“Exactly. Which is why we have to stick together,” she continued, fierce determination coloring her voice now. “I need you guys. All of you. I would not have been able to get through these past two years without you. I can’t imagine preparing for these exams during the next four months without you all. But we’re going to have to stick together. Haley, stop taking everything so personally. And Ron, if you don’t feel like you’re prepared for the next test, then for God’s sake, stop fretting about it and say so! That’s what we’re all here for.”
Haley bit her lip, looking somewhat abashed by Anne’s uncharacteristic lecture. And then she peeked at Ron from beneath her lashes. “I’m sorry, Ron. I had no idea you feel like you’ve been struggling. It just didn’t seem to matter that much to you.”
“It matters,” he muttered. “And I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve been picking on you. I was kidding around—like I do with everyone. I’ll stop, I promise.”
Haley nodded, but Anne noticed she didn’t look particularly happy about Ron’s offer.
“Maybe we should get back to work,” Connor suggested. “We’ll all feel better when we’ve gotten through the last of today’s lecture slides.”
Anne took her seat again, even as Ron sprang up from his own. “I’ll make fresh coffee. Who, besides me, needs a cup?”
“I’ll help you,” Haley offered quickly, a bit too courteously. Without actually looking at Haley, Ron nodded to accept her assistance.
Anne supposed it was a start.
Gathering her things, Haley spoke to Ron, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Tomorrow.”
Hesitating only a moment, Haley pivoted and moved toward the door. “Are you coming, Anne?”
“Yes. I’ll be right behind you.”
Anne waited until Haley stepped out before speaking quietly to Ron. “I hope I wasn’t out of line earlier. I didn’t mean to come down on you like a disapproving mother.”
Ron grimaced. “I guess I deserved it. I was acting like a whiny kid.”
“No. You were acting like a scared and stressed-out medical student. Trust me, I know all about that.”
He pushed a hand through his sandy hair that was in need of a trim, his gaze focused uncertainly on her face. “You really worry about passing the tests? As well as you’ve done so far?”
“I’m scared every single t
ime,” she replied simply. “I come from a whole family of surgeons, remember? If I fail, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
His smile was crooked. “Yeah, well, I come from a family of ne’er-do-wells, and I’d never hear the end of it, either. They’ve all been predicting from the start that I would never make it all the way through medical school.”
Indignant on his behalf, she said firmly, “They’re wrong.”
He reached out to give her a hug, and because the gesture was both natural and unmistakably brotherly, she hugged him in return. “Thanks,” he said, looking a little sheepish when he drew away.
“Just don’t forget that our group needs you,” she told him a little mistily. “Good night, Ron.”
“We need you, too. Every group of rowdy kids needs a mom.” Tugging her braid, he smiled more naturally. “Good night, Annie.”
His teasing use of the nickname startled her a little, though she tried not to show it as she let herself out. No one except Liam called her that, and it felt odd hearing it on someone else’s lips. She had a feeling Liam would not be pleased to hear Ron speaking to her so familiarly, though she could assure him in all candor that she felt nothing for Ron except affection.
Liam was the only man who would ever hold her heart.
The lights were burning in her apartment when she parked in her space and climbed out of the car, drawing her coat more snugly around her as a cold breeze slithered down her collar. A hint of impending rain hung in the air, which already felt damp against her cheeks.
Shivering, she gathered her books and computer bag and headed for the stairs, toward those welcoming lights.
Having heard her key in the door, Liam stood in the open bedroom doorway to greet her when she walked in. She wondered if he was still battling that stomach bug. He looked a little pale, and his voice sounded rather strained when he spoke. “You’re home early.”
She nodded and set down her things. “Long night. We got through today’s slides, though. And I think we had a breakthrough, in a way, in the group. We sort of cleared the air and passed around apologies. I think we’ll all get along better now.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I know it was bothering you. You need the support of your friends now.”