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“What’s your plan come morning?” Seth thumbed away more of her tears.
“I’m still not sure. I was hoping that once I put Dad to rest, the answer would be obvious.” She sighed in defeat, as if she’d failed herself. “He told me never to make decisions while I was emotional, so I thought maybe I should sleep on it tonight—”
“Do you really think a few hours will change how you’re feeling?” Seth pointed out.
“Or that you’ll only find answers if you put distance between us?” Beck shook his head. “You might end up more lost and alone. Why don’t you let us help you?”
Heavenly sniffed. “You’ve already helped me too much. Besides, I swore to him that I’d—”
“We’re not trying to interfere with the promises you made to your dad,” Seth cut in. “But we’re also not going to sit back while you’re hurting and watch you potentially screw up your future.”
Which should be with him and Seth, but that wasn’t their most compelling argument. Sure, it might be manipulative, but Beck had zero compunction about reminding her of everything she stood to lose. Besides, it was only logical.
“You’ve worked too hard studying and spent too many hours volunteering at the hospital to just quit,” he pointed out. “Unless becoming a nurse isn’t really what you want?”
“It is. At first I went to nursing school because I thought being more knowledgeable about medicine would help me give my dad better care. But I soon realized that helping others is my passion.”
“So your dad didn’t”—coerce—“encourage you?”
“Actually, he wasn’t thrilled when I enrolled in nursing school. Don’t get me wrong. He was always proud of me, but he didn’t want his illness impacting the rest of my life or steering me toward a profession I didn’t love. He definitely didn’t like all the long hours I put in. But when he figured out that I’d found my purpose, he was happy for me.”
“Would he still be happy if he knew you might give up the thing you love to keep your promise to him?” Seth raised a brow at her. “When you have the rest of your life to keep it?”
Clearly, the PI had no problem manipulating the situation, either, since a pretty piece of it had just rolled off his tongue.
Beck arched a brow. “Would he?”
Heavenly bowed her head, shaking as another sob overcame her.
Beck lifted her teary face and skimmed a feathery kiss over her cheek. “Come back to LA with us, at least long enough to finish this term. We’ll take you on all the grand adventures we can. I promise you’ll experience more than you ever have.”
She sent them a pensive stare. “I want to finish out my semester, and I’m forever grateful that you’ve paid for my classes in the fall, but…”
“But what? Say it. This is an open, honest conversation. We’re not going to get mad.”
She dragged in a shaky breath. “I’m worried that staying implies I’m committing to you two, and that would have disappointed my dad.”
“Even though he wanted you to be happy?”
“He did…but do I know what that is? I’m young. I’ve never lived for me. How am I supposed to know what I want or who I should spend my life with? What if I change my mind? What if…” She pressed her lips together. “What if I’m like my mom and I leave you when you need me most?”
“First of all, if you change your mind”—Seth shrugged—“you change your mind. Beck and I know that life doesn’t come with guarantees. Second, you’re not your mom. You’re too warm and caring to run out on us in a crisis. We know you’re confused and you feel guilty. But we’re willing to be patient until you know what’s in your heart.”
“Absolutely. And third, we’re big boys…which I hope we proved more than adequately for the second time.” Beck winked, gratified to see a pink flush steal up her cheeks. “If we get hurt, it’s because we allowed ourselves to. That’s not your responsibility.”
“I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you.”
If that was one of Heavenly’s biggest hesitations, she cared for them even more than she realized.
“What about this? You come back with us until the semester ends. It’s less than two months.” Seth traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “While you deal with school, we can shower you with love and happiness and all the other good stuff in life. Then, once your grades are final…you can make up your mind. What do you say?”
She hesitated a long moment. “Maybe. There would have to be some ground rules.”
It wasn’t the enthusiastic hell yes Beck had been hoping for, but it wasn’t a no.
“Lay them on us,” Seth insisted.
“First, you have to release me.” She tugged on her bindings again. “My shoulders are starting to ache.”
