly. “You know who I mean.”
“Josh?” said Lisa with some reluctance. In a strange way, she felt like she needed to protect their emerging relationship from inquisitive eyes, and she certainly didn’t want Graham finding out about it.
“That’s right,” said Molly. She leaned over and seized Lisa’s hands. “It was magical. You were so beautiful in that dress, Lisa! He seemed unhappy at first—probably because he didn’t feel worthy—but after Graham and I stopped by the table to say hello, he rushed out of the reception. He came back later, looking like he’d seen a ghost. It must have been awful for him, trying to be polite while his heart was falling head over heels for you. Anyway, if you’ve been holding back, you can stop worrying. I think the two of you would be a perfect couple. Graham thinks so, too.”
“You talked to Graham about it?” said Lisa.
“I hope you don’t mind,” said Molly. “I trust him completely. I just wanted to get his opinion. He said he thought it was a wonderful idea.”
“That’s nice,” said Lisa. “Where is he?”
“Oh, he’s working,” said Molly. “It’s the same old story: too many things to do and a boss who doesn’t care about anything except results. He loves his job, but it’s been hard for him, losing his friend and all.”
Lisa tried to sound disinterested.
“His friend?” she said.
“Yes, didn’t you hear about what happened?” said Molly. “They were at dinner, and there was an accident. Graham wasn’t hurt, but his friend had to go to the hospital, and it doesn’t look good.”
Lisa needed Josh, but he wasn’t there. Images she had tried to forget popped into her mind. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
“Is there any chance he might recover?” she said.
“Graham said it’s hard to tell with that sort of injury,” said Molly. “The doctors had to take off part of his skull. He’s in a coma now, and they don’t know if he’s going to wake up. Poor Graham. Yesterday when he got home from work, he sat down at the table and cried for the longest time. I’ve never seen a man cry like that before. He feels so guilty about the whole thing.”
“He shouldn’t feel guilty if it wasn’t his fault,” said Lisa.
“That’s what I’ve been telling him,” said Molly. “For some reason, it doesn’t seem to be helping. I think he still can’t believe what happened. I’ve been encouraging him to visit his friend, but until yesterday, he said he didn’t want to see him like that. I don’t know why he changed his mind, but I’m glad he did. He’s going to the hospital tomorrow, after he’s done working. I offered to go with him, but he said he didn’t want me to be upset. Isn’t that sweet of him?”
Lisa suspected Graham had ulterior motives. She was willing to accept that he was the sort of person who was involved in an abnormal number of coincidences, but the timing was too perfect. He must have found out about the interruption in Sabrina’s treatment, and if that were true, it was only a matter of time before he made his next move. She jumped up.
“I have to go,” she said.
“But you just got here,” said Molly. “Please don’t run off again like you did last time. I’m sorry I started talking about Graham. I’m such a fool. You probably just want it to be the two of us, like it was when you were a little girl. I know it’s not the same, but we can always pretend.”
“Not this time,” said Lisa.
She left. There was nothing she could do until she talked to Josh, but she couldn’t be around Molly anymore. Graham had made their friendship impossible. It was too difficult for her to act like nothing was wrong, and to make matters worse, she was afraid she might accidentally give something away. She got home, went into her room, and locked the door. Pushing everything else out of her mind, she thought about the way Josh had kissed her until she finally felt better.
Chapter 15
Lisa spent the next morning in anxious anticipation until Josh finally called her, and within half an hour, they were walking down the beach toward the fort. Josh had brought his backpack with him, which Lisa thought was strange, but she didn’t ask him about it. As soon as the house receded into the background, she felt relieved. For the first time since she had come to accept Josh as more than a friend, it was just the two of them.
The fort was still hidden in the hazy distance when they stopped near a low ridge of sand, surrounded by the thorny green foliage of sea roses. They took off their shoes and waded into the water until it was as high as their knees.
“I bet it’s nice having your house all to yourself again,” said Josh.
“Actually, it’s lonely,” said Lisa.
“Oh, so you missed me?” said Josh with a smile that melted her heart. “You know, Lisa, you really shouldn’t agree to hang out with random guys who show up at your door. Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“I guess not,” said Lisa. She stepped in front of him, and he put his arms around her. Lisa leaned her head against his chest and gazed into his face, delighted that she could finally appreciate him without feeling ridiculous. “Why did you change your mind about me?”
“Superficial reasons,” said Josh. “You looked pretty at the wedding.”
“Josh, I’m being serious,” said Lisa. “Why did you decide to give me a second chance?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said. “I was ready to be done with you when we got into trouble at school, but you showed me a different side of yourself, and everything changed. I needed someone, and you were there. I’ll never forget how you gave me a shoulder to cry on when I was upset about my mom.”
“You were there for me, too, when I panicked about my father,” said Lisa. “Maybe if it weren’t for our crazy parents, we wouldn’t be messed up enough to need each other.” She reached up and touched his face. “I just want to be with you forever. Do you have any idea how lucky I feel right now?”
“I feel the same way,” said Josh. “It’s strange; none of our problems have gone away, but everything is so much better now that we’re together. I guess my mom was right about us all along. I needed you more than I realized.”
“What do you think she’d say if she k
new about us?” said Lisa.
“She would definitely take all the credit,” said Josh. “She wouldn’t be able to resist. I know you don’t like her, but I’m happy for her. My dad said she’s feeling like herself again, now that the drug is out of her system—of course, she still has cancer, but apparently, the doctors think she’s a good candidate for chemotherapy. It wouldn’t ultimately cure her, but if she goes into remission, she could live for years.”
“That’s good,” said Lisa. “Believe it or not, I want her to be okay.”
“She’s not so bad once you get to know her,” said Josh. “My dad’s taking all of us to visit her tonight. Do you want to come?”
“Tonight?” said Lisa. In an instant, she was dragged back to reality. She remembered her conversation with Molly, and her heart began to race. She pulled herself away, and the constant motion of the waves suddenly made her feel dizzy. She stumbled back to the shore and tried unsuccessfully to calm herself.
“If you’re worried about Shannon, please don’t be,” said Josh, hurrying after her. “I’ll tell her to back off if she gets too obnoxious.”
“No, you don’t understand,” said Lisa. “Graham is going to be there. Molly told me. I went to see her yesterday afternoon, and she said he was planning to check on his friend tonight, which means he’s either going to kill him once and for all—or he’s going to use him as an excuse to spy on your mother.”
“If that’s what he’s planning to do, he’s going to be disappointed,” said Josh. “My dad gave the hospital a list of the people who aren’t allowed to visit my mom. Graham is one of them. Look at me, Lisa. It’s perfectly safe.”
Lisa heard him, but the voice of terror was screaming in her head so loudly that she could barely comprehend his words.
“I thought your father didn’t believe in conspiracy theories,” she said.
“He doesn’t, but I’m starting to suspect he knows more about what’s going on than he’s willing to admit,” said Josh. “He’s got it under control. Besides, there’s no way Graham would do anything criminal at a hospital. He’d never get away with it.”
The Patient from Silvertree: Book One in the Silvertree Series Page 19