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“Honestly?”
“Yep.”
Meghan pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m okay, for somebody whose baby daddy arrived out of no where and whisked us off to his L.A. mansion.”
Harper laughed. “I think I’d be okay with that too. Tell me everything about the place.”
Harper oohed and aahed as Meghan described Dylan’s house and grounds, letting out a soft sigh as she told her about the infinity pool over looking the valley. “Is Isla happy?”
“She’s ecstatic.” Even if she did keep asking if Rich could visit them. Each time she did was like a jab to the heart.
“I like having a daddy,” Isla had confessed the previous night, as Meghan had put her to bed. “Dylan’s nice. He’s like Rich, he makes me smile. Maybe I can have two daddies, and then I’ll have double the fun.”
Meghan blinked the memory away. She hoped for Isla’s sake that Rich would at least be kind to her when they encountered him in the hallway. Otherwise she really would show him what getting messed up meant.
“I bet. So what happens next with her and Dylan?”
“He’s leaving on tour for six months. I guess when he comes back we’ll arrange some kind of custody schedule. He’s really amenable to whatever we want. He says he’s just grateful I’m letting him be part of Isla’s life.”
“Well that sounds hopeful.” Harper paused for a moment. “And how about you and Rich? Do you think you’ll talk when you get back?”
“I’ve no idea,” Meghan confessed. “But I’m not looking forward to seeing him.” The impact of their split hadn’t fully hit her yet. But she knew it would, as soon as she was back at her own apartment.
Part of her ached to be there. To know he was next door even if he wasn’t hers. But the other part was so afraid because somehow she had to learn to treat him like a neighbor again.
It was confusing as hell.
“Well I hope he gets his head out of his ass,” Harper said. “I’ve told James what I think, and it isn’t pretty. I know he’s been through a lot, but he had everything in his hands. He just had to push through his fear. And he didn’t, and now everybody’s gotten hurt.” Harper sighed. “Seriously, I want to slap him.”
Meghan’s lips twitched. She really did like Harper. She was already proving to be a good friend. “It’s like he closed down on me, and I have no idea why.”
“Yeah. James was exactly the same way when I was pregnant and we hit a few road bumps. They should have classes for guys at school. How To Show Your Emotions 101. I’m so sick of this macho bullshit. They have this thing where they think they’re not allowed to show emotion. That it’s weak or something.”
“But how do you really feel?” Meghan asked, amused at Harper’s outburst.
Harper laughed. “Listen, I have to go. Alyssa just found the finger paint and is poised to do a Picasso on the flatscreen. Call me when you’re back, okay?”
“I will. Good luck.” Meghan ended the call and put her phone on the table, sighing as a warm breeze lifted her hair. This time tomorrow she’d be home, and it’d be time to face the music. And she had no idea how she felt about that at all.
28
“Okay, you’re officially off the hot doc list,” Sara, the shift clerk, said as Rich grabbed the next patient’s notes. “What the hell are those bags under your eyes?”
“I’m working nights,” he pointed out. “And if you hadn’t noticed, we’ve been inundated with patients.” And for the most part he was thankful. Saving lives meant he didn’t have to think about the mess he’d made of his own.
The truth was, the bags were a product of his lack of sleep during the daytime, as much as his working nights. He didn’t usually have a problem. But then he didn’t usually fuck up so badly.
Ha. That wasn’t true. He messed up all the time. His life was a long list of mess ups.
He’d been avoiding his phone, too. Every day he’d glance at the screen and see the missed calls and voice mails flashing across it, then push his phone firmly into his pocket and forget it existed. Meghan’s name hadn’t flashed up once, and he was pleased.
Because he didn’t want to think about her either.
He didn’t want to tell her what a goddamned idiot he’d been. Didn’t want to throw himself in front of her and beg for her to forgive him for being the asshole he’d always said he would be.
Didn’t want to brush her silky hair from her face and press his lips against hers until they both forgot about everything except the blood pumping through their veins.
“There you are. I’ve been calling you, you’re a hard man to get ahold of.” James walked over to the desk and lifted an eyebrow at Rich. “Hey Sara.” He shot her a smile. “Is this asshole annoying you?”
