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“Chase, I—” she began.
My head snapped in her direction, and I knew my expression was harsh and hateful, but I couldn’t do anything to mask it. “Teagan. I’m here, okay. I don’t know what the fuck possessed me, but I’m here. What is it you want from me? Why now?” My voice was hard, a sharp contrast to how I’d been inside the airport, but I chalked it up to shock and longing for something that no longer existed between us.
“Wow. I guess I deserve this.”
“Probably, yeah.” I swallowed and turned forward to stare out the windshield at the concrete wall of the parking garage.
She sucked in her breath and left the keys in the ignition and the motor running, turning in her seat toward me as cool air began to pour out of the air conditioning vents. I leaned my elbow on the window, my forehead on my hand and I willed myself to keep my eyes straight ahead. I wouldn’t be able to think if I looked at her and I needed to hold it together. The backs of my eyes burned and it disgusted me that I still cared this much about a woman who broke my heart without a word.
“I’m sorry, Chase. I didn’t know what to do. I was young and stupid…”
I couldn’t argue with her so I didn’t utter a sound.
“I wanted you to go to England and not worry about me.”
As if that were even possible, my mind screamed. I didn’t want to talk about the past. “It’s moot now, isn’t it? Ancient history.”
“No, I need you to understand…”
Something inside me broke and all my good intentions to keep calm were lost. “I needed to understand six goddamned years ago and you didn’t fucking care! In fact, you married my best friend in just a few months. Thanks for that, by the way. It really was the cherry on top of losing you. It kept my focus razor sharp.” Sarcasm and pain dripped off every word I spat out.
Her forehead dropped to her hands on the top of the wheel, shoulders shaking gently as she wept quietly. “Jensen took care of me when I needed someone.”
“You never gave me the opportunity to take care of you, Teagan.”
“That’s not fair. Yes, I wanted you to have your dream, but you were the one who left. It was your choice to go.”
“We talked about it after I got the offer, Teagan! For the two weeks before I left! I thought it was our choice! You knew…it was for us. For our future!”
She snuffled and put the back of her hand to her mouth as her face crumpled and her eyes closed. Her chin began to tremble and tears started to flow. I could no longer keep my eyes off of her. She nodded through her crying. “You’re right. But… thu-things happened and I cuh-couldn’t tell you. You would have…”
“Couldn’t tell me what? That you were screwing Jensen behind my back? That you couldn’t even wait until I left? Was it going on before I even left the country?”
She cried harder, shaking her head in a silent plea. “No! Chase, please! Jus-just listen...”
“Teagan… no. The time to talk was six years ago. Now, I just want to know why I’m here right now. I have a life, a job, a woman! Tell me what’s going on, right goddamn, now!”
She gasped and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Did you think I’d cry over you forever? That I’d never touch anyone else after you?” I knew my words were like a knife in her heart, and part of me wanted her to suffer like I’d suffered.
I recognized the pain on her face. It was my pain, too.
She wiped at her eyes and drew in her breath, shakily. “No.” She shook her head, still looking at me with pleading eyes. “I didn’t expect you to be alone.”
I felt guilty for wanting to hurt her and tried to shove it down. Fucking hell. I ran a hand over my face.
“Just tell me what you need,” I said wearily. I was tired from the flight, tired of arguing, tired of hurting.
“Are you married?”
I didn’t answer, but looked away, the muscle in my jaw flexing against my will. How dare she ask me that?
“My little girl is very sick. She has Leukemia.”
I paused, suddenly sorry that I’d yelled at her. “I’m sorry, Teagan.” I was, but I still didn’t understand why I was there. “But, what does that have to do with me?”
“I wanted her… I mean she’s...” Teagan cleared her throat. “Uh, she needs a transplant. A bone marrow transplant could save her and we can’t find a donor match. She’s gone through chemotherapy twice and she went into remission last year, but it’s back. It was so horrible watching her go through treatment.” Teagan was crying brokenly, struggling to talk and wiping at her nose and eyes with a wadded up tissue. “I don’t want to put her through it again and we’re running out of time. I couldn’t bear to lose her, Chase. She’s been so brave, but she knows how sick she is. My dad and I were tested to donate for her, but, uh…”
