“Just doesn’t want to hang around with you?” Marc teases.
I’m beginning to regret ever bringing up Sora. Why did I, anyway?
“Give up on this girl, man,” Marc says. “She’s not into you. Never was.” Ah, family. Can’t live with them… and can’t live with them.
Kylie clears her throat. “Jack, this cake is amazing,” she says, blissfully changing the subject. She’s pure gold, my sister-in-law.
“Aw, thanks, Kylie,” I say. “Hey. You think I should take a piece to Ian at the ER? I could drop one by on my way home.”
“I’m sure he’d like that.” That strained look comes across Kylie’s face again. I don’t like it. Not one bit.
A few snowflakes fall on the sidewalk as I walk toward the hospital entrance from the parking garage. I’ve got Ian’s slice of cake and also a few questions for him, like: Did he really need to miss Allie’s birthday? Given last year? Look, I mean, I know the man saves lives for a living. I know he’s pretty much always on call but… Allie’s birthday? Really?
I plan to give him the cake and the third degree. I’m almost to the entrance of the ER when I see… Sora? She’s sitting on a bench outside the ER. Her red coat is buttoned to the top and she’s got a soft, fluffy white scarf wrapped cutely around her neck. Her long, wavy hair sits tucked beneath her white ski cap. She’s staring intently at her phone.
What is she doing here?
Anxious bees buzz in my stomach.
I almost want to bolt. To hell with Ian and his cake. Then again, maybe I should go talk to her. My feet make the decision for me, moving me toward her.
“Sora?” She glances up at me, surprised, blinking fast.
“Oh, uh… Jack. Hi.” She smiles at me, a smile that reaches her brown eyes and for just a second, I’m convinced she’s happy to see me. But then something else comes over her face. Discomfort? Angst? Ugh. She thinks I’m going to ask her out again. She’s already working out ways to tell me no.
“Look, I’m not going to bug you. Don’t worry. I know you’re not interested. Just wanted to say hi. That’s all. I… uh… hope we can be friends.” Because I think we could make about a million inside jokes. Because… being a friend is better thanbeing nothing. “I’m not some weirdo stalker who doesn’t respect a woman’s right to tell me to get lost. Which, I realize, is exactly what a weirdo stalker would say.” Nice one, Jack. “Okay. Uh. Bye!”
I’m so damn smooth.
I walk away from her bench, my ears burning.
“Wait… Jack…” Sora stands and I turn just in time to see her lose her balance. Oh no. She’s flailing. She’s… going down.
One big step and I’ve caught her awkwardly under one armpit, but still, I’ve got her,andI didn’t even drop the chocolate cake. Bonus.
“Jack! Uh…” Sora tries to scramble to her feet, except one isn’t working. She falls against my chest. I don’t mind. Not at all. She’s warm and soft and amazing. She looks up at me with those amazing doe-brown eyes. How did her eyelashes get so long?
“Sora? Are you okay?” I glance down and for the first time realize she’s just wearing one shoe. And her ankle is the size of a grapefruit. She is definitely not okay.
“Uh… kind of.” She struggles a little as I help her to her feet. Sora grins up at me after she’s found her one-foot footing. She balances there precariously. I keep an arm under her just to make sure she doesn’t topple.
“Thank you.”
“For what? For saving this poor sidewalk from you falling on it? Just defending this frozen concrete from assault.” We grin at each other. I frown at her swollen ankle. “What happened to your ankle?”
“Oh… uh… long story.” Sora glances anxiously at the entrance to the ER, as if she’s planning a speedy getaway. “Nami—er, my sister—thinks I should get my ankle checked out. But I’ve got crappy insurance and…”
“I’ve been there. And an ER visit will cost a bajillion dollars?”
Sora nods quickly. “I mean… who needs an ankle? Probably just sprained. Probably.” She puts some weight on it and flinches, shifts her weight to me. “Ow. Still… a little rest, some ibuprofen…”
“My brother’s an ER doc.” I nod to the automatic glass doors. “I can ask him to check you out, off the books. If you want.”
“You think he’d do that?” Sora’s face brightens. I raise the piece of chocolate cake I’ve managed to keep hold of.
“I can bribe him with cake.”
Sora raises a hopeful eyebrow. “Really?”
