Chapter 6

Phoebe wiped every trace of emotion from her face.

Once the conversation inside died down, she raised a hand and knocked lightly on the door.

A familiar low voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Phoebe took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

The moment Zac saw her, he instinctively shifted in front of Xena’s bed, almost as if he were shielding her.

He paused.

“Honey.”

He clearly hadn’t expected Phoebe to get there so quickly.

Chloe’s eyes lit up. She immediately jumped out of her chair and hurried over to take the box from Phoebe’s hands.

“Yes! My favorite. Thanks!”

She sounded so cheerful and natural that Phoebe could hardly connect the girl in front of her with the same girl who had just been talking behind her back about how Zac should divorce her.

The contrast was almost unsettling.

Chloe carried the box over to Xena.

“Xena, try one. These are the honey cakes I told you about. They’re so good.”

Xena lay comfortably in the hospital bed, wearing the same warm, gracious smile as always.

“Thank you, Chloe.”

Zac looked at the smile on Xena’s face, and the corner of his mouth lifted almost unconsciously.

For the briefest moment, a softness appeared in his eyes.

It disappeared quickly, but Phoebe still caught it.

Her chest tightened.

Suddenly, the hospital room felt too stuffy.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m going to head out.”

Phoebe turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Chloe stopped her.

Phoebe turned back.

Chloe smiled at her.

“You didn’t come all this way just to drop off the cakes, did you?”

Phoebe paused, not understanding what else she wanted.

“Is there something else?”

Chloe wiped her hands and frowned.

“I heard Xena hurt her hand because of you. Aren’t you even going to apologize? That’s kind of rude.”

Phoebe went completely still.

For a second, it felt as if all the blood in her body had rushed backward.

Her ears rang.

She stared at Chloe in disbelief.

“What did you just say?”

Chloe repeated herself as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“I heard she hurt her hand because of your painting. You might not know this, but Xena came back for something really important. She needs her hands for her work, and now everything has to be put on hold because she got hurt.”

She looked at Phoebe.

“Don’t you feel even a little guilty?”

Phoebe almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Xena had touched her mother’s painting without permission.

She had broken it and had hurt herself in the process.

And somehow Phoebe was the one who owed her an apology?

It was absurd.

This was the girl Phoebe had spoiled and looked after for years.

Only now did she realize that Chloe had never truly appreciated any of it.

She had simply gotten used to Phoebe being good to her.

As if she were entitled to it.

Phoebe’s throat tightened.

She took a slow breath and forced down the ache rising inside her.

“What does any of that have to do with me?”

Chloe stared at her.

“Phoebe, what did you just say?”

Phoebe didn’t look at Chloe. She glanced around the room instead.

“If that’s all, I’m leaving. Oh, and the cakes were sixteen dollars. Send me the money.”

She turned to go.

Before she could take another step, someone suddenly grabbed her arm and held on tight.

The grip was so painful that Phoebe winced and sucked in a sharp breath.

She slowly turned around.

Her eyes met Zac’s.

His gaze was colder than she had ever seen it.

Her heart dropped.

In three years of marriage, Zac had never looked at her like that.

Not even during their worst arguments.

Not even when they stopped speaking to each other.

Phoebe froze.

It felt as if something had ripped a hole straight through her chest, leaving nothing but cold air rushing in.

And suddenly, she understood.

Zac had never truly loved her.

Before Phoebe could react, Zac pulled her over to Xena’s bedside.

“Honey, you’re the one who was wrong this time. You owe her an apology. I’m not going to take your side just because you’re my wife.”

Phoebe didn’t say anything.

She stared at him as her vision slowly blurred.

Zac turned to her with a frown.

“Why are you crying? That doesn’t change what happened.”

Chloe jumped in from the side.

“Exactly. Crying doesn’t mean you’re right.”

Phoebe finally spoke, her voice hoarse.

“Zac Sanders, are you really asking me to apologize to her?”

His expression stayed cold.

“Of course I am.”

Xena quickly sat up.

She gave Zac a reproachful look, then stepped between them and pulled them apart.

“Zac, haven’t I told you not to be so rough with women?”

Zac immediately let go of Phoebe.

He lowered his gaze.

“Sorry.”

Only then did Xena smile and gently ruffle his hair.

“It’s okay. Just don’t do it again.”

Phoebe almost laughed.

The whole thing was so absurd that it hurt.

Zac could be overbearing with her whenever he wanted.

But the moment Xena spoke, he obeyed her like a well-trained dog.

Apparently, when it came to the woman he truly loved, he was more than happy to do whatever she said.

Xena turned to Phoebe, looking genuinely concerned.

“Ms. Walker, are you okay? Does your arm hurt? Really, I’m fine. Don’t listen to them. It’s just a tiny cut. Zac is making a much bigger deal out of it than he needs to.”

Phoebe had no interest in playing along with them.

She gave a faint nod.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

Then she gently brushed Xena’s hand away and walked out of the room.

Xena stared after her for a moment.

When she turned back, her eyes were already slightly red.

“Did I say something wrong? Ms. Walker seems upset.”

The anger Zac had been holding back threatened to boil over.

He turned to Chloe.

“Stay here with Ms. Tucker. I’ll be back.”

He needed to talk to Phoebe.

The room fell quiet again after he left.

Xena pressed her lips together and climbed back into bed.

Chloe immediately went over to comfort her.

“Xena, don’t blame yourself. This has nothing to do with you. Phoebe’s the one being unreasonable. Zac will talk to her.”

Meanwhile, Phoebe was about to step into the elevator when Zac grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the stairwell.

She looked up and found him standing in front of her, his brows drawn tight.

Phoebe immediately yanked her hand away.

“Let go.”

Zac seemed to remember how hard he had grabbed her earlier and released her.

But his voice remained cold.

“Phoebe, when did you become this unreasonable? Couldn’t you tell Ms. Tucker was trying to smooth things over for you back there?”

Phoebe rubbed her sore wrist.

“Oh. Then thank her for me.”

Her voice was flat.

“And thank her for giving me a reason to have my mother’s painting restored.”

Zac frowned.

“I knew it. You’re still hung up on that painting.”

His expression hardened.

“Do you seriously care more about a painting than someone getting hurt?”