Chapter Twenty

A white lab coat swayed around the corner and I followed behind. I passed a few whispered conversations and hopeful families before finding Doctor Simmon's again. She looked over a chart but didn't see me. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her brows snitched in. She chewed at her lip and hustled down the hall to another room. It was nicer. VIP status. Even the hallway looked different.

She pushed open a door and disappeared inside. I could hear Wren's voice and I stopped at the door's window.

He paced in the middle of a spacious hospital room like he awaited the outcome of a sentence. If Doctor Simmons looked stressed, then Wren was in agony. What were they hiding?

I leaned in and saw a woman lying in bed.

I could never forget her face. She haunted my dreams at night and popped into my head the moments I doubted myself the most. Her hazel eyes, big natural gray curls, and that stern smile she thought said I want to help you, but really said you mean nothing to me. Emilia De Luca. The doctor who, as far as I was concerned, tried to kill my mother.

That day played over in my mind. If it wasn't for her, my mother could have gotten the help and guidance she needed. Because of her, time was taken from my mother's life. We still didn't know what complications she'd have because of the coma. Doctor De Luca didn't just not believe me, she didn't believe my mother's pain. And she was in so much pain.

I forced myself inside.

Wren's pacing came to a halt. He looked like he was going to pass out. A million questions piled up in my head, but there was something more important.

I headed straight for her and he planted his feet. "Nora-"

"You!" Like a vampire in a frenzy for fresh blood, I was going to clothesline him. "My mother just woke up from a three-month coma all because you couldn't take the time out of your day to get her help. How do you feel-"

"Nora, no." Doctor Simmons pushed me back. Wren dropped his stance and gripped my hand.

"Felix, who is this?" Emilia asked from her pampered bed.

"Felix?" I barked. "Who's Felix? Wren, why's she calling you Felix?"

"Oh, that horrible stage name. I'm sure your father is happy about that one." She swatted her hand, and I noticed the brace on her arm. Please, tell me, she didn't use this lush hospital room for a sprained wrist!

"What?" I asked.

"Nora, let's talk about this outside," Wren begged.

"Felix, I don't care who you sleep with, but don't let them barge into my room unannounced." Her eyes scanned over my clothes and down at my bare feet. "Can't you find someone else's son to get money from?"

"Son? Really?" I yanked away from him and shoved my fist into his chest. Did he seek me out? He hated his mother so much he wanted to use me to piss her off. Or was he working with her?

"You don't even know who I am, do you?" I demanded from his mother. The entire hospital would hear me at this point. She needed to apologize to my mother. It hadn't even been a year yet, and she had already forgotten about us.

Wren pulled onto my dress to get me out. I flung myself away from him. "And stop touching me!"

"Please. Let's talk outside," he begged.

"Thank you. Your whining's giving me a headache." Emilia touched her forehead, sinking into the bed like she had gone through hell. But I just got out of it, and you don't come out looking like that.

Did she even care? She hadn't even taken the time to hear anything I said. Even if she didn't remember me, she should remember my mother. Someone should have told her the patient she refused, ended up in a coma weeks later. She should be throwing herself at my feet. She should feel something. Anything.

"This bitch," I hissed.

Emilia tossed herself out of bed. Good. Now, I wasn't the only one pissed. She launched herself into Wren's back. "Excuse me?!"

"Oh God," he threw his head back, sandwiched in between us both.

I wanted her to remember me, but I couldn't help but mouth off at her instead. She was riled up. When I questioned her ability to do her job, and how she managed to convince anyone to give her a medical license, she went through the roof. She foamed at the mouth, telling Wren to break up with me.

Before I could egg her on anymore, he lifted me up and threw me outside. The hospital was dead silent. As soon as the door slammed shut, every eye dropped. Meaningless conversations ensued and the staff acted their way out of view.

"Nora, you have to calm down."

"Calm down?!" I convulsed. "Are you kidding me?"

"I didn't know."

"Yeah right!"

"I swear! I didn't!"

"I trusted you and all this time you were lying."

"I wasn't lying."

Every part of me wanted to believe him, but something had to go wrong. My mother was back, which meant I couldn't have her and him too. There was no way life would make me that happy. Even if he truly didn't know it was his mother all this time, what were we supposed to do now? I wouldn't be able to look at him without seeing her.

