“Earth to Cannon.” Peter waved his hand in front of my face.
Blinking, I looked up at him. We were halfway through a brutal twelve-hour night shift. Enjoying lunch at two in the morning would never seem natural to me. But at least I was sitting with Peter, who often brought levity to my life.
“You all right, buddy? You tuned out on me for a few minutes there.”
I nodded and picked up my fork. “Fine.”
Peter knew that I’d lost my stepdad last week. Bob had never felt like a dad to me, but he was a good man and he’d loved my mom, and that was good enough for me. His loss was devastating. Mom was cycling through the normal stages of grief, and I’d stayed with her every night just so she wasn’t alone. It had actually been nice. We ate together when I was home, and she did my laundry just like in the old days. I think it gave her some sense of purpose.
Peter laughed, pushing his tray away. “Bullshit. You’re not fine. And I’m not talking about losing Bob. That was horrible and hard on the whole family, I get that, but this is something else.”
Forcing down another bite of enchilada, I frowned. Enchiladas only made me think of Paige and her weird little dog. I wasn’t ready to admit to anyone how much I missed them.
“Why don’t you fill me in then, since you seem to think you know something I don’t,” I bit out.
“You’re hung up on Paige. I can see it.”
I raised my brows. This was not the conversation I expected to be having. “Not even close.”
“You’re falling for her. You speak fondly of her often, and you’re spacey when you’re here. It’s happening. The great Cannon Roth has fallen.”
Such bullshit . . .
Women threw themselves at me daily. Love was never even on my radar, and I had no plans to change that. My heart was like a steel trap, strong and certain. Sure, they could bounce on my cock for an hour, but saying good-bye was easy because my heart was never even on the table. My goals were singular, and I never pictured a woman by my side while I pursued them.
Period. End of story.
Until Paige . . .
I might have told her I was cursed when it came to sex, that women fell in love with me and then pursued me relentlessly after, but she’d proven me wrong. Paige wasn’t in love, wasn’t pursuing me. Shit, she hadn’t even said anything when I admitted I loved her. Not even a thank-you.
It was a hard truth to face that Peter was right. I was the one who had fallen for her.
Finishing up in silence, Peter and I grabbed our trays from the table, stowing our dishes in the proper bins and throwing our trash away.
“Doesn’t matter.” I heaved out a sigh. “I’ve submitted my application for a residency.”
“That’s huge news.” Peter grinned at me. “About damn time.”
When Dr. Ramirez offered to refer me to a hospital in Denver with a world-renowned cardiology program, I couldn’t say no to that opportunity. Having his guidance and knowing he believed in me was everything. And with things the way they were with Paige and my sister, leaving town sounded pretty fucking awesome.
As we headed from the hospital cafeteria, a heaviness settled over my chest. Having selected my path, I should have felt lighter and at ease after all these long months of uncertainty.
Instead, the reality of my situation was hitting hard. I had fallen for someone I couldn’t have, and now I was doing the only thing I could—flee.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Paige
A knock at the door surprised me. For a split second, I held out hope that maybe it was Cannon. Then I remembered he never knocked, aside from his first time. He had a key, not that he had used it in over a week.
When I opened the door, I was surprised to find a meek college-aged girl with soft blond curls and sad honey-colored eyes. She was petite, dressed in leggings and an oversized University of Michigan sweatshirt that hung from her frame and made her look even smaller.
She met my stare, seemingly just as curious about who I was. Then her gaze darted behind me and into the living room.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“Is C-Cannon here?” she stuttered.
“Not right now.”
“But he does live here?”
I swallowed, suddenly feeling uneasy, not to mention I was totally unsure about how to answer her question. “I’m sorry, who are you?”
Her expression changed, and she offered a shy smile. “Sorry. I’m Michelle. Cannon’s girlfriend.”
My eyes about fell out of my head. “His what?”
Her smile fell. “I mean, I was. Now, I don’t know what I am. I haven’t talked to him.”
Several things clicked into place at once. She was the reason he suddenly needed a place to stay. He broke up with his girlfriend and needed a hideout. I’d been an easy escape from his reality. My throat tightened, and I gripped the doorway for support.
“He didn’t mention you,” I said.