“He should have told you before. That was a horrible way to find out.” Mia rubbed her back. “I can’t believe he hid it from you.”
“I think he was embarrassed.”
“I guess so. Maybe you should try calling him. See if he’s still planning on coming here.”
“You’re right.” Becca sighed, and lifted her phone to her ear. It rang then went to voicemail. “Um, it’s me. I made it home. Call me back when you get a chance.” How lame was that? She sighed and hung up.
Somewhere between Charleston and Hartson’s Creek, she’d realized how stupid their argument was. He’d asked her to leave, but she should have stayed. Talked it out with him. Instead, she’d gotten hysterical.
“Maybe I’m just really bad at relationships,” Becca muttered, shaking her head as she sat down next to Mia.
“They take work. And getting to know each other. I don’t know a single relationship that doesn’t go through ups and downs. Look at me and Cam. We separated and he went back to Boston after Michael found out about us.” Mia rubbed her arm gently. “And then there’s Van and Tanner. Look how many years they were apart.”
Becca squeezed her eyes shut. “I can’t imagine how painful that was.” The thought of not seeing Daniel for years made her chest ache.
“The first argument is always the toughest. It’s when things get real. It’s not that the fairytale is over, so long as you pause it occasionally to face your differences head on. Working through your differences together is what separates successful relationships from the ones that will never work.”
“I didn’t work through it. I walked out.” Becca squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to remember their explosive argument.
“Sometimes you need a break from each other, too. Look how much good it’s done you already. You’ve had a chance to think things through.” Mia smiled gently. “Maybe you know yourself better than you realize. You said you couldn’t think there, and that’s why you came home. Maybe that was the best thing to do.”
“How did you get so wise?”
Mia laughed. “I’m older than you. And I learned from all my mistakes. And for what it’s worth, I really like Daniel. Any guy who’s willing to go up against all four of your brothers at once is a keeper. He must really like you to do that.”
Becca’s heart clenched at the memory. “Or he has a death wish.”
Mia stood, pulling Becca up with her. “How about I make us some tea and a sandwich or something? If you left before dinner, you must be starving. We’ll put on a movie and wait for Daniel to call you back. Or show up. And then I’ll melt away into the distance and leave you two alone.
“You’re a good friend.” Becca hugged her. “But I’ll make the food. It’s my condo, after all.”
“Hey, I never turn down your cooking.” Mia held her hands up, smiling.
Making a light supper for herself and Mia was the perfect way to keep busy. Becca sliced some of the sourdough bread she’d made, layering it with ham and lettuce, sprinkling some cheese on the top before grilling it. Pouring some glasses of sweet tea, she laid them out on a tray, while Mia scrolled through Netflix in search of the perfect easy watch.
“Do you want a movie or a series?” Mia called out.
“I’m fine with either.” Becca laid the tray on the coffee table just as her phone started to ring. She almost ran for the phone, her brows knitting together when it wasn’t Daniel’s name on the screen.
It was Eliana’s.
Mia leaned over to look. “Maybe his battery died or something.”
Becca shrugged and accepted the call. “Eliana? Hi. I’m so sorry I didn’t stay for dinner. I wasn’t feeling well.”
Mia wrinkled her nose at Becca’s obvious discomfort. It was kind of true, but it still felt like a lie. And she didn’t like telling untruths to her boss.
“It doesn’t matter. None of it does,” Eliana was almost breathless. “The police have just called. Daniel’s been in an accident. They’ve taken him to Charleston Memorial Hospital.”
Mia insisted on driving her to Charleston, batting off Becca’s protests as she opened the car door. “We don’t need two of you in the hospital. You haven’t eaten either and you’re in no state of mind to drive.”
“But you should be with Cam and your boys.”
“I’ll call them and let them know what’s going on. Now, are we going to Charleston or what?”
The roads were thankfully empty. In less than two hours they were back in the city, a sense of déjà vu wafting over Becca as Mia followed the directions on her GPS.
The Charleston Memorial Hospital was a sprawling modern sandstone building, with a glass frontage that sparkled as it reflected the night sky. Becca twisted her fingers, and swallowed hard. Somewhere in there was Daniel.