Chapter 473 - The support of a true friend (1)

20 May, Military Hospital, City K

Lexi looked up and notice Matthew pacing around her ward. "Matthew, what is it?"

Matthew shook his head before responding, "I cannot tell you that, it is work related."

Observing the look on his face, Lexi knew that he was being truthful, there was something bothering him about work, but it required a security clearance so he could not talk about it.

There was just something that made her worry, so she said "Do not bottle it up. Hiding from problems, has caused us so much trouble in our marriage already and with how far we have come in the last week I do not want to be taking a backwards step. Talk to me, or if it is something you cannot find someone you can talk to."

As Lexi was speaking Matthew could observe the look of concern on her face. She was right, hiding from things had caused them so much trouble already, and despite talking about things they were still facing from day to day the consequences of doing that for years. How many times in the last week had the snapped at the other over something small.

There was a ding from his mobile and as he read the message, he responded "I can promise you that. Just understand that there are things that I cannot…"

"Talk to me about. Matthew, I understand that I just want your promise that you will talk to someone about things. Yes, I would prefer it is me but I understand there are things that you cannot so you need to talk to someone you can."

"I will. Now, that message was a surprise that has been arranged for you."

"Surprise?"

Matthew moved over and opened the door, and Lexi noticed Anna Hou walking in the room. "Anna?"

"You idiot. I only know what happened as your brother was on a conference call with my husband and he let slip that you had been hurt. You should have called me and told me."

Observing Anna Hou, Matthew muttered loud enough under his breath for the two of them to hear "Typical Australian, getting angry over the minor things…"

Anna snapped around and said "You want me to show you a typical Australian. Get the f*ck out of here, you bloody idiot. This is girl time and I do not need someone like you hovering over us."

At that moment Matthew noticed Bronwyn standing at the door with a smirk on her face before turning back towards Anna and saying "Maybe I need to rephrase that. Lawyers, sometimes I wonder why we need them around."

Quickly Anna retorted "You need us to keep you under control."

Lexi could not help herself but to laugh. Matthew wanted to retort so badly to Anna, but he had standards both as a military officer let alone those, he learnt growing up, but he held himself back from saying anything too personal.

Bronwyn watching the scene said "Boss, we have a meeting."

Matthew nodded and moved back before giving Lexi a brief kiss on the forehead before quietly saying "You have my promise. I will see you tonight and will have Dominic with me."

As he exited and shut the door behind him, Anna pulled a chair over and sat down beside Lexi before saying "What happened?"

"Just a matter of bad luck. I was in City F for business reasons, when there was an explosion in the mall where I was, and I was injured. Unluckily I broke some bones, damaged me knee received a significant number of cuts, some which required proper cleaning and suturing. But the doctors made the medical decision to allow the cuts to heal before removing the stiches and will then put cases on my leg and arm and let me out of here."

Shaking her head Anna said, "And I thought I could be unlucky."

"You know there was some good to come out of it. Matthew and I have had a number of overdue talks about many things we had hidden."

"You finally decided to let go of some secrets you were holding in?"

"How…?"

"I am a lawyer Lexi and I know when people are hiding things from me. I always sensed that there was something that you were keeping from me the first time I met you and that was solidified the following day. I was not going to force you to say anything as I knew from talking with you when you were ready you would not only open up to those you needed to reveal the secrets to but to those you wanted to know. With what I just observed, I guess the secrets were something you needed your husband to know about. The two of you are so much more relaxed with each other and there is something that was not there before."

Lexi looked at Anna, she had analysed the situation correctly. "You are right, but at the moment…"

"You do not want to tell me. Lexi, I never push people I see as my friends to tell me anything. If you want to share things it has to be voluntary otherwise, I would not be a friend."

Hearing the sincerity in Anna's voice Lexi calmly responded "Thank you. I need to hear that form someone who is solely a friend of mine, not tied to both Matthew and I."

"A consequence of growing up together. Your friends are his friends?"

"You have that right. And that makes it hard to open up to anyone."

Anna nodded "And bottling up secrets about the past can undermine the present. I know that the hard way. I did not want to admit what happened to me in my previous relationship, the abuse I suffered physically, emotionally, and financially. I was lucky my husband could see that there were significant problems for me, and he got me the help I needed. Yes, it was a friend of his, but she was the right person to ask as she made me confront the past and move forward to the happiness I have now."

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