Chapter 4 Drunk

[Collin’s POV]

“That’s it,” Donna announces on the eighth day after Lilah escapes. “I’ve had enough of this.”

“Calm down,” I sigh, reaching out and touching her shoulder. “She’s just being a kid.”

“She is an adult.”

“Maybe,” I agree. “But even then she is still young.”

At twenty-five, Lilah was still young enough to act stubbornly out of sheer spite, and because of that, I knew that we couldn’t push her to try to act like we were one big happy family.

She was dealing with a lot, and she was still processing everything now that she had to see it firsthand, and because of that, we still needed to wait patiently.

But it was quite frustrating that she wasn’t giving anyone the chance to even try to mend things.

Donna tried a few times, and I even tried myself, but Lilah refused to hear us.

Hell, she refused to really be near us.

When she was home, she was locked in her room, insisting that she was busy, and when we would sit down to eat, she would say that she had plans with friends and leave immediately.

“I just don’t know what to do with that girl,” Donna sighs, leaning into me. “I was hoping that we could sit down and fix things before she found a new place to live, but with the way things are going, I don’t think that is going to end up happening.

“I’m sure it will,” I counter, hating that she was so upset. “But maybe we should try to approach Lilah a bit more gently.”

“Gently,” Donna repeats, eyeing me. “What do you mean by gently?”

For a moment, I don’t speak as I recall the way I would occasionally have to act with patients who were more antsy.

The more I tried to approach them, the more they pulled away from me, but the more I remained in their space without doing anything, the more they opened up to me.

Sure, I was aware that Lilah could be completely different from those patients and not approach me in the end, but what else was I supposed to do?

“Isn’t that banquet for your charity foundation coming soon?” I ask, realizing that we had the perfect opening. “Lilah is supposed to be attending too, right?”

“She did agree,” Donna responds.

“Then isn’t that the perfect opening?”

Even if Lilah was angry with us, I was certain that she was aware that we would have to act the part of the perfect family when we were in front of others.

Since we would end up having to sit at the same table, it was the right time to try to approach Lilah gently and hope that she would let down the guard that she had against us.

“Do you think so?” Donna asks, eyeing me hopefully.

“I do,” I tell her, kissing her forehead. “We will take advantage of the opportunity and try to bridge the gap between us.”

“Alright,” she sighs, leaning against me only to stop as my phone goes off. “Work?”

“Unfortunately,” I sigh, taking in the hospital’s name on my screen. “It looks like I’m going to have to head out for a bit.”

“Go,” Donna smiles, untangling herself from me. “I’ll be here waiting for your return.”

Nodding, I lean forward and give her a quick kiss before heading upstairs to change and then leaving.

However, when I arrive at the hospital, I’m met by the last person that I was expecting.

“Dr. Collin,” Amanda, my nurse, calls as I head toward her. “The patient is in here.”

Nodding, I head into the room and then stop as I find Lilah sitting on the bed waiting.

She’s blitzed; that much is certain from the glaze over her eyes and the smell of alcohol in the room.

However, even then she stares at me sharply with those icy blue eyes that resemble Donna’s.

“I said I was fine,” she sighs, brushing some long red hair behind her shoulder with a hand that is bleeding. “But he insisted.”

As she speaks, she gives a pointed look to the side where a man who seems to be in his thirties sits with one leg crossed over the other.

He’s handsome with his dark hair and golden eyes and chiseled face that any movie star would envy, but he looked like someone who shouldn’t be messing with a woman of Lilah’s caliber.

“And who is he?” I ask, trying to not jump to conclusions. “Do you two know each other?”

“Vaguely,” Lilah shrugs, hiccuping. “Anyway, is that important? Since I’m here, shouldn’t you be treating me?”

Sighing, I tear my gaze away from the man who is smirking and turn my attention back to Lilah, who is leaning forward so much that her breasts are about to fall out of the skimpy black dress that she is wearing.

“Could you sit up, please?” I huff, moving forward to begin my examination. “And tell me what exactly happened.”

Drawing closer, I note the few scrapes on her knees and the slight swelling in her right cheek, and I’m almost certain that it is because of a scuffle.

“Were you fighting?”

“Maybe,” she smiles, waggling her eyebrows. “What? Do you think I’m a bit of a badass now?”

Frowning, I fight the urge to lay into her about being reckless and instead start to treat her wounds.

“What happened?” I ask, wanting to know how she ended up like this. “Why were you fighting?”

“Because some bitch said something about my father.” She responds quietly. “How could I just sit back and do nothing while that happened?”

“And what did she say about your father?” I push.

“Not telling.”

Smiling, she leans back and almost falls off the exam table, but before she can, I grab her and pull her against me.

Instantly, I feel her tense, and I realize too late that she may think that I’m doing this intentionally.

“Lemme go!” She growls, pressing her hands against my chest and shoving. “Don’t touch me!”

“Alright,” I respond, releasing her and watching as she glares at me. “Next time I will just let you fall.”

“Might be the better idea,” the man who has remained silent until now says. “Maybe she will learn her lesson about being so damn hot-headed.”

“Hot-headed,” I repeat, considering. “You must be close to be saying such a thing.”

“I am,” the man responds, his smirk growing. “I’ve known her since we were in school.”

“And who are you exactly? ” I ask, eyeing him. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“I’m Jeremiah,” he responds. “And I’m this girl’s best friend.”

“More like a pain in my ass,” Lilah counters. “This guy does nothing but hound me and try to act like my father.”

“Because you’re always acting too recklessly,” Jeremiah argues. “Look at you right now. If you had just turned and walked away, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Hey!” Lilah hisses. “I don’t look anywhere near as bad as the bitch who fought me.”

Remaining silent, I listen to the two arguing back and forth while wondering whether or not they were more than they were letting on.

If that was the case, then didn’t that mean that this guy could possibly help Donna and me?

It was a possibility, but there was also a good chance that he wouldn’t be willing.

“I’m good,” Lilah announces, snapping me out of my head. “And since my wounds are treated, I’m leaving.”

“You’re staying until the doctor says it is fine,” Jeremiah counters, getting up and crossing the room.

Eyes widening, I stare at the kid as I take in his six-foot-something height as he easily towers over me.

“Should I just knock her out, doc?” He asks, surprising me. “That way she won’t fight you in being treated.”

“No,” I respond. “She will be fine to leave.”

“See,” Lilah announces, hopping up and then swaying. “I’m good.”

“So good you can’t even stand on your own two feet.” Jeremiah sighs, shaking his head. “I’m sorry that she gave you so much trouble.” He continues, nestling Lilah under his arm while turning his gaze to me. “I’ll try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“See that you do,” I nod. “And to say thanks for your help, would you like to join us for dinner one evening?”