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“How is the baby?” he asked once I was buckled.
“She’s healthy. Eating like a champ.” I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. “I hate that she was born in the midst of a shit show.”
“Clara will rally.”
I nodded. My sister was more than capable of handling motherhood. This wasn’t her plan, and her heart was broken, but she was determined. When Clara was determined, whatever she wanted to make happen, she did. That was who she was.
“She’s already rallying.”
His thumbs tapped on the wheel as he drove through the quiet streets of Denver. It was early. Not many people were out yet. The more distance we put between us and the hospital, the more my mental fog lifted. It was like emerging from a days’-long fugue state and clarity was returning little by little.
“I saw Saoirse leaving the hospital.”
I whipped my head in his direction. “When?”
“The first night. She asked me to be there for you since you didn’t want her there.”
This sinking sensation was nothing like the one I’d had when holding Nellie. This was being pulled under by quicksand, compressing my chest until I couldn’t breathe. I’d pushed everything but Clara and the baby from my mind in the haze of all that had been going on, and it all came slamming back.
“I can’t talk about that right now.”
Normally, that would be all I needed to say to get Elliot to back off, but not this time. He stayed silent for all of a minute.
“I’ve known Saoirse for a long time now, and I have never seen her like that. She looked like a kicked dog. And I think you did the kicking.”
The edge in his tone had me sitting up straight. Something about it prickled my senses, alerting me.
“We had a disagreement.”
He huffed. “Is that what you call telling your wife she can’t be at the hospital?” He glanced at me through narrowed eyes. “I’ve known you a long time too, and I never thought you had it in you to be cruel.”
“Cruel? You have no idea what happened between us.”
“Did she do something worth treating her like garbage? Is that what you’re telling me?”
I opened my mouth to say yes, but nothing came out. The raw truth was Saoirse hadn’t done anything wrong. It was all on me. I’d been the one to demand things of her I had no right to. I lost my temper and yelled. I spoke to her like she was nothing when she was exactly the opposite.
“No. She didn’t,” I admitted, and it was like chewing glass. It wasn’t her fault she didn’t want the same things I did. She’d been honest from the beginning. I was the one who’d deviated from the arrangement.
“I don’t care what you do. Find a way to fix it.”
The same awareness prickled. I recognized it now.Territorialism.“Why are you so concerned about my wife? Are you lining up to take my place or something?”
Elliot burst into laughter, which was a rare sight. “Oh, you’re so far gone. I’ll let that slide since you haven’t slept in days. Once you’re rested, I expect you’ll recognize how wrong what you just said was on every level.”
“You’re right. That was out of line. I’m just surprised at your level of care over Saoirse.”
His fingers flexed on the steering wheel, but that was the only sign he was pissed at me. “There are very few people who are important to me. Elise is one of them. You’re another. Beingherbest friend andyourwife, Saoirse falls into that category because of who she is to you both. I don’t want to have to explain to my sister why her best friend’s husband dicked her over. So fix it before it comes to that.”
“I don’t know if it can be fixed.”
“You’re a smooth talker. I don’t doubt you have it in you.”
Elliot left me with that vote of confidence, and since it was the only confidence I had, I took it.
The doorman smiled and waved at me as I walked in. I would have kept going with a nod if he hadn’t called me over.
“You’re back, Mr. Rossi?”
