Brave Enough To Love Again

Chapter 39

Eden

"Tell her she can go, now," Keane demanded from Levi who just looked at me and nodded in approval. "You can go."

"No, I can't. I'm still working remember?" I said again, " I can't, I'm sorry."

"Please, Eden. Come with me."

Keane's words came out in such a beseeching way, they made me almost change my mind, but I just couldn't leave. I was still officially on duty, and I couldn't simply ignore that fact. Despite the way I was dressed at that moment and the place I was currently in, I was personally asked by the hospital director herself to do this as a favor for the hospital because Mr. Holloway had always been the most generous donor.

"I'm really sorry, Keane. I just can't. It's my final night duty here. I'm sorry. I hope you understand."

As soon as those words left my mouth, Keane's facial expression dropped. Disappointment and sadness were clearly visible on his handsome face as he let go of my hand and turned around to leave. It hurt me, seeing his back moving away from me, so I followed him hurriedly.

When I finally caught up we were already outside in front of the mansion. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him to stop as he was walking in a brisk pace. I was slightly out of breath as my emotions added to the tension in my whole body.

"Please, try to understand me. I can't just leave here. I know this is not the hospital building I officially work for, but it's about the principle of me doing my job I am being paid for to do. And I don't think you would have asked me to just leave work had I been in the hospital instead. Would you?"

"James looks more than fine to me."

"I know, and I need to make sure he stays that way for tonight, as long as I am officially on duty. I won't let anything happen to him. Not on my watch."

He just nodded his head in defeat. I knew that he understood me, but I was also aware of the fact that he needed me tonight after the conversation with Mr. Holloway I overheard. Hence, I was internally torn when he just nodded once again before saying goodbye and turning around to leave. Just like that he left, without a smile, a kiss, or anything that would indicate that we were fine.

I didn't know how long I stood there after he was gone, but when I turned around, Levi was standing a few steps away from me. "Need a drink?" he asked with his deep soothing voice that made me feel a tiny bit better. His presence was simply reassuring to me. "I, I don't know," I hesitated thinking about his father who I had to be watching and who was the reason I stayed there instead of leaving with Keane in the first place.

"I need to check on your father first."

He nodded in agreement and went the few steps closer to offer me his arm to hold on to while we walked back inside. We talked to his father who was busy saying his goodbyes to some people, one of which was the hospital director. It was definitely the right choice to stay here, or I would have been in trouble for leaving 'work' as the director surely would have found out had I left.

After a brief assessment of him in his office in which I made sure that he was doing fine, I met up with Levi who lead us out into the garden once again. This time he again grabbed a bottle of champagne from a passing waiter for us to drink.

However, we didn't go back to the tree we sat on earlier but to a small white gazebo in a secluded part of the garden. The bushes were trimmed to perfection, the flowers were blooming and the sweet smell was waking my senses. We sat down on a white wooden swing chair in the gazebo and drank straight from the bottle as Levi couldn't get a hold of unused glasses on our way out.