“Yes.” I hesitate and then close my eyes. “I want to trust him.”
“Babe, I love you to death and you’re my best friend. And I know that things haven’t always been easy for you, but if you want to have the happily ever after you’ve always dreamed of, then you have to let go of all of those insecurities you’ve been holding on to. You have to open yourself up, Harley.”
I thought I had. I thought that I was past all of this. Obviously, I’m not. “But what if I get hurt again?” Stupid question, I know, considering that Tyson and I have been together for a while now, and he’s been nothing but perfect and wonderful.
“What if you don’t?”
Shit, she’s right. “I feel horrible,” I say, dropping my head into my hand. “I can’t believe I acted like that. I didn’t even let him talk. That isn’t like me at all.” Suddenly, I feel nauseated again. I drop my banana on the table and take a drink of my water. For the hundredth time, my mind goes over our argument and all of the things I could have and should have said differently. “He has every right to be mad at me. What if he doesn’t forgive me?”
“He will. The big oaf loves you.”
A couple of tears drip down my face as I remember the look in Tyson’s eyes when he walked away this morning. He thinks I don’t trust him. “Thank you, Quinn.”
“No need to thank me. That’s what badass friends are for.”
“Harley?” Wait a minute … that’s not Quinn. My head pops up, and I’m looking at none other than Brit herself … in blue surgical scrubs … with a stethoscope hanging around her neck.
“Brit,” I say, eyes wide and heart pounding.
“What?” Quinn says, her voice ringing loudly through the phone. “Is Brit there? Who are you talking to?”
“Quinn, I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you back.” Eyes locked on Brit’s, I end the call, barely registering Quinn hollering at me as I do.
“What are you doing here?” I snap, not feeling bad at all for the way she flinches at my words.
“Wow.” Brit laughs humorlessly. “Twice in two days. That has to be some sort of record.” I blink several times, waiting for her to answer my question. I have no idea what she’s talking about. “Um …” Brit looks around the cafeteria nervously and then pulls out the chair across from me. “Mind if I sit?”
I smile—it’s fake as shit, but I do my best—and nod, feeling all of the anger that I’d pushed away slowly creep back in. “Not at all. My break is over anyway.” Shoving away from the table, I get up, grab my trash and turn to walk away when her voice catches my attention.
“He didn’t tell you I was working here.” It’s clear that Brit isn’t asking a question, and it pisses me off to no end that she hit the nail on the fucking head.
Spinning around, I pin her with an unyielding gaze, hoping that she can’t see the tremble in my hand. “Why are you here, Brit?”
She shakes her head. “Don’t look at me like that,” she says, scowling. “Don’t make me out to be the villain, Harley. I didn’t make Tyson move to New York. He did that of his own free will, and if you remember correctly, I’m the one he left behind with a lease and a lonely apartment. So don’t you dare play it off like you’re the victim in all of this.”
Her words catch me off guard, mostly because she’s right. As happy as I am that Tyson came back to me, I can’t imagine—okay, actually I can—how badly it must’ve hurt her when he left.
“What do you want, Brit?” I ask, completely resigned. As much as I want to hate her, I can’t. It isn’t going to do any good, and it sure as hell isn’t healthy for the baby. Plus, we’re grown women … we should be able to have a civilized conversation. Right?
“I don’t want anything,” she says, her lips tilting in a frown. Brit puts her tray on the table and I notice for the first time in, well … forever, that she looks vulnerable. “I want to come to work and not have to worry about walking on eggshells around you and Tyson. It might be awkward for the two of you that I work here, but trust me, it’s much more awkward for me.”
“Then why work here? Why not work somewhere else?” It sounds selfish, but I can’t stop the words from coming out.
“Are you kidding?” she asks. “The ER is my life, and this is the best damn ER in the state. Plus, I get to be close to my family, which is what I need right now.” Brit’s eyes drift away from mine, but I can see them fill with tears. She quickly blinks the wetness away, and I can’t help but feel that there is much more to what she just said. We aren’t exactly friends though, so I certainly won’t be asking.
“Fine.” I nod. “I can understand that. But why ask Ty to come over to your house?”
“Holy shit.” Brit’s eyes widen and she looks at me in surprise.
“What?” I ask, straightening my back.
“Either he didn’t tell you, or he
tried to tell you and you didn’t let him. I’m gonna go with the latter.”
Son of a bitch … she’s good. “What Tyson and I talk about is between the two of us. If this is where you want to be, then welcome home.” With a heavy sigh and a massive amount of resignation, I walk away, proud of my ability to stay cool, calm and collected.
“Harley.”