Chapter 100 I Feel Sort of Useless
Noah’s POV:
I feel sort of useless. Eden is crying as she sits next to her grandma's hospital bed. I'm eyeing Martin suspiciously. If what James said is true and Martin killed Eden's parents, he really has some gall being here at all. It's hard to imagine a person being so unfeeling that they could live in such close quarters with the family of the people they killed.
And what's even more bizarre, is Eden's reaction. James said that he sent Eden an email about it. I can't believe she's letting Martin anywhere near her grandmother.
I have a strange protective urge to throw him out of the hospital room myself. I just can't understand how Eden can just sit here with him. Then again, she's got a lot to be distracted by.
The doctor has just been in to check on Mrs Clancy and it would seem like she has been keeping some secrets of her own. This family seems to be all about their secrets.
"She was sick?" Eden asks, her voice quiet and slightly disconnected, like she's somewhere else.
No one says anything. I don't really know what to say. I'm just as surprised as she is.
"She's got a heart condition," Martin says, much slower than Eden would like if the way she's sitting is anything to go by. Her entire body looks tense, like she's carrying something far too heavy.
"You knew?" Eden bursts, that tension literally exploding. I think it's finally become too much. This whole thing must be overwhelming for her. Between her grandma being sick and the fact that Martin might have killed her parents... Not to mention us...
Not that she really has anything to worry about there. I'm past it. I've accepted it. Sort of... But I get the feeling that she's angry with me, not that I know what I'm supposed to have done. Perhaps she thinks I should have just tried to force the information out of her. Believe it or not, I was actually trying to be respectful.
"She didn't want you to know."
"Of course she didn't," Eden retorts bitterly. Shaking her head, she looks down at her grandma. "How long?"
Martin's expression tells me that Eden isn't going to like his answer. And he definitely doesn't want to tell her. Not that I can really blame him. I've seen Eden angry. Hell, I've made Eden angry and it's definitely something worth avoiding.
"Martin, spit it out. My grandma just had a heart attack! I think I have a right to know."
"She didn't want you to worry."
"How long?" she demands.
"A year and a bit," he says eventually, giving in.
All the fight seems to leave Eden's body as she crumples in her seat.
"She's on medication for it," he goes on to say. "It was under control."
"Well, clearly not." Eden is shaking. She's furious and as much as her anger seems directed at Martin, I think she's actually angry with herself and her grandma. Disappointed that her grandma didn't tell her and she's blaming herself for not seeing it.
"Eden..." I try, stepping towards her.
I hate seeing her this upset, especially when I know there's absolutely nothing I can actually do to fix this for her.
"After her first heart attack, the doctors put her on a really stringent regime."
"First heart attack?" Eden looks up, her expression utterly horrified. "This isn't the..."
Martin looks ashamed. "I wanted to tell you..."
"Just how many..."
"Two," he replies quickly.
"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Eden mutters to herself as she fusses over her grandma, tucking her in the way you would a small child. "Is this why she was so insistent..."
I don't know what she's talking about but Martin seems to be following her train of thought better than I am because he responds to the half sentence.
"Yes. She was worried that you might not want it," he says.
I'm still at a loss. I haven't got the foggiest what Eden might not have wanted.
"I didn't," she admits.
"Do you now?" Martin asks.
She shrugs her shoulders uncertainly, considering his question. "Maybe... I certain won't sell it."
"She'll be glad to hear it," Martin replies with a small smile.
"I didn't understand until I went," she continues. "Dad wasn't exaggerating when he used to say they were a family."
"It's impressive, huh?"
Are they talking about the company? Had Eden been considering selling it before she came to work at Clancy's?
"There are some bad eggs though," Eden says sadly under her breath.
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