<h4>Chapter 68: Old Friend</h4>


    Eliana Bet lifted her head slowly, her cheeks streaked with tears, her honey eyes still ssy from crying. Through the blur, she focused on the man in front of her. The little alcove off the hospital corridor suddenly felt smaller, the faint trickle of the fountain outside fading into background noise. Sunlight spilled through the tall window, catching the edges of his frame—tousled brown hair that kept falling over his forehead, sharp blue eyes filled with both concern and something like surprise. He wore a in white coat over casual cks, a stethoscope hanging from his pocket like a quiet reminder of who he was trying to be. In his hand, he held out a folded handkerchief. It was spotless, marked with tiny stitched initials—H.J.—and she noticed the faint tremor in his fingers as he offered it to her.


    "Henry?" Eliana whispered, her voice cracking like fragile ss under pressure. She blinked rapidly, as if the sight of him might dissolve into another cruel trick of her overwhelmed mind. "Henry Jackson? Is that really you?"


    Henry’s breath caught in his throat, his warm eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made the air between them thicken. He lowered himself onto the bench beside her, not too close, but close enough that she could smell the faint hint of antiseptic mixed with something earthier—cigarette smoke? His hand still held out the handkerchief, but now it hovered uncertainly, as if touching her might shatter the moment. "Eliana... Bet. God, I can’t believe it. It’s you. Here, of all ces." His voice was deep and smooth,ced with genuine astonishment, but there was an undercurrent of something deeper—relief, perhaps, or the echo of long-buried longing.


    She took the handkerchief with trembling fingers, dabbing at her cheeks where mascara had smudged into dark rivulets. The fabric was soft against her warm skin, a smallfort in the storm of her emotions. "What... what are you doing here?" she managed, her lips quivering as she tried topose herself. The alcove’s bench was cool beneath her, the worn-out fabric of her modest dress clinging slightly to her slender frame from the heat outside. She tucked a stray curl of her long hair behind her ear, suddenly self-conscious under his gaze.


    Henry leaned back slightly, his chiseled features softening into a wry smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Visiting my grandmother. She’s been admitted here for a check-up—nothing too serious, thank God. After I left her room, I... well, I was heading out for a quick smoke." He chuckled self-deprecatingly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know, I know—ironic, right? Aspiring doctor sneaking off for a cigarette. Don’t judge me too harshly. Bad habit from college stress that I can’t seem to kick. But then I heard... well, I saw you here, crying. At first, I thought I’d just walk by, give you space. No one wants a stranger butting in on their pain. But something pulled me over. I couldn’t just leave you like that."


    Eliana’s heart fluttered at his words, a faint spark of warmth piercing the chill of her despair. She remembered him from those blurry college days—tall, handsome, always with that reserved kindness that made him stand out in a sea of rowdy students. "A smoke? You? Mr. Future Doctor?" She let out a wateryugh, the sound fragile but genuine, breaking the tension like a ripple in the fountain’s water. "I guess we all have our secrets. Thank you, though. For this." She held up the handkerchief, now damp with her tears. "I must look like aplete mess right now."


    "Not at all," Henry replied softly, his blue eyes tracing her face with an intensity that made her cheeks flush. "You look... just like I remember. Beautiful, even when the world’s trying to break you." He paused, swallowing hard, as if the words had slipped out unbidden. "Eliana, what happened to you? I mean, back in college... you just vanished. One day you’re in lectures, chatting about nursing rotations, and the next—poof. Gone. I asked around, you know. People said maybe you transferred schools or even moved out of the country. It didn’t make sense. You were so passionate about bing a nurse. What... what changed?"


    She averted her gaze, staring at the manicured gardens below where flowers bloomed in defiant colors against the sterile hospital backdrop. The weight of her past settled on her chest, making each breath a struggle. "Money," she admitted quietly, her voiceced with bitterness and regret. "It alwayses down to that, doesn’t it? College was expensive—tuition piling up like a mountain I couldn’t climb. My father... he’s been sick for so long, it was just me scraping by. I couldn’t keep up. Had to drop out. Now I’m... working as a caregiver. For this billionaire guy, Rafael Vexley. It’s not what I dreamed, but it pays the bills. Keeps Dad in ces like this." She gestured vaguely at the opulent surroundings, the crystal chandeliers in the distant lobby glinting like distant stars.


    Henry’s expression darkened with empathy, his sharp features tightening as he processed her words. He shifted closer on the bench, his knee almost brushing hers, sending an unexpected jolt through her. "That’s rough. I’m so sorry, Eliana. I had no idea. You were always so determined in ss—helping everyone with notes, stayingte to study. I admired that about you. Hell, I envied it. I was grinding through med school prep, buried in textbooks, but you made it look effortless. And now... this? Life’s not fair." He hesitated, his warm eyes searching hers. "I tried to find out more, you know. After you stopped showing up. I even mustered the courage to ask Jason about it."


    Eliana’s breath hitched at the mention of Jason’s name, her eyes shing with a mix of pain and surprise. "You asked Jason? What... what did he say?" Her voice trembled, the betrayal from her ex-fiancé still raw, like an open wound that refused to heal.


