CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ash was in the middle of reviewing a patient file when someone barged into his office. He looked up and his heart skipped, before galloping a thousand beats per minute. Brenna.
“I know you’re busy, Ash,” she said in a low voice, although the edge in her tone was hard to miss. “I’ll only take a few minutes of your precious time and then I’ll be gone.”
He stared at her, immobilised, except for the broken pieces of his heart that were jumping around madly in his chest, wanting to fly out to attach themselves to her.
“I am so mad at you,” she said, giving him a deadly glare. “I’ve been trying to contact you for the last few days, but you keep on ignoring me. You’re even avoiding your own sister so you can continue keeping your distance.”
He felt himself start to melt just because she was around—as was his tendency. But did she really not know how devastating it was for him to learn she’d gone back to her ‘great love’? He needed to stay away from her to keep his head together. If he didn’t have patients to see, he would even have gone overseas and disappeared for a while. In fact, he was working towards making that possible—
“How could you even think I was back with Darren, Ash?” she whispered furiously, halting the direction of his thoughts. “How could you even think I actually got engaged to him—for real?”
His jaw dropped. “But that’s what you told me. When I asked you,” he pointed out, finding his voice for the first time since she’d arrived.
“Everything I was doing with Darren was pretend, Ash,” Brenna said, her eyes filling up. “I didn’t see the need to keep on saying that word. I thought it was obvious.”
He stared at her. What was she saying? That she and Darren weren’t really engaged? That it was all part of the pretense?
“I admit I was wrong for keeping the engagement—the fake engagement—from you,” she continued. “I’m so sorry about that. But it hurts me so badly that you could even think I was lying when I said I loved you. And how could I be having amazing, incredible sex with you and be engaged to another man? How could you even think that of me? I thought you knew me better than that.” Tears flowed profusely down Brenna’s cheeks.
“Are you saying you and Darren never got back together?” he asked in a daze, his own eyes smarting.
“No! How could I do that, when I love you!” she cried, wiping her face with angry strokes. “Anyway, that’s all I want to say.”
Brenna turned around and left in a huff, leaving him to gape at her in disbelief.
She wasn’t engaged to Darren! And she loved him!
“Bren!” he called, rising from his chair so fast he almost stumbled. He caught up with her by the lifts.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I don’t have any excuse except that it drives me crazy thinking you and Darren are always together, holding hands, perhaps even kissing and... I’ve obviously lost my mind.”
“Obviously,” she muttered, not looking at him.
“For the record, it never occurred to me that you were sleeping with the both of us at the same time. I know you're not like that. What I thought was you were preparing to break up with me.”
The elevator doors opened, and out came a pretty woman wearing a low-cut top.
“Dr. Payne. Hi! I’m ready for my surgery,” the woman said, smiling at Ash and batting her lashes.
Ash mentally rolled his eyes. Just when he was having an important conversation with Brenna, his most flirtatious patient turned up five minutes early. “Thanks, Vivian. Go on in. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
With a sultry smile, Vivian sashayed to the clinic.
“What’s wrong with her?” Brenna asked after Vivian had gone inside. She crossed her arms and glared at the clinic’s front door.
He smiled at the little snark in Brenna’s voice. It made him feel good that she got jealous. “She’s having laser eye surgery today.”
“Well, I suppose you have to attend to her now.”
“Can I see you tonight?”
“No. My parents are back from Africa and I’m spending some time with them.”
“Oh, okay.” He wanted to ask if he could join them, but Brenna hadn’t seen her parents in a long time and she’d probably prefer to be alone with them. “Tomorrow night?”
She shook her head. “I’m with the girls.”
“Friday night?”
“I’m co-managing an expo that will be running from Friday to Sunday. I’ve agreed to do the night shift. It doesn’t close until ten each night. And I have things to do Saturday and Sunday days.”
His heart sank. “When can we talk?”
“I don’t know,” she replied, staring straight at the lift doors, waiting for them to open again.
“Are you too mad to want to talk to me?” he asked, hazarding a guess.
Brenna sniffed. “Partly. But I didn’t deliberately fill up my schedule just so I wouldn’t have to talk to you. I planned those after I tried and tried to contact you but you wouldn’t even return my calls.”
His heart pinched, guilt and regret poking him. He put his arms around her and kissed her hair. But Brenna kept her arms crossed, her stance stiff. He’d hurt her. Badly. And he had a lot of making up to do for his stupidity.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he said again, vowing to make it up to her even if it took forever.
