could go any further. Her thoughts wouldn’t stop, stoking the flame of anger, disappointment, and sadness building inside of her.
She had to stop. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t her place to ask. And it never had been.
That was the truth she had
spent years building her life around. Don’t expect anything, stay away from attachments, and don’t get close enough should anyone want to leave.
Her grip tightened on the steering wheel slightly, the sting in her hand grounding her again.
You knew better.
And this time, she wasn’t going to ignore it.
Back inside the hospital, Brew stood exactly where she had left him.
For a moment, he didn’t move.
Didn’t fully understand what had just happened only that something had shifted sharply, without warning, and he had somehow missed the moment it began.
“What was that?” Sabrina asked, glancing down the hallway where Randi had disappeared.
He barely heard her.
His focus remained fixed on the empty space she had just occupied, replaying the last few seconds with growing clarity.
Her expression.
The way she had gone still.
Then distant.
Then gone.
“I have to go,” he said abruptly, already moving. “I promise we’remeeting up for dinner at six, same place.”
“Brew—”
But he was already halfway down the corridor.
He stepped outside, scanning the lot, catching sight of her just as she pulled open her car door.
“Randi!”
She didn’t turn.
Didn’t slow.
He crossed the distance quickly, frustration rising now—not at her, but at the fact that he didn’t yet understand what had pushed her away so fast.
“Randi, wait.”
She slid into the car.
The door shut.
He reached it just as she started the engine.
“Randi—”
