My stomach was still in knots as I kissed the girls and Brody good-bye.
“Hey, you sure you’re okay?” He squeezed my hand, concern evident on his face.
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Just wishing I were leaving with you guys. I’m jealous.”
“Go. Quit. Dozens of little Brodys, remember?” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
“Tempting, but I can’t. Independence, remember?” I lifted onto my tippy-toes for one last kiss. “I gotta go.”
The girls waved on their way out the door. I leaned against the wall and watched them for a minute as they passed through the extra-wide automatic hospital doors. The sun was shining bright outside and their dark silhouettes made their way hand in hand, out to the parking lot. They walked in slow motion, as if I was watching a movie. In that moment, I wanted to run out the door after them and jump in Brody’s truck, never having to go back to that damn hospital again.
While we were sitting at the table, innocently talking about Halloween costumes, Zach strolled down the hallway behind Brody. I don’t think he saw us, but it sent my nerves in a complete tailspin.
I felt like a sitting duck in that damn ER. At any moment, he could come in with a patient and I would be face-to-face with him again. And eventually, I would be forced to talk to him. Lauren had grilled me on why I hadn’t told Brody that I saw him, and though I knew I should have, now wasn’t the right time. Brody and I only had a couple days left of being together before his training started, and I wanted to enjoy them. Zach working at the same hospital as me would make him feel protective and edgy, and I didn’t want us going into our first season apart full of tension.
My running shoes clicked against the cold tile floor while I walked quickly through the hallway connecting the main building to the emergency room wing. I was so lost in my thoughts about timing and the irony of my life that I didn’t notice the big wooden door to my right swing open until Zach grabbed my arm and pulled me inside.
“Get the hell off me!” I snapped, jerking my arm free.
He pushed me into the janitorial closet and closed the door behind him, blocking it so I couldn’t leave.
“Was that them?” His face was panicked, his dark brown eyes drilled into mine.
“Was that who?” I responded, irritation dripping from my words.
“Them. At the table… our girls.”
My eyes widened as I fought the urge to lunge forward and strangle him with my bare hands. “They’re my girls, not yours,” I spat at him through clenched teeth.
“That was them, wasn’t it?” His voice was gentle.
“No, genius, I was having lunch with some other random six-year-old twins. Get out of my way.”
He crossed his arms across his chest and stood firm. “Why won’t you talk to me?”
“Why?” I yelled incredulously. “I can think of five years’ worth of reasons. Now move it!”
“Kacie, please. I have so much to explain.” He took a step toward me, causing me to instinctively back up against the shelves of cleaning supplies behind me. “Can we meet up after work today? Just to talk? I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
“Coffee? You abandoned us for five years and you want to buy me fucking coffee?” My heart was pounding so hard I thought I might die of a heart attack right there. I grabbed on to the hem at the bottom of my scrubs so that I didn’t reach out and punch him in his damn mouth.
“I just want to talk to you. Please?” he begged with sad, pathetic eyes.
“Sure, we can talk—in five years!” I rushed past him and pushed the door open. “Eye for an eye, asshole!” I called back before the door closed.
Tears were rolling down my cheeks by the time I reached the ER, though I didn’t know why. I wasn’t sad. I was mad.
So. Fucking. Mad.
My hands shook so fiercely, I didn’t know how I was going to be able to insert an IV, check someone’s pulse, or even write my name for the rest of the day. I wanted to run. Run straight to the bathroom, splash my face with cold water, and regain my composure the best I could, but I was already late from my break. I slid quietly back into The Square and asked Darla to update me on patients.
“Nada,” she said, spitting pieces of chewed-up turkey sandwich all over my sleeve. “It’s been really quiet. Lady with a UTI in one, guy with a broken wrist in three. Let’s hope it stays like this for the rest of the day.”
I smiled at her, praying to all that is holy that what she said was right. No more patients today, at least not ones that have to come in by ambulance.
Darla’s eyes sparkled at something over the desk. I looked up to see Zach leaning against the counter, glaring down at me.
“This isn’t over,” he said sternly, pinning me to my chair with his intense eyes.