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Seems I have some explaining to do.
I enter the living room, which is lit only by a reading lamp and the glow of the New York City skyline.
On one couch, Abigail and Seth are curled together in some vague form of platonic flirting, while Bridget sits across from them with a glazed-over expression.
I’m not sure where Dad and Sonia have gone off to.
Jack, on the other hand, is pacing the penthouse on some intense business call.
I don’t envy him, although I sort of wish I did.
Jack has always been the golden child to Dad, at least when it comes to business. If he were thefirst born, he would have jumped at the chance to take on work at the club.
I’m a bit more reticent to do so, which is a step up from being revolted by the idea, which was where I was when I left for California.
I almost miss Laney in the landscape.
She’s curled up in a chaise over by the window, almost hidden if not for her blonde curls draped over the armrest.
“Lanes,” I murmur as I approach, not bothering to worry about the glances of the others.
She lifts her head. “What’s up? You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m…great.”
Laney sits up, and I take a seat on the arm rest beside her.
“You’ve picked a good spot for a catnap.” I smile.
She sighs. “I wasn’t napping.”
“A lot on your mind?”
Laney plays with the cuticle on one of her fingers. “Something like that.”
I bite my lower lip.
I know she’s thinking about Mason’s exit. I wish she wouldn’t. Well, really, I wish he hadn’t been such a drama queen and stormed out. Then I wouldn’t be left with picking up the misshapen pieces and having to see her disappointment at him being gone.
Little does he know how much of a hold he still has on her. How that kills me inside. Because even if we weren’t patient and therapist, I don’t think Laney would give me a chance.
All because of Mason fucking Lotts.
“You know, you should be using arm canes. We already have a set somewhere in here,” she says.
“I’m fine withoutthem.”
“Then you might be just fine without me.”
My heart stalls. “You don’t mean that.”
“It’s not meant to be some deep thing, Nate.” She looks up at me with an apologetic smile. “I just mean that…you know, you’re getting better. Faster than even I knew. Maybe you don’t need the twenty-four seven care you’ve been getting.”
This is the exact reason why I didn’t want her to know all the practice I’ve been doing in my room. How when the feeling came back to my feet, it came back to my legs soon after. Not just tingling, not just numbness. I felt my entire legs again.
I knew that if I told her that, everything would move faster.
I wasn’t ready to lose her then. And I’m not ready to lose her now. “I still need you, Laney.”
