Page 6 of The Lies That Shatter
The addition of Mel’s father is a very recent change, one I had no time to prepare for. So, getting into his rooms is vital. I need to see how many nurses he has with him at any time, and if they could be a threat. I need to know if any of his medical equipment is flammable. My dad has a penchant for bombs, and I really don’t want to set fire to a helpless old man if I can help it.
As Mel opens the door, I begin casting my eyes around the room, taking in as much as I can. Mel’s fingers are still clasped with mine, and she leads me inside. We come to a stop, as I mentally note the locations of at least three visible security cameras, and a spare oxygen tank resting against the wall behind me that could potentially be a problem.
Just as Mel is about to introduce me to her dad, the door to the left opens and his nurse rushes in. It only takes a second for recognition to hit me, and the world around me falls apart.
I would recognise her anywhere. I just don’t understand what the fuck she’s doing standing before me.
The girl that got away. The only girl I’ve ever loved, whose heart I crushed into a million pieces, is standing in front of me, looking at me like we’re strangers.
“Hi, I’m McKenna Lowry, Mr Ingold’s nurse. It’s nice to meet you,” she says, her Irish accent obvious, as she reaches her hand out towards me. She’s looking at me like she’s never met me before, and my mind races as I try to work out what the fuck is going on.
I feel like I’m stuck in the fucking twilight zone. What the fuck is she doing here? A whole mass of emotions race through my body, and it’s not until Mel clears her throat beside me that I’m pulled out of my head. I have to push aside the history I havewith Mac, and pretend I don’t know her—the same way she’s doing with me.
As the words leave my lips, it’s harder than I expected to treat her like a stranger. But if I don’t, I risk blowing my cover. “Hi, I’m Finn Langford, a friend of Mel’s. It’s nice to meet you too.”
I keep my tone polite, but make sure to avoid too much eye contact with her, looking over at Mel instead. Her brow furrows as her gaze darts between me and Mac. My heart races as I worry she saw something in those seconds that I let my guard down.
“What are you doing here, McKenna? Shouldn’t you have left already?” Mel snaps, her icy tone sends a wave of anger through me. How fucking dare she speak to Mac like that? I ball my hands into fists as I try to breathe away my outrage. It really will blow my cover if I defend the beautiful blonde nurse.
“I was leaving about an hour ago, but Mr Ingold had an episode of high blood pressure after a violent outburst. I gave him some medication and stayed to monitor him. Aleandro was supposed to be here half an hour ago, but he’s stuck in traffic. I stayed so Mr Ingold wouldn’t be on his own,” Mac mumbles, her words rushing out quicker than usual. It’s not hard to hear the anxiety in her voice.
Mel lets go of my hand and moves towards her father, who is asleep in his makeshift hospital bed. The whole room is kitted out like a high-class private hospital room, complete with the best equipment. There’s a comfortable chair on either side of his bed, and an over the bed table that has been pushed to one side.
Mel takes hold of his frail, wrinkled hand, but he doesn’t move. If it weren’t for the slight rise and fall of his chest, and the gentle beep of the machine, I’d be worried he was already dead. Mel does little to keep the worry from bleeding into her words. “Is he okay now?”
“He is. He will be drowsy for a while, given the medication I had to administer. He will need someone to monitor himcarefully tonight. But Aleandro will be here soon, and I can give him a full hand over. I don’t expect him to wake up or cause many issues during the night,” Mac explains before pausing slightly, her eyes flicking between Mel and me. “I’m sorry. I never intended to ruin your…date.”
The way McKenna says the last word, it’s dripping with venom, but luckily, Mel is too distracted by her father to notice. Mel takes a look at her watch before glancing back at Mac with a deep sigh. “It’s almost midnight. You’ve missed the final bus, and I gave my driver the night off. My husband and his team are out of town, so I have nobody that can drive you home. Would you feel comfortable getting a taxi? I would like to stay with my father tonight, and I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine, so can’t drive you.”
“That’s okay, I can walk home. I don’t live too far,” Mac replies.
Mel turns to me with a sigh, ignoring Mac’s response. “I think I need to spend the evening with my father, if you don’t mind? Whenever he has these kinds of episodes, he’s always very scared and vulnerable when he wakes up. I’d like to be here when that happens.”
“Of course, I understand,” I reply. “You need to be with your dad.” I give her hand a squeeze to try and show I care. “I can always walk her home?” I ask the question to Mel, as I can’t bring myself to face McKenna.
A storm cloud seems to descend over Mel’s face, though it’s Mac who responds before she can. “That’s okay. I’m really not far. But, I can show you out, if you’d like?”
Mel’s gaze narrows and her brow furrows, as though she’s questioning McKenna’s motives. “That won’t be necessary,” she snaps.
It’s easy to see that Mel would be jealous of someone like Mac. She’s easily the most beautiful girl in the world. Eventhough I’ve seen her a few times over the last two years, I’m still in awe of the stunning woman she’s grown into, though I can still see glimpses of the girl I grew up with.
Long blonde hair, small but curvy figure, a bright smile that lights up her face, plump pink lips that feature in my dreams most nights, and chocolate eyes that glisten brightly. I just have to make Mel think I wouldn’t look twice at Mac—which is fucking impossible when it takes every fibre of my being to look away from her.
Before I have a chance to respond, Mel catches me off guard, raising up onto her tiptoes, before she quickly presses her lips against mine. It starts off as just a chaste kiss, but as I try to pull away, she raises her hand to my neck, holding me in place so she can deepen it. My eyes are wide open, and despite hating every fucking minute of it, I play my part well, making sure Mel believes I’m kissing her back with enthusiasm.
This is our first real kiss. We’ve done a peck on the cheek, and a chaste press of her lips against mine, but that’s all. It doesn’t escape my notice that Mel decided the perfect time for our first real kiss would be in front of Mac. She may as well have just pissed all over me.
I try not to think about Mac right now. Is she hurt seeing this? Does she still care about me the way I do her? If she does, this must be like a knife to the heart. I can’t even imagine how I would feel seeing her kiss someone else. Well…I can. I would tear every limb from their pathetic body, reminding them that nobody touches what’s mine. Does she feel the same?
These are the kinds of thoughts I can’t allow. Not when I’m Finn Langford. Finn Doughty can be secretly in love with McKenna, and can pine for her, but if I do that now, it could get us both killed.
Eventually, Mel pulls away, a sated, smug look on her face. “You can leave now, McKenna. I don’t know how long we willbe…occupied, while we say goodbye,” she purrs whilst looking at me, before she turns to face McKenna, her face morphing into a hard mask that’s so different from the one she just presented to me. “Make sure all my father’s care notes are up to date before you leave. I expect Aleandro to have a full hand over in the notes when he eventually arrives.”
Mel doesn’t wait for Mac to reply, turning instead to face her father, as she begins straightening out his already perfect pyjamas. I hate the way she just dismisses Mac, like she’s beneath her. I’ve seen her do it to the serving staff in restaurants, and to her butler earlier today, so it’s not just McKenna that she views in this way. It’s just that my blood boils at the thought of anyone mistreating her.
“I-I’ll just get my bag,” she mutters, before heading back via the door she arrived through.
Before she reaches it, Mel shouts after her. “Make sure you tell Horris to expect Finn shortly. Once I’ve finished giving him a proper goodbye.” She makes it sound far dirtier than it needs to be, and McKenna doesn’t bother to reply. Though, if the way she slams the door is any indication, she isn’t happy.
