“Mom, she’s not?—”
“Oh, don’t be shy, dear! I want to hear everything!” his mother gushed, completely steamrolling over his attempts to clarify.Great, now she’s planning our imaginary wedding.
“And she’s not just beautiful,” the nurse chimed in, because apparently, things weren’t ridiculous enough already. “The way she looked at you, Topher, anyone could see the love in her eyes.”
Love in my eyes?My face flushed with heat.This is a nightmare. Please, someone, wake me up.
“And what’s her name?”
“It’s Kathleen, but Mom, it’s really not what you think?—”
“Topher, it’s as clear as day that she’s important to you,” the nurse said. “We’re all just so happy to see how much she’s brightened your mother’s spirits.”
“She’s not my…” Topher’s voice trailed off into a long pause. Then, almost like he was realizing it for the first time, I heard him say softly, “I haven’t seen you this happy in a while, Mom.”
As I strained to hear more, his mother’s voice, warm and full of joy, broke the silence. “Oh, Topher, all I’ve ever wanted is to see you happy. And if she’s the one bringing that smile to your face, then I already love her.”
My face was practically on fire at this point. I leaned in a little closer, trying to catch every detail of this increasingly bizarre conversation.
Someone cleared their throat right behind me.
I froze, dread pooling in my stomach as I slowly turned around to see Alex standing there, glaring at me.
He leaned in, whispering through gritted teeth, “Kathleen, it’s over between us. You have to go home. You can’t stay here.”
Alex’s condescending tone made my skin prickle with irritation. My mind raced, searching for a believable excuse to salvage my dignity.
“I’m not here for you,” I said, my voice a little too loud in my own ears. “I’m… I’m here for… my new boyfriend’s mother!” I somehow managed not to wince. Inside the hospital room, Topher was trying to figure out how to convince his mother he didn’t have a girlfriend, but out here, I was shamelessly using him and his mother to… what? Trick my ex into thinking I’m not pitiful? It was humiliating. And Topher would hate me even more than he already did if he knew. But he never would. We could stay right outside this room, nice and safe from any further awkwardness.
But just as I thought I might get away with it, the nurse pulled the door open, her eyes lighting up with recognition.
“Oh, is that Kathleen out there?” came the cheerful voice of Topher’s mother from inside the room, sending my stomach straight to the floor.
Great. Things just kept getting better.
The nurse stepped into the hall, eyes landing on me with far too much enthusiasm. “Yes! That’s her! She’s here with Dr. Steele.”
I was not just drowning. Now, I was being actively dragged down by the weight of my own bad decisions.
Alex’s smile faltered, and suddenly the nurse was waving me forward like a contestant on a game show. Before I could escape, I was ushered into the hospital room.
Topher’s mother lit up the moment she saw me. “Oh, Kathleen! It’s so wonderful tofinallymeet you!” she said, reaching for my hand like I was the answer to all her prayers. “Topher didn’t tell me you were coming today!”
Of course he didn’t. We’d met approximately three hours ago.
“Uh, yes, it’s great to meet you too,” I said, doing my best impression of a functioning adult while internally begging the linoleum to crack open and swallow me whole.
Then I felt Topher next to me, suddenlyveryclose.
His voice was low, smooth, and pitched so only I could hear: “Play along.”
I blinked at him. “What?”
He leaned in closer, giving me an awkward hug as he whispered in my ear. “That’s your doctor ex over there, right? He looks ready to combust. My mom thinks you’re my girlfriend. You want out of this alive? Don’t blow it. And I won’t either.”
He pulled back, and I made eye contact with Alex. I didn’t even like Topher. He was rude, smug, and entirely too good-looking for someone with that much attitude. But... Alex was watching.
And oh, hedid notlike what he was seeing.
