The shame burned hot in me.
My therapist leaned forward slightly. “That doesn’t mean you’re beyond repair, Cameron. It means you were carrying more than you knew how to hold. We’ve established this before. And now you’re here, trying to face it instead of running from it. That matters.” He paused before adding, “But let me ask you this. If it ever happened again, if Sloane pushed you away and the pain built up like before, how would you respond? What would you do differently this time?”
I met his gaze without hesitation. “I wouldn’t run this time. Never again. I’d face her, tell her the truth, even if it hurt.Because losing her, losing her trust, cost me everything. And I won’t let myself make that mistake again.”
“Hey.”
I jumped when Sloane’s voice cut through my thoughts.
“I saw you standing here, thinking hard.” She leaned against the railing, mimicking my posture as she looked down at the busy lobby.
The funny thing was, it was usually her in this position and me pulling her out of her thoughts.
“Yeah.” I gave her a small smile. “Just taking a break before my next surgery in…” I glanced at my watch. “Five minutes.”
“What are you thinking?” she asked softly.
I stared at her. It struck me that this could turn into the deepest conversation we’d had in months, even if it lasted only five minutes.
“A lot of things,” I said slowly, letting the words hang between us.
“Tell me,” she whispered.
“You,” I breathed, barely audible. “I cannot stop thinking about you. I am always thinking about you.”
“What about me?” she asked, her voice just as soft.
“That I’m worried about you,” I admitted, my throat tight. “That I miss you. And how much I want to be with you.”
Her gaze softened. “I miss you too.”
Our eyes met, speaking all the words we could not say.
I let my eyes take her in—the beauty in her gaze, the softness of her skin that never needed much makeup, the thick, unruly hair I used to run my fingers through. God, what I wouldn’t give to kiss her right now.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, studying her face, looking for any hint that she might be struggling.
“I’m fine, Cam,” she said, her smile gentle. “You ask me that several times a day.”
“It’s too much, isn’t it?” I admitted, wincing. “I can’t help it.”
She shook her head and said, “Keep doing that.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “What?”
“I want you to keep doing that. Ask me every single day.”
A slow smile spread across my face, wide enough to crack my cheeks. “Okay.”
“Okay.” She nodded, grinning so beautifully it gave my heart a pinch. “I have to go now. See you tonight, Cam.”
She hurried down the hallway, probably to see a patient, and I stayed where I was, watching her back. My chest felt full of emotions, and my smile stretched wider.
It hadn’t even been five minutes, but that was already the best conversation I had ever had with her in months.
Harper ran as soon as Sloane opened the front door.
“I have to pee!” she shouted, dashing toward the small guest bathroom downstairs.
