Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1314

Walter Wilson just shook his head and stayed put. He figured he didn’t need to say anything—seeing Camila Davis healthy again was more than enough.

Audrey Williams noticed him standing off to the side. Since he refused to move, she walked right over and tugged him toward the group. “Walter, come on, say something!”

Camila, her eyes still a little red from chatting with her parents, turned when she heard Audrey use that name. When her eyes landed on Walter, she couldn’t hold back a smirk. “Walter?”

The way she said his name made it sound weirdly funny. It was obvious she was holding back a laugh, and a couple of seconds later, she couldn’t hide it.

Walter’s own expression twitched. He tried to look stern as he shot back at her, “Focus on your own stuff, alright? Let people call me whatever they want. Just take care of yourself. The Smith Group isn’t going to run itself—you and I are both responsible here.”

“Don’t think you can just dump everything on me and disappear,” he added in a gruff tone.

“Oh, sure, I got it, Walter,” Camila answered sweetly, then couldn’t resist teasing him a little more.

That set Sarah Brown and Larry Adams off. Their laughter echoed around the room, completely unapologetic. “Oh my god, Audrey, did you come up with that name?”

Audrey just grinned and nodded. “I did! Doesn’t it sound so much friendlier?”

Sarah was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. “It really does. Honestly, I can’t believe you actually get away with calling him that. Impressive!”

Their laughter was so contagious that soon everyone else joined in. The whole medical room felt brighter and warmer.

Even little Lillian piped up in her tiny voice, “Should I call him Walter too?” That got the group cracking up all over again.

Walter’s face turned completely red, and he looked like he might explode from embarrassment. Audrey quickly hooked her arm through his, chin tilted up as she smiled at everyone. “Stop laughing, you guys. It’s a nickname—only I’m allowed to call him that!”

“Wait, a nickname?” someone asked, glancing between her and Walter. “Hold up, are you two together or what?”

Apparently, nobody had noticed.

Before Walter could even react, Audrey jumped in. “Not yet! I confessed, but he hasn’t said yes. I gave him a couple days to think it over. Two or three, tops.”

She looked ridiculously proud as she said that.

Still, nobody tried to argue with Audrey. Sarah and Camila just looked at each other, both totally getting it. They knew what was really going on.

Walter hadn’t accepted Audrey officially, but his actions spoke for themselves. He made exceptions for her, treated her differently, let her do things no one else could get away with. It was pretty obvious how he felt—sooner or later, it would be official anyway.

Honestly, if you thought about it, Audrey was just the kind of person anyone would fall for: she was kind, smart, and full of energy. It was only normal that Walter caved eventually—it just proved he had good taste.

And the way Audrey liked him, so open and bright, was perfect for someone like him.

The medical room stayed lively and busy for the entire afternoon. Camila had just finished treatment, though, and the medicine made her a bit dizzy and headachey, so she really needed rest.

The group visit wrapped up soon after. People started leaving one by one, until only Dennis Williams stayed behind to watch over her.

In the days that followed, Camila stayed at the research center under observation. Boredom didn’t stand a chance—her friends visited in shifts to keep her company, chat, and check in.

Mrs. Molly, Sarah, Mr. Parsons—they all came by. Surrounded by such support, Camila got a little stronger each day, and soon even her appetite was back.