    Henry sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair, his posture slumping slightly under the weight of the memory. "He was casual about it, like it was no big deal. Said you transferred schools because you didn’t like the one we were at. ’She wanted a fresh start,’ he told me. I believed him—why wouldn’t I? He’s your fiancé, after all. The guy you’d been with since high school. I figured if anyone knew, it was him." His tone turned bitter, a rare edge creeping in. "But it hit me hard. The engagement news... God, that was a punch to the gut. I was at that party when he proposed. Saw him drop to one knee, the ring sparkling under those expensive chandelier lights. You looked so happy, Eliana. Radiant. Like all your dreams wereing true. I remember thinking, ’Well, that’s it. Any shot I had is gone forever.’"


    Her eyes widened, shock rippling through her like a wave crashing against the shore. "Wait... what do you mean, ’any shot you had’?" She leaned forward, her heart pounding in her ears, the alcove’s serene atmosphere suddenly charged with unspoken tension. The fountain’s murmur seemed louder now, a backdrop to the drama unfolding between them.


    Henry froze, his blue eyes darting away for a moment before meeting hers again, vulnerability etched into his handsome face. He let out a nervousugh, but itcked humor—more like a release of pent-up emotion. "Ah, crap. I didn’t mean to blurt that out. But... yeah it’s out now. I’ve been in love with you, Eliana. Since the very first time I met you. It was at that college party Jason threw, remember? The one with the terrible punch and that godawful ylist ring all night. You walked in,ughing at something Sarai said, your curls bouncing, those expressive eyes lighting up the room. I was smitten instantly. Like, hit-by-a-truck smitten. But then Jason introduced you as his girlfriend—high school sweethearts, the whole fairy tale. I backed off right away. Thought your love story was too sweet to mess with. So I kept it to myself, loved you from afar. You had no room in your heart for anyone else. Every conversation we had? Jason’s name was in it. ’Jason this, Jason that.’ I didn’t want to interfere."


    Eliana’s mouth fell open, her mind reeling as fragments of memories resurfaced—study sessions where Henry’s warm eyes lingered a second too long, the way he’d always offer her his notes with that shy smile. Tears welled up again, but these weren’t just from sorrow anymore; they were tangled with confusion and a faint flutter of warmth.


    "Henry..." her voice wavered. "I had no idea. None. You were always so kind, so reserved. I thought you were just being a good friend. I’m so sorry for not noticing."


    Henry shook his head gently, cutting her apology short. "Don’t be sorry for something like that, Eliana," he said softly. "You never had to know. I didn’t expect you to."


    There was a pause—quiet, heavy, the kind where unspoken words linger in the air.


    Eliana took a shaky breath, her eyes flickering to the floor before lifting back to him. "Jason and I... we’re no longer together."


    For a moment, Henry’s blue eyes widened, shock shing across them, but he didn’t say anything. He only held her gaze, steady and patient, as if giving her the space she needed.


    "After my grandfather died, everything fell apart," she continued, her voice breaking as the memories spilled out. "Jason... he cheated. With Sarai, of all people. Our best friend." Her breath hitched, the pain raw and unfiltered. "I found them in bed together,ughing at me as they held each other. It shattered me."


    Henry’s jaw clenched, anger shing in his eyes on her behalf. He reached out tentatively, his hand hovering near hers before finally covering it. His touch was warm, steady—an anchor in her storm.


    "Cheated? With Sarai? That bastard. And her... I always thought she was shady, the way she’d hover around him. But Jason—God, he yed everyone. Including me. I wish I had trusted my gut and searched for you instead of taking Jason’s words for it. After you left, and nobody knew for sure where you were, I told myself it was for the best. ’Out of sight, out of mind,’ right? Maybe I’d forget you. Move on."


    He shook his head, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Spoiler: I didn’t. Not even close. You’ve been in my thoughts every day since."


    She squeezed his hand instinctively, her slender fingers intertwining with his, the contact sending a spark of electricity up her arm. For the first time in what felt like forever, Eliana felt seen—not as a caregiver, not as a betrayed fiancée, but as herself. "Henry, that’s... I don’t know what to say. It’s overwhelming. Sweet, but heartbreaking too. If I’d known... maybe things would’ve been different. But back then, Jason was my everything. My dream guy. Childhood friend turned lover. I was so naive, so blind to his ws. The entitlement, the narcissism. He had me wrapped around his finger, and I forgave him for everything. Until I couldn’t. And now, I’m just too broken to try all that with anyone again."


    Henry nodded, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand in soothing circles. "You weren’t naive—you were in love. Real love, or what you thought was real. I get it. Watching from the sidelines hurt, but I respected it. That’s why when the engagement happened... man, it was like a knife twist. The cheers, the toasts, you beaming with that ring on your finger. I slipped out early, nursed a beer alone in my dorm. Told myself to let go. But seeing you now? Crying in this fancy hospital alcove? It brings it all back. You’re still that girl from the party—kind, resilient, with that quiet strength that draws people in. Whatever’s got you down, Eliana, you don’t have to face it alone. You can count on me. No strings attached."


    Her tears flowed freely now, but they were cathartic, washing away some of the pain. She leaned her head on his shoulder, the fabric of his coat soft against her cheek, his cologne aforting blend of clean and subtle spice. "Thank you, Henry. For listening. For being here. I feel like I’ve been drowning, and you’re the first lifeline in ages."


    He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close in a protective embrace, his heart racing against her ear. "Hey, no more fooling yourself. You’ve grown stronger—I can see it in your eyes. Whatever chains you’re in, we’ll figure it out. If you’ll let me."


    They sat like that for a long moment, the fountain’s song weaving through the silence, as the weight of unspoken futures hung in the air between them.