Chapter 106 A True Friend
Eden's POV:
The rest of the day goes relatively smoothly. I focus on my work, doing my best to avoid the team where I can. It's even worse when I leave our department to run errands. People who I've never spoken to before today are stopping me in the hallways.
Some people ask after my grandma and I have to come up with realistic lies. I can't think of any logical excuse for why my grandma would miss the memorial for my parents. When she comes back to work and hears that everyone thinks she's had a severe case of food poisoning, she's going to kill me. I may have been a bit more graphic in my descriptions than was actually necessary, my mouth running away with itself as I tell them about her 'projectile vomiting.'
I'm restless though, eagerly anticipating the moment when the work day will come to an end so I can go to the hospital to check on my grandma.
I can only hope that Noah isn't planning on working late tonight. After just one day off, I know that there's a massive pile of work for him to catch up on. He really shouldn't have stayed with me at the hospital. Even if I did appreciate it immensely.
At five thirty, Noah takes me by surprise when he walks out of his office, locking it behind him. Even if we're not working overtime tonight, I wouldn't have expected to leave until after six. The rest of the team are only just preparing to leave and Noah never leaves first.
"Are you ready?" he asks, offering me a small smile.
"Are we going?" I reply, not waiting for his response before I start turning off my computer.
"You're going home early, boss?" Stacey asks, coming up to stand next to my desk.
"Well, there's a first time for everything," Rob says, following behind her.
In all the drama of the last two days, I've completely forgotten how much fun it is to watch them tease Noah.
"You promised us a team dinner..." Stacey reminds him.
"When did I?" Noah looks at her, clearly bewildered by her demand for food.
Stacey's expression gives her lie away. She's completely made it up.
"I don't remember..." Noah scratches his head.
"Come on," I say. "I'd kill for a steak."
He doesn't look convinced. He knows I really want to get the hell away from these people and that I need to go to the hospital.
Stacey doesn't wait to hear what he says in response as she takes my arm and leads me out of the department, beginning a conversation about a date she went on over the weekend with Rob. That's one of the things I like most about Stacey, she knows how to make a person feel at ease.
The entire team follow us out of the department and we wait for the lift in a large crowd. Noah is watching me closely, worrying about me no doubt. But Stacey is busy talking, almost as if she's pointedly trying to prove that nothing has changed between us.
I appreciate the consideration she's showing me and it goes a long way to ease my nerves.
Noah keeps close though, standing directly behind me, his hand on my lower back in a supportive gesture. The team are rowdy as we all climb into the lift and make our way downstairs. They're all fighting over what they want to eat but Noah tells them he's already made a reservation, holding up his phone to show them his booking at the steak house around the corner.
Licking my lips, I smile up at him.
Together we walk to the restaurant. The rest of the team are a little ahead of us and Noah takes advantage of that fact, taking my hand in his. My heart races at the touch.
My phone rings and my stomach lurches. That sound fills me with dread. I'm almost scared to answer it. Glancing at the screen, I read Martin's name. What if something has happened to grandma?
"Hello?" I answer hesitantly.
"Hi Eden," Martin says, his tone giving nothing away. "I just wanted to call and tell you that your grandma woke up a little while ago."
"She's awake?" I ask, stopping in the middle of the street.
"Well, she was. She's just fallen back asleep... She wanted me to tell you not to visit tonight. She's just going to get some sleep and she'll see you tomorrow."
"But..." I really hate how independent my grandma is sometimes.
"She's also insisting that I return to work tomorrow," Martin says with a laugh. "She's in good spirits."
He says that like it excuses the fact that she doesn't want me to visit. I feel quite hurt though.
"Don't let it bother you, Eden. Your grandma is stubborn and she's a little bit too old for you to try and change her."
I say a quick goodbye before forcing a smile onto my face. I don't want the others to realise something is wrong. Noah squeezes my hand encouragingly.
"Just think," he says, "you'll have more time for that steak you want."
His words cause me to laugh and then Stacey turns back to us. Spotting our interlocked hands, she gives me a wink.
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