“You have to go back in,” she said.
“Yes. I do. I’ll see you soon, okay? There’s so much we need to talk about.”
Brenna gave a very small nod, but it was more than enough to make the pieces of his heart start to glue themselves back together.
*****
Ash looked around in confusion at the lack of cars parked on the street near Patty’s house. He couldn’t spot any that he recognised, so he knew none of the gang had arrived.
Well, he had gotten there ten minutes early. He’d given himself plenty of time in case the traffic was bad. He didn’t want to be late.
He walked the path leading towards Patty’s front door, carrying a bunch of flowers and a gift for the ‘engaged’ couple. He wondered how Brenna would react when she found him there today. He hoped she’d take it for what it was—a gesture to show her that he did trust her.
After everything that had happened, he wanted to let Brenna know that he completely supported her decision to pretend with Darren for Patty’s sake. He’d realised he’d let his past hurt and fear dictate his actions, causing untold damage to their relationship. In his heart, he knew Brenna was only trying her best to do the right thing for everyone. He hated that he had been quick to put his walls back up, when the heart he was trying to protect within was lost without her anyway. Crazy overreaction, like Amanda had said.
He’d do anything—anything—to fix what he’d broken. He’d even smile and clap if Brenna and Darren kissed and cuddled in front of him today.
He rang the bell, palms sweaty with nerves.
A lady opened the door and stared at him in surprise. “Can I help you?”
“Hi. I’m Ash Payne. I’m here for the surprise engagement party for Darren and Brenna.”
The lady’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh dear. Did someone not tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“There’s no party. It’s been cancelled.”
“Cancelled?”
“Yes... uh...”
“Sally? Who is it?” another woman said, appearing in the living room. Ash could easily tell this was Patty.
“Hello,” he said with a smile. “You must be Patty. I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Ash Payne.”
“Ash?”
He nodded. “I’m one of Brenna’s friends. Oh, and I’ve brought these flowers for you.”
“Oh, aren’t you sweet? Thank you so much. Please have a seat.”
“I’ll bring out some refreshments,” Sally said, disappearing to the back of the house.
“I hope it’s okay that I’m a little early,” he said conversationally. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve driven to this part of Sydney, and I wasn’t sure what the traffic was going to be like.”
“Did I hear you say you came for the engagement party?” Patty asked, looking at him in a funny way.
“Yes. It’s been cancelled?”
“You obviously haven’t spoken to Brenna,” Patty said, more to herself than to him.
“No,” he answered tentatively.
To his surprise, Patty reached for his hand. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
He frowned, not comprehending. “For what?”
“It’s all because of me,” Patty said.
He stared at Patty. Did she know that Brenna and Darren had only been faking it?
They heard the door open. It was Darren.
“Ash!” Darren said in surprise.
“Hi, Darren.”
“Ash turned up here for the, um, party,” Patty said.
“Oh. You haven’t talked to Bren?” Darren asked.
“We haven’t had the chance,” he said cautiously, aware that he had to watch his words in front of Patty.
“You do know that Darren and Brenna did it for me, don’t you, Ash?” Patty asked softly.
“Uh... yes,” he answered, although he didn’t know exactly what Patty was trying to say.
“Thank you, and I’m sorry,” Patty said, her eyes watering.
“Oh, Mum. Don’t start with the waterworks again,” Darren teased.
“I just want to make sure everyone’s okay and happy,” Patty said tremulously, looking at Ash with question in her eyes. “I heard you and Brenna had a fight.”
Relief burst with unexpected force within Ash. The pretense was over! When had it happened?
“I hope the two of you have sorted out your differences,” Patty continued, worried. “I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to watch Brenna pretending to be in love again with her ex-boyfriend. I’d feel very insecure too, if I were in your shoes.”
“Don’t worry, Patty,” Ash said with a big smile, squeezing her hand. “I admit that for a while there I thought Bren and Darren got carried away with the pretense, and had decided to make it real. But Brenna set me straight. She’s still quite mad at me for thinking that. But we’ll be fine.”
“So you thought the engagement party was still on?” Darren asked.
“Yes. I wanted to show Bren that I trust her and support her with your plans. After my appalling behaviour, I wanted to make amends. I thought this was one of the ways I could make it up to her.”
“Oh, Ash,” Patty said, touched. “It’s a pity there’s no party. Brenna doesn’t get to see this gesture of yours.”
“Hey, all is not lost,” Darren said.