About thirty minutes later, the heavy door to Room 21 swung open.
Lucas stepped out into the hallway, his movements sluggish and his eyes looking a little distant. The sharp, professional face he usually carried as Damian's personal assistant had completely vanished.
He took a seat beside Alina, letting out a long, ragged breath that seemed to drain the last of his energy. He placed his head in his hands, looking as though he carried the entire weight of the world on his shoulders.
"How long have you known Abby? She… she never talked about you," Lucas asked, his voice muffled by his palms. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. Of all the people in the city, how was it that Alina was the one sitting in this hospital hallway?
Alina shrugged, her focus remaining on the plastic container she was opening. "Four months," she answered simply. "More like you never bothered to ask about her work or her life. You're an idiot, Lucas." She didn't sugarcoat it.
