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“I’m surprised that Theo came,” Rhett comments, and I swallow.
“I was with him at lunch when I got the call,” I explain, and he nods.
Theo and the doctor come back in before I can try to think of what to say next.
“A full house in here,” he says as he starts to flip through Rhett’s file.
I can see Lottie swaying on her feet, and I can’t take it anymore. I move over to her side of the bed, putting a steadying hand on her waist as we wait to hear what the doctor has to say. She tenses against me, and I want to punch myself in the face for hurting her.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper in her ear, and she shakes her head.
“So, the scans all came back okay. You’ll be sore for some time now from the broken ribs and gunshot wound. We’re going to keep you for another day at least, but then you should be cleared to go home. You’ll be off duty for a while. We’ll need to rehab your shoulder,” he says, and Rhett nods.
Lottie takes a step away from me and closer to Rhett, and I feel lost without her by my side.
God, I’ve been such an idiot. I thought I needed to have everything perfect before I could go back to her, but that was never going to happen. I needed to pick a side. I needed to pick a side years ago.
I should have manned up a decade ago and told them both how much she meant to me, but I didn’t. I’ve fucked this thing up between us since we were kids, and now, I’ve probably lost the girl of my dreams forever.
“Visiting hours are ending soon,” Dr. Tuller says before he heads for the door.
“We’ll let you get some rest. I’ll be back first thing in the morning, though,” Lottie promises him, and I nod.
“We both will,” I say, and Rhett nods.
I can tell that he’s tired. His eyelids keep drooping, and I’m sure they have him on quite a bit of pain medicine that’s making him loopy.
I follow Goldie, Theo, and Lottie out, and we head over to the elevator. I give Theo a look, and he sighs, rolling his eyes but nodding, and I know that he’s going to stall Goldie so that I can talk to Lottie alone.
The elevator comes, and I step on with Lottie. Theo turns to Goldie, clearing his throat and grabbing her arm before she can get on.
“Don’t you work next door? At the Miller Building?” He asks her, and she blinks as the elevator doors close.
Lottie turns, moving to the furthest corner from me.
“Lottie, I—” I start, and she glares at me.
The elevator doors open, and she bolts, beelining for the front door.
“Lottie, wait! Just let me explain!” I call after her as she zigzags across the parking lot toward her car.
I catch up with her, wrapping my hand around her bicep and pulling her to a stop before she can get into her car.
“Please, Lottie. Just let me explain,” I beg.
“Now you want to talk?” She spits at me, and I swallow hard.
“I’m sorry. I deserve that. I just… I panicked.”
She laughs then, the sound coming out bitter and full of anger.
“I just needed to get it straight in my head,” I try again.
“And did you? Did you figure it out in your head in the lastthreeweeks?” She snaps.
“I… I’m sorry,” I say lamely.
I have no real defense for what I’ve done to her. I don’t know what to say to make any of this right, and it’s killing me.
