“That day I saw you with Dani, I thought the worst.” I bury my face in my hands, then slowly remove them. “I was so jealous I wouldn’t even take her calls.”
His face tightens as though he just remembered something. “You know,” he pauses, snapping his fingers once in the air, “come to think of it, she swore she saw you. Even joked about how she was seeing ghosts.”
I groan. “I didn’t even let her explain.”
“So you really haven’t talked to her since?” he asks, shocked by my admission.
“Oh, she tried calling. But then one night, I went out and got drunk with some of the guys. I ended up sick at a frat house party, and…”
“You fucked someone and she found out?” he asks quickly, shocked.
I shake my head quickly. “No, I was sick in the bathroom. Left my jacket and phone on the bed. This girl picked up her call.” I saw Dani’s name on the recent call log later when I was sober, and I knew. I knew karma was a bitch, and she wasn’t going to answer. “I tried, but she never picked up.”
“Wow.” He lets out a long whistle. “That’s fucked up, bro.”
I flop into the nearest chair. “Yeah, tell me about it.” I run my hand through my already tousled hair. “She seemed so distant every time I called, and then when I saw you two together, I thought she had moved on.” I exhale, deflated.
“She loves you,” he says, leaning forward. “She had a lot going on, and I really think you need to find her. You need to get the full story.”
I nod. “I just hope she still does.” It’s been years, yet I haven’t moved on. I get up from the chair and head for the door, but Brandon stops me.
“Hey,” he says, walking over. “I just want you to know, if she ever wants to come back, I can sell her house back to her. She loved it. She told me it was the only place her heart called home.”
I nod, swallowing the lump rising in my throat. “Yeah.”
Brandon extends his hand. I take it, and as he releases it, he says, “I do really hope you find her and work it out.”
“Let’s hope.” I step out the door, and the walk back to my car stretches out longer than it should. The drive back to the airport feels even longer, each mile weighed down with the fear that I may never see her again.
I pull out my phone and call her. Once again, it goes straight to voicemail. It’s as if she doesn’t even have it on. I leave countless messages, each begging her to call me back, terrified that my words will go unanswered forever. This time, I won’t stop.
EIGHTEEN
DANI
Four Years Later
Age 26
Not a day goes by that I don’t regret my decisions. I brought this on myself. I could have told Vic from the very beginning how much I needed him, and maybe we could have made it work. Now, after all this time, how do I call? What do I even say? It’s with these conflicting emotions gnawing at me that I step through the ambulance bay doors and into the chaos waiting inside. The chaos that mimics my internal struggles for a man I no longer call my own, but maybe I will again one day.
Eyes cast downward just as Emma taught me to, I don’t look up until I reach the employee entrance of one of Houston’s busiest emergency rooms. I place my badge up against the keypad. The light turns from red to green, followed by the sharp click of the lock. The doors swing open, granting me entry into my personal hell for the next twelve hours.
I stash my things in the cramped locker and leave the staff lounge, making my way to the main desk for my assignment. Emma, the charge nurse tonight and my fast-coming friend, takes one look at me and worry etches her face. Her bright green eyes scrutinize me, searching for something I refuse to let her find. There’s something about Emma that calls to me. I’ve found a friend in her, but never let her in. She has her secrets, and I have mine.
I meet her stare, unblinking, until she finally sighs in defeat, directing her attention to the stack of charts in front of her. “Here,” she says kindly, picking them up and handing them over. “I’m putting you with Liv in urgent care today. Give these to her, and tell her I said you needed a better day.” Her words leave little room for protest. I take the charts from her, momentarily blinded by the flash of her diamond ring. The lightsaber, as I call it. She notices me staring and flicks her fingers flauntingly in arun-alongmotion. Before I can muster a response, she turns away, her long, blonde ponytail swaying as she walks off.
I find Liv in the urgent care area. She drops into a chair, watching me as I approach with the charts Emma gave me in hand. With a slight nod, she gestures for me to set them on the desk. Placing them down, I repeat Emma’s words. “Emma is putting me here with you today. Said I needed a better day.” Liv eyes me suspiciously.
“Hm.” The sound is low as she slips off her clog with a heavy thump as it hits the floor. Rubbing her foot, she never looks away. I stand there in silence, offering her nothing. Her gaze sharpens. “And do you, Dani?”
I shrug. “Who doesn’t need a better day?” I retort noncommittally.
Liv’s eyes narrow. “Cut the crap.” She slips her shoe back on and rises to her full height, towering several inches above me.Next to Emma and me, she looks like a goddess—all tall, regal, and effortlessly elegant.
“I could say the same about you, Liv. You feeling okay?” I ask, genuinely concerned.
“That’s what having an active toddler does to you,” she says with a smile. She’s also happily married, like Emma, whose recent wedding was absolutely gorgeous. Her husband, unlike Liv’s, is a bit intimidating, as is Emma’s whole family. But hey, who am I to judge?
