Chapter609DoYouNeedMe
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Lysanderfeltawaveofdizzinessand,withaheartfullofunease,sheaskedLaura,“Mom,hassomething-happenedtoDadrecently?”
Laurarepliedconfusedly,“No,nothing’swrong.”
Lysanderaskedagain,“Don’tyou<b>think</b>Dadhasbeenactingstrangtely?”
Recently,Laura<b>had</b>devotedmostofherattentiontotakingcareofMichelle.HearingLysander’swords,shepausedandsaid.“Nowthatyoumentionit,Iguesshedoesseemstrange.Thisafternoon,whenIfoundoutthatJosiahwaingwithyou,Iwasgenuinelyworriedthatyourdadmightcausea sceneagain.Ievenwarnedhim<b>a</b>fewtimesincase,butIdidn’texpect himtobesposed.”
“It’sn
morethanjustthat,”Michelleinterjectedimpatiently.“Inthepast,Dadwouldn’tspeaktoJosiah,letalonegivehimasecondnce.Butjustnow,hewastreatingJosiahlikeaproperson–inw.”
AsLysanderlistenedtotheirconversation<b>,</b>herheartgrewincreasinglyrestless.
Aftersomethought,Laurasaifortingly,“You’vealwaysbeenooverthink,butIwouldn’tsaythat’sabadthing.PerhapsyourfatherwasimpressedbyJosiah’sgoodbehaviorandisshowinghisapproval.Besides,aslongasyoudon’tepthim,ouropinionswon’tmakeadifference.Ultimately,thedecisionlieswithyou,Lysander<b>.</b>”
Lysanderdidn’twantLaura<b>and</b>Michelletoworryalongsideher,soshesuppressedherunease.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
“Okay”
Onlyafewpeoplelivedyear–roundintheThornemanor,sotherewasnever<b>a</b>shortageofrooms.Thatnight,MaverickandLaurasharedaguestroom,whileLysanderandMichelleeachupiedaroom.
Theroomswerenotonlytidiedupwellbutalsofullyequippedwithallthelivingessentials.
Aspromised,HowardtrulycaredforMichelleasifshewerehis daughter.
Seeingherparentsandsistefortablysettledin,Lysanderfeltmoreateasethanifshewerein
ShehadbeenworriedearlierthatMaverickandLauramightbeuneasy,evennningtositthemdownandhaveachat.However,assoonasMaverickreturned tohisroom,hestarteiningaboutbeing.extremelytiredandwantingtosleep.Lysanderdidn’tdaretolingeraroundfortoolong,andonceshemadesuretheyweresettledin,sheleft.
Yetthatnight,asshyinhercozyandwarmbed,shefoundherselfunabletofasleep.
Tossingandturninginbed,hermindwasawhirlwindofchaos.AvaguesenseofuneaselingeredinLysander’sheart,yetshecouldn’tpinpointthesourceofherdisquiet.
Everyonegotalongwettoday’s meal,anditwasquitelively.
HowardandMichellesincerelydesiredtounitetheirfamilies.Theyclearlypreparedbrand<b>new</b>furnitureforMaverickandLaura’s<b>stay</b>quitesometimeago.Michelle’sroomhadevenbeenspeciallydecoratedtofeatureaprincessbedthatanygirl wouldadore.
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Everythinghadbeengoingmorethanwell.
Yet,Lysanderstillfelthermindwasinutterchaos.
Beforesheknewit,halfthenighthadpassed.
Finished
Lysande;simplycouldn’tsleep.Shewantedtotakeastrollbutwaswaryofdisturbingtheothers.Decidingtodosomething,sheputonherrobeandgotup.Shewenttotheroom’sattachedbalcony,intendingtoenjoythenightview.
TheThornemanorwaslocatedinthesuburbs,farfromtheblindinglycolorfulneonlights.Instead,theonlysourcesoflightwerethestarsinthenightskyandacrescentmoon.
Thesoundsofcroakingfrogsandchirpingcicadaslingeredinthe air<b>,</b>creatinganatmosphereoftranquility<b>and</b>peace.
Thewindwas<b>a</b>bitchilly,Lysanderpulledherrobetighteraroundhershouldersandcasuallytuckedherwindblownhairbehindhercar.
Adeepvoicerangout fromherleft.“Don’tstayinthewindtoolong.Itgetscoldatnight.”
LysanderturnedherheadandfoundherselflockingeyeswithJosiah,whowason theneighboring.balcony.
TheThornefamilyandtheGuerrafamilyweredirectneighbors,andtheirhomesmirroredeachotherinstructure.There<b>was</b>aspaciousgapbetweenthecourtyardandthefirstfloor,thoughthebalconiesontheupperfloorswereadjoining.
