I shook my head. “He has no reason to resent you. You worked hard, he tried to scrape by. I hadn’t realized his acceptance to Davis was revoked for his grades until my dad said something. Did you know?”
“I suspected. The thing is, Eli is a good shopkeeper. The community loves him. If he could stop whining and see what he has, and what he’s capable of doing, he’d be successful.”
I nodded. “I don’t know how to help him with that.”
“Maybe you should suggest he go to counseling,” Nick quipped.
“He’s less likely to go than you are. Men can be so pigheaded.”
“I don’t see you going to counseling.”
“For what?”
He studied me. “Everyone has issues, Mia. Even someone as near to perfect as you.”
A part of me liked that he thought I was near to perfect; except I knew he was just being facetious.
“What about you, Nick? You’ve got your successful career in your home town. Why haven’t you let a woman make an honest man out of you.”
“I guess I haven’t found the right one.”
“But you’re not looking either, are you?”
“The last time I asked a woman to sign up for a life with me, it didn’t go so well.”
I pursed my lips. “You and I both know that had either of us given up our dreams, we’d resent each other like Eli resents you.”
He shrugged. “The women who are interested in me are more interested in their status in the community or perceived wealth.”
“Perceived?”
“I make good money, most of which goes to pay student loans.”
“What about the women you’re interested in? Are there any?”
“There are a few I’ve enjoyed spending time with … outside of the bed,” he clarified. “But they don’t like when I’m on call or when I have to work nights.”
“Life of a doctor.”
“I could go into private practice and have better hours.”
Intrigued, I leaned forward. “Have you thought about that?”
He nodded. “Actually, I have, off and on. I like the challenge of emergency medicine. And the feeling of making a difference when people really need it.”
“You’re good at it.”
He looked away, and I got the feeling he didn’t agree. He used to, I knew, but the issue with Ms. Mason was taking a toll. I suspected I was right and her death was just a straw on the camel’s back of a career filled with stress and loss. How long before that camel’s back broke?
15
Nick
It was dangerous, how much I needed Mia. It was unsettling too. I was a strong man, so why was it that the only moments of relief from the guilt and self-doubt came when she was with me? Especially since she thought I was mentally compromised and needed counseling.
Whatever the reason, the fact that she was a balm on my tortured soul made me want to keep her around as long as possible.
We had a good dinner, and I was glad she stayed away from the topic of Ms. Mason. We washed the dishes together, and for a moment it felt like old times. Old times that I wanted to live in a little while longer.