“Half of not much isn’t much.”
“I find that hard to believe,” he said. “I don’t think you have not much, and I think there’s far more to you than meets the eye.”
I shifted in my chair, feeling slightly uncomfortable. I had no interest in sharing my personal business with a perfect stranger. Matson was the one thing I kept protected, private, and was none of anyone’s business unless I deemed it so. Telling someone you had a child opened yourself up to a hundred questions, each more personal than the last.
My fierce hesitation came from all the rumors and lies that were spread during and after my pregnancy. Looking back at it now, I knew it was based in immaturity and high-school kids being kids, but it still hurt at the time. The things people said about me and accused me of were hard to deal with, especially since I was just a teen myself.
People I considered close friends claimed I got pregnant on purpose, to trap Derek, as if either of those things were even remotely in my character. Rumors spread that I was trying to get Derek’s family to give me hundreds of thousands of dollars, when the truth was that I hadn’t asked them for a dime. People acted like I was some sort of manipulative genius who had been planning this all along, that my entire two-year relationship with Derek had been some sort of setup and sham.
“Angel? Sofia Angel?” Grant’s voice was soft as he snapped his fingers to get my attention.
“Sorry.” I gave him a we
ak smile.
“You drifted.”
“I did.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
“Not really,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t pry further.
“Okay.” He shrugged and carried on like nothing had happened.
I glanced up at the clock on the wall and rose to my feet. It was getting late, and I needed to get home to my son.
“I’m sorry, Grant, but I have to go,” I said, and the disappointment on his face reminded me of the way Matson looked when he didn’t get his way.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No. It’s nothing like that,” I said to reassure him. “I just need to get home.”
“Okay. Will you come back tomorrow?”
“Of course.” Maybe my mom would watch Matson again for me. If she couldn’t, I’d swing by here on my lunch break. Either way, I’d be true to my word.
“Promise?” Grant held out his pinky in my direction, and I linked mine around his and squeezed.
“Promise.”
“We can go ring shopping then,” he said with a wink, and I shook my head
“Were you always this charming?” I asked as I moved toward the door.
Grant gave me a serious nod. “Always.”
I grinned again before leaving for the night, making a mental note to ask my mom about tomorrow when I saw her.
Ryan briefly slipped into my thoughts before I pushed him right back out. I was likely to run into him again if I continued to spend time with Grant, and I convinced myself that that was the only reason he was invading my mind. It wasn’t because he was persistent, or more charming than the old man in the hospital bed, or so damn easy to look at.
Nope. Ryan wasn’t in my thoughts for any reason other than the fact that we now shared a mutual friend. One I was engaged to, apparently.
Ryan would understand. He’d probably even be happy for us.
I laughed at the thought as I left the hospital and headed for my car, ready to pick up the only male in the world who truly mattered to me.
Flowers for an Angel