I swung the door open fast enough to make a whooshing sound and blow the strands of his hair away from his face.I ignored the gush of freezing wind.
My irritated words came out in quick, angry puffs of steam.“Remi Akerman, I don’t know what you thought pilfering my address off of medical forms—which hugely violates my privacy, and you know that!Regardless of how poor that decision was, I was going topolitelytell you to go home.But you sitting out herewaitingfor me to address you, and not even giving me the courtesy of ringing the doorbell?I have decided to berude.Whatever bad idea has brought you here, turn around and take it home.”
He pulled his lips to one side squinting an eye shut and letting out a rumbling groan.
I held up a manicured finger.“No, don’t stand there groaning like a bear.Go.Home.”
“I can explain—” he started, but I cut him off.
“No.No excuses.I never would have thought that you’d behave so creepy—because you know thisiscreepy.”I was speaking so quickly all my words strung together into one.
“It is, the way you’re seeing it, it is creepy.”
I nearly screamed, “The way I’m seeing it?!”
I paced a few steps toward him and then back, my arms crossed over my chest.“Reality, that’s what I’m seeing.What is so important that you came to my house?My God, if you are going to abuse personal information, you could start with my phone number and text me.We could have met in a public place and talked about whatever is going on.Whatcould be so important?Did you secretly have my baby?Are you here to tell me I have a four-year-old?”
He held out a calming hand.“ ’Licia, I swear I can explain.”
“Not today, you can’t.Today I don’t have ears for it.Go.Home.”I gestured wildly to anywhere that wasn’t here.
“Leese.”The firm edge of his tone cut whatever I was about to say off from the tip of my tongue.His shoulders sagged, and the ends of his eyebrows turned down.With a shake of his head, he said, “I am home.But I’m locked out.”
My breath caught.Even with my mind rejecting to comprehend his words, I remembered broad shoulders from this morning and the little remark Millie from the café had made.I looked over my shoulder to see the door positioned maybe two feet away from mine.There was a snow-covered Adirondack chair next to it.
“No,” I whispered.
His head hung low, and he pushed his hands even deeper into his pockets.
“This ...isn’t possible.”I hugged my arms across my chest.My stomach churned.
“It does feel pretty unreal.”
“How?”
A bewildered smile tugged at one corner of his mouth; it fit beautifully in the dusting of his scruff.
I hated it.
Shaking his head, he said, “I can’t even imagine.”
I hadn’t figured out how to close my mouth yet.It just hung open, weighed down by the sickening coincidence.
He shivered once.“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you at the clinic—”
“You knew at the clinic?”I asked in a weak voice.
“Kinda.”He squinted at the gray sky.“I saw the back of your head before work this morning, but then ...I didn’t think it wasyou.”
I gingerly brushed my fingertips under my hair.“The back of my head?”
“It hasn’t changed.”
“That’s a strange thing to say.”
His chest sank with a heavy sigh, and he shivered again.“Yeah.”
“It’s freezing out here, why aren’t you in your car?”
