Griffin

Chapter 45: Out in The Garden

" Hey don't sweat it. It wasn't your fault. For some reason, Jackie has a stick up her ass. Who the hell does she think she is!?" Kate said as she keeps pushing me in the hospital hallway.

"She's going to be his fiancé." Saying it out loud makes it feel even heavier

Kate stops pushing me. "What did you say? I think you just said something crazy."

"They're going to get engaged, Kate," I said again, letting it seeps in.

"Shit. Hold on." She said

She turns my wheelchair toward an exit, pushes the automatic door button, and takes us outside to the garden. She pushes me towards a bench, she sits down facing me. "I'm sorry, I need to sit down for this. Are you sure?" Concern on her face

I nod.

"Shit." Kate runs her hand over her mouth as she processes this information in shock. Her expression is one of deep thought, running 100 miles an hour before she looks back up at me quickly

"How did you know?"

"He told me when he came to rescue me"

"He told you while he rescues you? That doesn't make sense. Why would he choose to reveal this piece of information while you're already in distress? Unless he's stupider than I thought. I knew that boy was stupid. God, why did I doubt my judgment." Kate signed before placing her hand over mine

"What are you going to do?" She asks

I look over at the beautiful flowers in the garden, the sun feels warm on my skin. Birds chirping on the tree branch.

"I don't know, yet. I can't run away, look how it turned out the last time I did. But I know I can't stay either." I look at my best friend

Her eyes full of emotions, she squeezes my hand tighter

"Fuck. This is a mess." She said as she runs a hand through her hair

"I think your only option is to talk to him." She continues

"What if he doesn't listen, Kate? He's as stubborn as they come. He's so fixed on getting his way, he doesn't give a damn about no one else." I'm getting more frustrated by the minutes

"He cares about you," Kate said in almost a whisper tone

"No, he doesn't, Kate. If he cares about me why is there a fiancé sitting in his ICU room right now."

Kate looks as lost as I am

"I don't know. But I do know he's the only one who has the answer to that." She looks at the entrance to the building

"We have company." Her tone sounds alert and on edge

I turn, and an older gentleman looks to be in his early 60s, dresses in a sharp gray suit with a cane in one hand to support his weight, on top of his head sat a dark blue fedora. His face looks weathered with age bare a resemblance to someone I know.

He smiles bearing his pearl white teeth.

Reminds me of a predator ready to reveal itself for the kill.

"Hello, I'm Henry Godson. Griffin's grandfather. It's finally nice to meet you." He said as he steps into the garden.

A slight limp to his gate. I look behind the entrance's door, two men in a suit stand on either side facing away from the door.

"Don't worry, they're just there for precaution."

I stiffen at the familiar words.

"I heard so much about you, but never got the chance to meet face to face." He stops a few feet from us

I clear my throat. His stands look relaxed, years of practice I bet, but nothing is relaxed with the air around him. I can practically taste it that's how strong I can sense it. It prickles with impending electricity ready to discharge at any given moment.

I chose my words wisely.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr.Godson," I said

"Please call me Henry." He responds with a smile, looks at Kate, and nods in acknowledgment "Kate, pleasure meeting you here too."

A stiff smile stretches from her face "Henry." That was all she said

I don't blame her; this man exudes danger.

Kate came to stand beside me instead, one hand gripping the back of my chair and making contact with my back lightly, we both look at the man standing before us.

Henry Godson smiles.

"Look at you two. Such lovely friendship, you don't see a lot of that now a day, I must say. I admire that. Truly do." He continues

"Are you here to see Griffin, Mr.-" he raises one brow

"Henry." I finish

"I am and I did visit my grandson. He's in good hands, Jackie is a good girl staying by his side through thick and thin." The corner of his eyes crease as his lips hitch higher. His eyes look at me sitting in the wheelchair

"How are you fairing?" He asks

"I'm recovering," I said

"Such tragedy. To think she was your own family. To do this to her niece, she must have been more out of her mind completely."

I grip the handle of my chair harder.

"I would appreciate it if you don't talk about her in such ways," I respond

Henry Godson assesses me, his face masking any thoughts he might have.

I reel myself in and do the same.

The only thing that gave him away was a slight lift at the corner of his lip, but his eyes were hard. A slight contrast that gave way to his displeasure with how I spoke.

Knowing this man's involvement and history with my aunt and Gerold, help me decipher and put pieces together of who he is as a person.

A person I don't ever want to have any involvement with.

"My apologies. I missed spoke." He said

He picks an invisible lint off his cuff, calculating move to showcase his nonchalant.

"You're not what I expected. But nevertheless, all the same." He said as he releases whatever he picked from his cuff to the ground, he moves his cane right on top of it and pushes it deeper into the dirt as he shifted and turn around.

"It was a pleasure meeting you both. I hope to meet you again in the future, Elena." He said as he walks away toward the entrance.

He turns slightly, he presents me with his side profile as he reaches the door, no smile on his lips as he looks at me.

He turns the corner, and both his men and he disappear.

Kate breathed out loudly expelling the tension from her body.

I didn't realize I was holding my breath.

"Holy shit." Kate breaks the silence still looking at the door