That he did. Andhow.
Bruna had helped him through some serious shit as Lilly’s dialysis got more frequent and her health deteriorated. When he decided to transfer Lilly from the hospital to a top-notch nursing home under the supervision of the best kidney specialist in the country, Dr. Bruna Cordeiro’s fame as a brilliant neurosurgeon opened more doors than Tristan’s bankaccount.
He owed her so much. “All the more reason not to throw you into thismess.”
“I won’t twist your arm, man. I respect your privacy. It’s just that I figured you don’t have a friend to talk to, so Ioffered.”
He shrugged. “Noah is a good friend, the best,actually.”
“So why aren’t you in yourapartment?”
“I called. He’s got company,” Tristan admitted the truth to himself as much as to Bruna and collapsed on the couch. “It’s just that this is so fucked up, I don’t even know where tostart.”
“Beginnings tend to be a safebet.”
“Well, that would be back when I was a kid. Mom made up for me not having a father around with both love and material things, but I was a difficult kid, always picking fights, except when Izzie was around. She made me want to be a betterperson.”
“You never mentioned Izzie. Is she yoursister?”
Tristan checked Bruna’s expression for signs of jealousy, but found only interest, so he stated, “Izzie Anderson,” and waited for the usual hysterical reaction. It nevercame.
“She’s asinger.”
He was amazed. “That sounds more like aquestion.”
“Because I’m not sure,okay?”
He reached out and ran a thumb over the soft skin on her cheek, a reluctant smile touching his lips. “I love the fact you are not.” He smoothed the crease that formed between her eyebrows with his thumb. “Your opinion won’t be biased by what you read in themedia.”
“Between going to med school, completing residency and starting my practice, I didn’t have much of a life ten yearsago.”
“Long story short, Izzie and I were best friends growing up, she became a worldwide rock star at fifteen, we started dating in Westlake High, I fell head over heels in love with her at nineteen and she got pregnant with my friend and mentor’s child at twenty-three when I was about to propose to her. I moved to Brazil and never saw heragain.”
“Until today. Did she go to Chez Nous by anychance?”
Tristan wasn’t surprised at Bruna’s insightful conclusion. “Apparently, she came to apologize, fifteen fucking years toolate.”
“Whynow?”
“That I don’t know, she didn’t say when Iasked.”
Bruna seemed to assess the situation as she chewed her lower lip and stared at him. “I’m sure your docked version left out vital pieces of information, so I might not be able to fully understand what’s going on, but I’d say something major happened. I mean, one doesn’t take a twelve-hour flight to another country just to apologize for something that happened over a decadeago.”
Tristan flirted with disclosing the whole story. Maybe Bruna would help him see something he had missed. She was sensitive and smart, but he discarded the concept with a shrug. “Whatever it is, I don’t care. There’s been some speculation going around on the media that she’ll announce her retirementsoon.”
“Is she forty like you? Soyoung.”
“Thirty-eight.”
“You sure that’swhy?”
“Not really. It’s not like I follow her career, you know,” he offered, his voice devoted of emotions. “But, people talk, and newspaper headlines get posted everywhere. I didn’t verify the rumors,though.”
“I’ve got it. You don’t have time for showbiz gossip. Fair enough. Now, let’s say she is retiring. Why would she come all the way here to talk to you? I fail to see aconnection.”
“Me neither, not a direct one anyway. Maybe she’s planning a farewell album and wants to convince me to contribute toit.”
“I’ve heard you playing with Noah and the guys. You’re good, but I’m pretty sure she can pick another guitar player that she hasn’t screwedover.”
