Chapter 66

Cassie

Outside of the room Forrest froze with his hand outstretched. It hovered in the air above the door handle as he turned his head and stared at me.

I didn't look away although I wanted to. Because he had heard my husbands words as clear as I had.

Ice ran through my veins. I didn't know the context in which he would "take care of me" but it sounded awfully like a threat.

Suddenly my need to make sure my husband was alright after his accident was gone. I didn't want to be here anymore.

Julian was fine. He was with the woman he had chosen. She was the one he wanted to be with and I had to accept that.

I did accept that.

It wasn't like I was in love with him. Hell I didn't even like him and now I knew better than ever that I couldn't stay with him.

I wouldn't even be able to stay in town or anywhere close by. I needed to find somewhere and grab my mother and go.

Because- my eyes swept towards the door again and then quickly darted away. If I stayed I was pretty sure I would be the victim of an unfortunate accident. If Julian didn't do it then Megan would. She had already tried to kill my babies so I wouldn't put anything passed her.

Twisting on my heel I walked away without saying a word. Leaving Forrest, his doctor friend and the nurse staring at my retreating back.

"Ca-" Forrest called after me. "Excuse me she's not been feeling very well." He made an excuse for me and even as I pushed my way out of the corridor and into a much busier one I could hear his footsteps rushing after me.

I sped up. I didn't want to talk to anyone least of all him. I couldn't bear to see the sympathy in his eyes. I had rushed here because I cared about Julian and here he was plotting my death.

Forrest caught hold of my bicep , spinning me around. I went without any fuss. Stumbling into his chest and hiding my face in his sweet smelling wool sweater. For a second I thought about ripping myself from his arms but it was just a fleeting thought before I sagged against him.

Instantly his arms tightened around me. I wanted to lose myself in the protection of his arms but I knew I couldn't do that. There were too many people here who could report back to Julian and even if things between Forrest and I was innocent I knew how it could be misconstrued.

"I'm fine." I mumbled. Even though that was a lie.

"No you're not." Forrest's hands smoothed a circle on my back and it did help. "You need a hug."

"No." I detangled myself from his arms. Stepping away. "We can't do that here Forrest."

Confusion pinched his eyebrows together. "So you're not allowed to hug a friend now." The first hint of anger was making his voice deeper. There was a low growl in it.

"You know how he would see it if he found out we had embraced in public." I shook my head.

"He doesn't care about you Cassie." The words ripped there way out of his throat with another growl. "I don't understand why you-"

I glared at him. "I don't care about Julian." I lied. "But I care about you and he will come after you. I don't want that." Lifting my eyes I tried to send him a message without even saying a word and failed. Shaking my head I reached for his hand and wrapped my fingers around it. "I never want you to get hurt Forrest." I said truthfully. "And he will hurt you if he sees us hugging."

Forrest's green eyes narrowed. "It's not me I'm worried about Cassie." He said in a hushed voice. "It's you. I really think he's going to try and hurt you and if he doesn't-" He fell silent as someone walked passed.

They looked puzzled but they also looked curious. This corridor was too public for this conversation. Grabbing Forrest's arm I pulled him through another door and into an empty room. The bed was stripped down and the whole place stank of death. Someone had died in here and recently.

I wrinkled my nose up.

It was kind of fitting though because we were about to have a serious talk about my husband and his mistress trying to murder me.

"Megan will." I finished Forrest's earlier sentence. "I know that because she's already tried. And after hearing-" I motioned towards the door. Like Julian's room was right outside of it and not several corridors away. "She's going to try and kill my babies at the very least." Moving away from Forrest I jumped up on the bed and let my feet swing for a second. "And that's the reason I need to get my mum and leave. But-" back and forth my legs swung but for a second I couldn't say the words I needed to.

I had come to Forrest for help. But I knew now that I couldn't ask that of him. Julian and Megan would know who had helped me. They would come after him to get to me.

My friendship might cost him his life and I couldn't have that on my conscience.

"I need to do it alone." Jumping up I took a step towards the door. "I'll wait in the car whilst you deal with your patients. I think it's best that he doesn't know I am here or what I might have heard."

Forrest stepped into my path. Blocking the door. "No." He said firmly. "You are going to go and visit with Julian because people have seen you here and it's the right thing to do." He took a deep shaky breath. "And when we leave I am going to help you escape."

I began to shake my head , opening my mouth to tell him no and his hand came over it to silence me.

"No arguments, Cassie. I am helping you escape him."