I hadn’t slept much the night before, replaying everything in my mind. I hoped to heavens Cane was right, but I couldn’t go to Max and ask him. I needed him to come to me.
It was the only way I’d know for sure that he was truly okay with everything.
My phone buzzed as I reached my table and I grabbed it. “Hello?”
“I’m surprised you answered.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m surprised you called me back, Blaine, after I told you to never call me anymore.”
“I’ve never done what I was supposed to,” he said softly. “Let me make that up to you.”
His words caused me to choke on the coffee I had just sipped. “Really? You think you can ever make it up to me that you left me while I was pregnant? You’re dumber than I thought.”
“We had something, Kari. I was young and dumb and I know I was wrong. But it’s weighed on my conscience ever since and . . . just give me the opportunity to make it right. I loved you and I know you loved me. Now, when I look at you, I see that girl I once knew. Let’s just see if there’s anything there.”
I thought about what he said. I thought I had loved Blaine and I never thought I would get over that. I thought he had ruined me.
My phone beeped with an incoming call and when I looked at the screen, Max’s handsome smile was looking at me. A rush of butterflies tore through my stomach and my heart swelled.
“No, Blaine. Anything we might have ever had is in the past and I’m not sure what there was between us then. But I do know, without a doubt, that there’s nothing between us now. Everything I have belongs to someone else.”
“Sam said you’ve been fighting.”
“Sam can go to hell.”
He chuckled. “Did you ever think maybe Max doesn’t want you now that he knows the truth?”
My heart stilled in my chest, a sadness swooping over my soul. “Yeah, I have. And if that’s the case, so be it. But that doesn’t change my love for him.”
“I heard he was out with a bombshell yesterday afternoon.”
My hands shook. “Don’t call me again. I mean it. I want nothing to do with you.”
I ended the call but somehow managed to answer an incoming one at the same time. I saw Max’s name and I froze.
“Hello?” I asked nervously.
“Kari,” he said, his voice rough. “How are you?”
I forced a swallow. “Good. I’m good. How are you?”
I heard his truck start, the roar of the engine rumbling through the phone. “Heading home.”
I wonder where he’s been.
“Oh,” was all I could manage.
“Are you coming to our house after work?”
“Do you want me to?”
I heard him take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. “I have one question for you.”
“Okay.”
“Do you love me? And don’t just say yes because you don’t want to hurt my feelings. If nothing else mattered—no medical conditions or ex-boyfriends—would you want to be with me.”
“Yes,” I said automatically. The line grew quiet and it made me nervous. “Max?”
“I’m here,” he said, chuckling. “I’m just getting into some traffic now so I need to go. I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”
“I’ll call you when I’m off and we can talk about it,” I replied, not sure what to say.
He laughed. “Okay. See you soon.”
I tossed my phone into my purse, my heart pounding in my ears. I was trying not to smile, trying not to read too much hope into what he had said, but damn it if I didn’t want to jump up and down a little. I wanted Max, I ached for Max . . . I loved Max Quinn. People said love could conquer anything and I’d always laughed that off.
But what if they were right?
I made my way back upstairs to the nurse’s station, hoping that my shift would end quickly. I had been so lethargic during the first half of my shift, but now I had a spring in my step. I set my things down and turned to check a few charts.
“How’s your day going? Pardon my bluntness, but you look like hell.” Dr. Manning walked beside me and grabbed a chart. His blue eyes looked as tired as mine felt.
“I didn’t know you were back. How’s your mother?”
He flipped through the paperwork. “She’s tenacious, I’ll say that for her.”
“Better than not, right?”
“I suppose. So what’s up with you?”
I smiled nervously. “You know how it goes.”
“Problems with the boyfriend, I’m assuming?”
I nodded.
“Guys mess up a lot. It’s our calling card.”
“This one doesn’t mess up much. That’s the bad part.”
He grinned. “How’s that bad?”
“Because he’s so perfect and I’m so . . . not. I just keep thinking he’ll wake up one day and realize it, too.”
“I’m going out on a limb here and saying that he thinks you’re pretty perfect. And I’m giving you my professional opinion that he’s right.”
I couldn’t help the red that crept across my face, yet I rolled my eyes. “You’re full of shit.”