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“Love makes people weak,” she interrupted, her head starting to shake. “It makes people weak and vulnerable, and I won’t risk that—”
“I’d never hurt you.”
“And what if my dad said that, too?” she charged, and instantly everything became clear. “I saw what loving him did to her. The way it took and took until there was nothing left. Until we were staying with friends because we couldn’t afford an apartment. Until she was working all the time, trying to support us.”
“Reese…” I tried to reach for her, but she pulled back.
“Please,” she said, her voice strained. “I saw what love did to my mom, and I swore I’d never put myself in that position. I refuse to need anyone.”
“You can’t get through life without needing anyone, Reese.”
She blinked, and the single tear that rolled down her cheek was like the nail in the coffin.
“I can try.”
And then she was out of my truck—but I wasn’t letting her out of my life so easily.
ChapterThirteen
REESE
I was such an idiot.
My foot tapped on the linoleum floor of the waiting room.Id-i-ot.
It had been four days since the accident—three days since Decker parked in front of his shop and asked me to stay. Three days since the first time I was ever told I was loved by a man.
It didn’t hit me until I’d driven away that no man had ever said those words to me.Because I never let any of them get close.Until Decker. Somehow, I’d let him in accidentally…on purpose.
It had been three days since he’d said those words…and in those three days, Decker had still shown up at Mom’s every day. I hadn’t even thought about the consequences of our conversation. I’d gotten home to a flurry of worry from Mom, asking for every detail about the accident and what happened at the hospital. Any spare moment, my mind replayed every sweetly tempting promise Decker had made outside his shop. It wasn’t until there was a knock on Mom’s door that I realized I might’ve ended our fling, but I hadn’t ended our fake relationship.
I couldn’t send him away.I didn’t want to send him away.So, I let him stay and play the part. I let myself linger in the lies like an addict needing another fix of my fake boyfriend.
My throat constricted, thinking of his smile and warmth and the way he made Mom laugh. I’d broken his heart, and he’d kept up our charade.Like he promised.And I didn’t stop him because I wasn’t ready to let him go. I still wanted to feel his touch or the soft brush of his lips when he said good night; I greedily clung to any crumbs of what could be while trying to convince myself that I wasn’t starving for him.
I wasn’t supposed to be starving for him.
My attention snagged on Dr. Kay being led down the hall by a nurse I didn’t recognize. I checked my watch; they’d brought Mom back for her appointment almost twenty minutes ago.
Don’t worry about it, Reese.I huffed and turned away.
This was the reason I hadn’t gone back to the room with her because it would gut me to see how badly they needed people, and I wanted to help. It was in my blood—in my bones. It was why I became a doctor. And if I carried any more guilt back to New York with me, I’d have to check a whole other suitcase.
“Dr. Barker?”
My head spun and saw Gabby’s mom heading toward me.Crap.
After the hospital that morning, I hadn’t come back to check on her. I’d wanted to, but it wasn’t my place—my responsibility.And I was afraid of all the things I’d want coming back here.So, I’d settled for calling and following up with Dr. Kay every day on her status. He didn’t ask questions or try to offer me a job, he simply updated me on her status.Which was quickly improving.
“Hi, Mrs. Nixon, how are you?” I greeted her with a smile. “How’s Gabby?”
She didn’t even answer before she wrapped her arms around me in a massive hug.
“Oh…” It took me a second, but then I hugged her back. “Is everything—”
“Fine,” she said and pulled back with a nod. “Good. Gabby is good. I just signed her discharge papers.”
“Oh, wonderful.”
