He has the audacity to look confused, or maybe he’s forgotten. “What are you talking about? I didn’t ignore you. Yeah, I was pissed you didn’t pick up your phone that night we had sex, but that wasn’t the time or place to get into it.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “I tried talking to you and you turned right to Mason. Like I’m the invisible woman.”
His expression darkens, a flash of something more intense in his eyes. “It wasn’t intentional. Trust me.”
“Sure looked intentional from where I stood.”
His knuckles whiten on the steering wheel. “Look, I know I can be an asshole sometimes, and I’m sorry for that. But I don’t mean to hurt you, Lexi.”
“You keep saying that, but your actions don’t match.” I glance at his handsome face, the same one that’s haunted my thoughts and dreams for days, but I’m exhausted by this hot and cold act. “Can you just stop the car? I’m tired of whatever this is.”
“Lexi, give me a minute here, okay? I’m trying.”
“No, Connor. I need to get out, now.”
He pulls over slowly, every muscle in his frame rigid.
I face him, trying to keep it light. “Look, I really do appreciate everything you’ve done—protecting me from Deano, offering to take care of my mom’s medical bills. But there’s no reason for us to keep seeing each other.” My hand inches toward the door handle.
“Wait,” he says roughly. “There’s a reason I pushed you away that night.”
I freeze at that. Against my better judgment, I turn back. “Okay. So why?”
He stares straight ahead, hands clenched on the wheel like he’s ready to rip it off.
“That night, I rushed you out because I was hit with a wave of vertigo so bad it knocked me sideways. Probably why I didn’t catch what you were saying back at the studio. And yeah, that’swhy the interview was a disaster. I’ve got some health issues going on.”
My mind races to the darkest places. “What kind of health issues?”
A heavy silence fills the car, my anxiety skyrocketing.
Then he glances at me, catches the worry in my eyes. “I’m not on my deathbed, Lexi. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I exhale, a tiny bit relieved but still on edge.
“My hearing is fucked.”
“Oh.” I’m momentarily speechless, not expecting this revelation. “How?”
“It’s an auto-immune condition.”
My hand instinctively covers my mouth. “Oh, Connor, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
Uncertainty swirls within me, not fully understanding what this means for him or how severe it is. I have so many questions but tread lightly.
“Why didn’t you just tell me that night in your office?” I ask gently.
“I was embarrassed, Lexi. We’d just had sex. Amazing sex. It’s not exactly my normal move to fuck a woman then collapse on her.”
He avoids my gaze, so I gently touch his shoulder. “Hey, there’s no need to be embarrassed, okay?”
“I’m not telling you this for sympathy. I’m telling you because I want to see you again, and I know if I have any shot at that, I need to explain my behavior.”
His honesty throws me off guard. “Thanks for opening up. I know that’s not easy for you.” Especially with how fiercely private he is. “So . . . what does this mean for you going forward?” I ask gently.
“Fuck if I know,” he mutters. “Could go completely deaf, might just lose some hearing, or stay the same. They’ve got no way to predict. The uncertainty is a bitch.”
I listen, trying to wrap my head around it all. “How long have you been dealing with this?”
