Without a thought as to why, he approached the house and climbed the stairs. He rapped on the front door, then shoved his hands into his pockets as he waited for someone to answer it.
“Ben?” Julian said when he opened the door. “What brings you by?”
“Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” Julian stepped back and motioned for him to come into the house.
As he stepped inside, Ben noticed that Kiara was sitting on the couch, a book open in her lap. She smiled at him.
“Hey, Ben,” she said. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going,” he replied. “Sorry to interrupt your evening.”
“It’s not a problem at all.”
“Have a seat,” Julian said, motioning to the cluster of chairs in front of the fireplace.
“Should I leave the two of you alone?” Kiara asked, closing the book, which Ben realized was a Bible.
“No. I don’t mind if you stay,” Ben said.
“So, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?” Julian asked as he sat down next to Kiara.
Kiara shifted and lifted her feet onto his lap. Ben watched in bemusement as Julian began to massage them.
“Ben?” Julian prompted.
“Right. I’m just wondering if Amelia’s test results have come back yet.”
“I don’t know,” Julian said. “There are confidentiality rules when it comes to medical information. I told the doctor that the only person he needed to give information to was Amelia. So I have no idea if she’s received the results or not.”
Ben frowned. “Really? You can’t even ask if the results have come back?”
“I probably could, but I’m not going to.”
“Why?”
Julian tilted his head, a hunk of his hair sliding across his forehead. “I understand that you feel… something for Amelia, and that pushes you to want to know everything that’s going on with her.”
Ben didn’t bother to deny it because it was the truth.
“You need to let her tell you, Ben,” Julian said. “Depending on what the tests reveal, she might need some time to process the information. Or maybe she just doesn’t want others to know. Regardless, what she does or doesn’t share is her choice.”
Ben slumped back in his chair, his chin pressed to his chest. He knew that Julian was right, but it did nothing to kill his desire to know.
Shifting, he leaned forward and braced his elbows on his thighs. He laced his fingers together and stared down at them.
“I’m kind of a mess where she’s concerned,” Ben admitted. “I feel like I’m getting mixed messages from her. Or maybe I’m just misreading things.”
“Like what?” Julian said.
“I took her out on my boat last Friday, and we had a wonderful evening.” He paused, the memory returning in glorious detail. “We kissed. I thought it meant that she felt like I did, but then the last few days—especially today—I feel like she’s pulling away.”
“She’s got a lot going on, Ben,” Julian said. “Maybe a relationship right now is just too much.”
"I get it," Ben said with a sigh. "But it's frustrating. I care about her, and I just want to know what's going on so I can help her."
"I understand," Julian replied, his fingers moving to massage Kiara's ankles. "But caring about someone also means respecting their boundaries and timing."