Lysanderhadn’tanticipatedthatshe wouldenduplivinginthisparticrroom,andshecertainlyhadn’texpectedthatJosiahwouldcoincidentallystepoutforsomefreshairatthesametime.Shewasmomentarilyatalossforwords.
“Youcan’tsleepeither?”Josiahcontinuedinagentlevoice,“Youseemeddistractedatthedinnertable.earlier,andevenafterIleft,youstilldidn’tsnapoutofit.Something’sclearlybotheringyou.I’mworried.”
Lysandersighedandreplied,“I’mfine.I’mjustnotusedtothisbed.It’shardtosleepinanewce.”
“You’rethebestatadapting,beitpullingnightshiftsatthehospitalorkeepingMdm.Mollpanybyhersickbed,youcouldsleeponanymakeshiftbedwithoutafuss,”saidJosiah.
ThoughLysander’sliewasexposed,shedidn’tfeelupset.Herexpressionremainedcalmasshemumbled,
“Hmm.”
Josiahsharedaknowinglookwithherandasked,“You’reworriedaboutMr.Maverick,aren’tyou?AlthoughI’mpleasedwithhischange<b>in</b>attitude,Ialsofindhisbehaviorabitunusual.”
Lysanderremainedsilent,whichhetookastacitagreement.
Henoticedtheworryetcheddeeplybetweenherbrowsandtooktheinitiativetooffer,“Doyouneedmetolookintoit?”
I
Lysandershookherhead.“It’sfine.Ifmyfatherchosenottodisclosesomething,hemusthavehis reasons,
twishtopryintohissecrets.My<b>only</b>concerniswhetherhe’sdealingwithsomeissuealonebecausehedoesn’twanttoburden<b>me</b>withit.”
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Maverickwasamanofstrongcharacter.Haditnotbeenformattersconcerninghisdearfamily,hemightnotchangedsodrastically
Lysander’simmediatereactionwasthatsomeonehadthreatenedhimorsaidsomethingtohimthatshouldn’thavebeensaid.
“CoulditbeTiffany?”Lysander musedoutloud,recallingherunexpectedencounterwithTiffany<b>during</b>hervisittoJoseph<b>,</b>aswesthemysteriouspatient’smedicalreportsentbyLynn.
UponhearingTiffany’sname,Josiah’sexpressioninstantlyturnedserious.“I’llhavesomeonelookintoit,”he<b>said</b>,“ifshedarestoharmyourfamily,Iwon’tshowanymercy.”
Uponhearingthesewords,Lysanderhesitatedbrieflybeforerefutingthisperspective.
“Iwasmerelyspecting.Besides,Tiffanyisnotlike<b>Lysanne</b>;she’ssmarter,Idon’tthinkshewoulddosomethingsofruitless.”
She<b>was</b>soengrossedinherthoughtsthatshedidn’trealizeshehadonceagainassumedJosiahtobeonherside.
Justthen,<b>a</b>thoughtstirredinJosiah’sheart.Hequicklyagreedandasked,“Youmakeagoodpoint.Should<b>we</b>continuetheinvestigationthen<b>?</b>”
IfLysanderhadruledoutTiffany,shecouldonlycontinuetoconsiderotherpotentialculprits.
“Duringthatperiod,mydadwasconstantlyatthehospital,takingcareofmymomandsister.Hehardlywentanywhereelse,onlyasionallyreturninghometograbthingsandcook.Itwashighlyunlikelyforhimteintocontactwithanyunusual individuals,unless-
Lysander’swordsabruptlyhalted,aforebodingsenseofuneasewellingupfromthedepthsofherheart.
Indeed,isn’tthehospitalthemostlikelycewhereDadcouldhavechanged?
JosiahhadalreadydiscernedLysander’sthoughtsfromherexpression.However,beforehecould<b>say</b>aword,shehadalreadypulledoutherphone,herface<b>pale</b>asshedialedLynn’snumberrightthereandthen<b>.</b>
Ifhermemoryservedherright,Lynnwassupposedtobeworkingthenightshiftatthehospitalthatevening.
Thecallconnectedalmostinstantly.
Lysanderaskedanxiously,“Lynn,areyouinthehospitalrightnow?”
“Yeah,I’monthenight<b>shift</b>tonight.”Lynncouldtellthatsomething<b>was</b>amissfromLysander’stone.Sheaskedconcernedly.“What’swrong,Dr.Thorne?”
Lysandertriedtoappearlessanxious,butshecouldn’tpullitoff.Sheasked,“Couldyoudomeafavor<b>?</b>Couldyoupossiblycheckiftherehavebeenanymedicalrecordsformyfatherinthehospitalrecently?HisnameisMaverickThorne.“/
“All<b>right</b>,I’mlookingitupnow.”