"Your name isn't even Wren," I said. "Your mother is the woman who put my mother in the hospital!"

"I didn't know, Nora. I just found out today. You've got to believe me."

"He's right." Doctor Simmons met us at the door. As it slid close, I saw Emilia. Her face was pale, and she stood agape. She did remember me. When our eyes met, she swung her curtain closed and shut out the world. I wanted to go back in there. She couldn't hide from this. She had more than enough time to forget all about us. It was time she confronted it.

Doctor Simmons drifted into my view. "I just told him. I didn't know you two were together. It's a crazy coincidence."

A crazy coincidence. More like a bomb detonated. It would have been better if he did know or if he didn't hate his mother. Then, I wouldn't feel bad for hating her more. If it was his intention, it would be easier. I'd have a good enough reason to break up with him. I couldn't stay with him. It wasn't fair to either of us and his mother wouldn't stand for it.

But I couldn't bring myself to do it. It was on the tip of my tongue, but all I could do was turn around and leave.

"Nora, don't run away." His fingers slid across mine, but he was too slow. He lost his grip and when I was far enough, he shouted out to me. But he didn't chase me. I didn't want him to.

I wanted to call Val, but she was Wren's friend. She would take his side or psychoanalyze me. I didn't have anyone else. Da-Bin was a no-go, and I'm sure he knew Wren's true identity. So, I found my way back to my family. In the hospital room, I told them everything. From how Wren and I met, our bet, and his mother. They wanted to believe him too. But I was still unconvinced.

"Damn." Shae sighed. "I mean, well, maybe we could-nah, that's. But like...damn."

We passed my phone around the room. A page detailing everything about Doctor Emilia De Luca and her four children: Blair, Ivy, Ainsley, and Felix. There wasn't as much information about him as the others. His sisters seemed to excel in some form of medicine or education. He was the only oddball. At least that much was true.

She was once the Director of the hospital. Apparently, she was given the title after her father passed. She demoted herself to family medicine when the hospital dealt with staff shortages.

As far as I could see, she was rich. And so was Wren.

"That's all you can say?" I wrapped my arms around my legs. Everything I thought I knew about him wasn't even real. "He lied to me for months. And I'm just supposed to believe it was a coincidence?"

Shae smacked their lips. "You think he purposely responded to my ad just to date you because of his mom? Naw. It's just some twisted fate."

"I don't think so."

"So, you gonna get all conspiracy theory on me now?" Shae was the only one talking. When they were upset about something, they'd talk until every thought was considered. And they were right at the point where they decided their stance. "You're just using this as an excuse."

"He lied."

"Okay. You can tell he doesn't have a good relationship with her, and he obviously was trying to live separately from his family. You can't blame him for not telling you about his life before. Did you even ask?" They already knew the answer but waited for my response. Which I didn't give.

"I mean, your name isn't even Nora, Elanora?" They expired.

"A nickname and completely changing your name are two different things."

I could almost hear the thoughts in their head. I knew Wren wasn't a bad person, and it was true, I never asked him about family specifically. But Shae knew this was messed up.

"Be honest. What you really mad at?" they asked.

"Him."

"Try again."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"I want you to tell the truth." They waited again, but I didn't respond. "Okay, I'll do it for you. You're mad that despite all this, you still like him. And you know, how I know? This is the seventh time you've checked your phone since we sat down. You practically break your neck to see who walking down the hallway because you want him to come to you. But one day, he won't. He tried to explain himself and I bet you didn't let him. You left him on read."

I thought by not talking to Val, I'd save myself the therapy session, and here I was, getting one anyway. Shae knew me better than anyone, but I hated when they were right.

My father cleared his throat. "Shae right, ya know?"

"Boom." Shae leaned back into the sofa.

"Really?" I asked. "I figured you'd be ready to throw him out."

A light chuckle fell from his lips and he squeezed in between us. He felt like a different person. I knew the power my mother had over him, but now that she was awake and okay, I realized he hadn't been himself for quite some time.

He draped his arm over our shoulders and leaned into the cushion. His eyes seemed to sparkle like they never had before. "After a day like today, I ain't never gonna be so quick to judge anyone. At the end of the day, if he worth it, you'll talk to him. You won't be able to stand not knowing the truth."

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