Keeping my tears at bay, I headed down to the parking garage and out to my car. Once I got in, I started it and headed toward my place. The moment I pulled into my parking spot, I started crying. Pulling out my phone, I ran my finger down the list of names and stopped on one. Hitting it, I dropped my head back onto the headrest.
“Hey, Meg! How’s the weather there? Dare I say it’s a chilly sixty-two here?”
Just hearing Lauren’s perky voice made me smile. “Hey, Lauren. You lucky bitch. It’s thirty fucking hell here.”
Lauren giggled. “What’s up? I figured you’d be skiing since it’s the weekend?”
I wiped my tears away and laughed. “When have you ever known me to ski?”
“Oh my glitter! What did you move to Colorado for then?”
I pressed my lips together to keep from sobbing.
“Meg? What’s wrong?”
“Gray and I had our fist fight and I egged it on. I don’t know why I did it. I was upset and I took it out on him.”
“Sweetie, it’s okay. Life isn’t always hot sex with ex-strippers. You’re going to have some ups and some downs.”
I rolled my eyes. “Do we have to keep bringing up the fact that Gray was a stripper?”
“Yes. Yes we do. Unless we’re around your parents, then no.”
“Lauren!”
“Okay! Okay! I’m sorry. So you picked a fight, I’ve done that before with Colt. It’s just something I think women do when they get hormonal or something.”
Pushing out a breath, I rocked my head back and forth against the headrest. “I’m not sure what’s going on with me to be honest with you. I’m up one minute and the next I’m pissed off. Gray noticed something about one of my patients and it was like some kind of switch flipped. I was so angry at myself for not catching it, but he caught it just spending the afternoon with the kid.”
“Meg, you’re not super woman, and no matter how hard you try to help each and every one of those kids, you have to realize some you might not be able to help at all.”
The realization of what Lauren had said hit me like a brick wall. “I know,” I whispered as I pushed my car door open and headed to my apartment. “That doesn’t make it any easier though.”
“I know, but the one thing you can’t do is take it out on Gray. I’m sure he only told you what he told you because it was something the kid felt comfortable sharing with him.”
Lauren’s words soaked into my brain as I stepped into my apartment and shut the door. Leaning back against it, I realized what an idiot I had been.
“I’m such a bitch.”
With a chuckle, Lauren said, “No you’re not. You weren’t prepared for it is all. Just think if there was a case Gray was working on and he had gone over and over the evidence and couldn’t find any clues and you walked up and pointed to a picture and said, hey there’s a license plate number. He’d beat himself up for looking over it. That’s what you’re doing right now and Gray just happened to be in the line of your fist throwing.”
Pushing off the door, I knew what I had to do. “Lauren, I love you so much. From now on I’m calling you when I need someone rational to talk to.”
“Oh my glitter! Are you for real? ‘Cause if you are, I’m totally rubbing that in Alex’s face!”
With a laugh, I shook my head. “Go for it. But I’ve got a hot detective who I need to go apologize to.”
“Oh! I have a feeling hot sex will be involved.”
Feeling my cheeks flush, I said, “One can only hope. Bye, sweets! I love you! Give Colt a big hug and kiss for me. Plan on coming to see me soon!”
“I will and yes! Ski trip!”
I rolled my eyes and said, “Bye, Lauren. Love you.”
“Bye, Meg. Love you more.”
Hitting End, I reached for the door and pulled it open only to see Gray standing there getting ready to knock.