your pace.” Even though his words are sincere, there’s disappointment laced through his chocolate irises.
I force a smile. “It’s late.”
“Yeah, I’d better go.”
I roll off the sofa and intentionally turn my back to him so he’ll have a minute of privacy. Then his hands are on my shoulders and he’s spinning me to face him.
Blake’s fingertips glide over the side of my face. “You sure you’re gonna be all right? I can crash on the sofa.”
“I’ll be fine, but thanks.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I just got back from one trip, Blake. I have so much to do tomorrow before we fly to Australia, and I could use a day to myself.”
He nods, understanding. “If you need anything, you call me?”
“Of course, Sir Lancelot.”
“Prince Charming,” he corrects, and I giggle.
“Fine. Okay, Prince Charming.”
I close the door behind him and lean against it. Without Lia here, the apartment is too quiet. But having Blake stay here wouldn’t make me feel any better, especially not after the make-out session I ended a minute ago.
I flip off all the lights as I walk through. Then I open the door to Lia’s room, taking in how empty it is. I miss her so much. I forgo my own room, and with my clothes on, I curl up and fall asleep in Lia’s bed.
Chapter 11
Damian
Lia’s coming with me to the hospital today. After hanging up with Ellie, I carried Lia to her bed in the corner of my room and called my dad.
“Dad?” I say for the fifteenth time. I wonder if I should drive over and check on him. “Dad?”
He still doesn’t answer. The stunned silence thing is understandable, but come on! Give me something .
“Wow,” he finally says.
“That’s all you’ve got?”
He blows into the phone again. “And she never told you?”
“No. If it weren’t for this research project, I’m not sure she ever would have.”
“Wow,” he repeats, and for a man whose job it is to talk to people, he pretty much sucks at it.
I glance over at Lia. She’s lying on her side so all I can see is her mass of hair assaulting the pillow.
“I know she just arrived, but do you have plans tomorrow night?”
“Kinda looks like I don’t have plans for the next eight weeks, Dad.”
He laughs. “All right, well, why don’t you come over for dinner after work? She can play in the pool.”
So those are the plans for our first whole day together. Lia joining me at work, then dinner with her grandpa.
I can’t help smiling as I get the two of us ready to leave in the morning. Talking with Ellie last night put me in a good mood. It’s been a long time since I laughed like that, even longer since I heard her laugh like that. God, she sounded amazing. Like the Ellie I remember from when Liam was alive. When she practically lived at our house.
“My grandpa is a doctor?” Lia asks, scooping another spoonful of Lucky Charms in her mouth. I’ll buy Dylan another box later. Dude and his freaking kids’ cereal.
“He’s an oncologist,” I specify.
“What’s that?”
“It means he helps people who have cancer.”
Lia pushes her hair out of her face. I tried to brush through the mass, but she kept whining that it hurt, so I gave up. I have no idea what to do with it.
“What’s cancer?” she asks.
“A horrible, horrible disease,” I answer, downing the last of my coffee. “You ready?”
“Yep.” Lia slides off the chair and grabs one of the Twilight Sparkles I said she could bring along.
I open the back door of my car, and she hops in and buckles herself. I’m not the one who taught her, yet I’m proud. It’s strange.
Lia stays close to me as we walk through the double doors and ride the elevator to the third floor.
“I’ve never been in a hospital before,” she informs me. “Except when I was born.”
“Good. Let’s hope you never have to be admitted into one.”
The elevator doors open, and sitting on the bench right outside of
I force a smile. “It’s late.”
“Yeah, I’d better go.”
I roll off the sofa and intentionally turn my back to him so he’ll have a minute of privacy. Then his hands are on my shoulders and he’s spinning me to face him.
Blake’s fingertips glide over the side of my face. “You sure you’re gonna be all right? I can crash on the sofa.”
“I’ll be fine, but thanks.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I just got back from one trip, Blake. I have so much to do tomorrow before we fly to Australia, and I could use a day to myself.”
He nods, understanding. “If you need anything, you call me?”
“Of course, Sir Lancelot.”
“Prince Charming,” he corrects, and I giggle.
“Fine. Okay, Prince Charming.”
I close the door behind him and lean against it. Without Lia here, the apartment is too quiet. But having Blake stay here wouldn’t make me feel any better, especially not after the make-out session I ended a minute ago.
I flip off all the lights as I walk through. Then I open the door to Lia’s room, taking in how empty it is. I miss her so much. I forgo my own room, and with my clothes on, I curl up and fall asleep in Lia’s bed.
Chapter 11
Damian
Lia’s coming with me to the hospital today. After hanging up with Ellie, I carried Lia to her bed in the corner of my room and called my dad.
“Dad?” I say for the fifteenth time. I wonder if I should drive over and check on him. “Dad?”
He still doesn’t answer. The stunned silence thing is understandable, but come on! Give me something .
“Wow,” he finally says.
“That’s all you’ve got?”
He blows into the phone again. “And she never told you?”
“No. If it weren’t for this research project, I’m not sure she ever would have.”
“Wow,” he repeats, and for a man whose job it is to talk to people, he pretty much sucks at it.
I glance over at Lia. She’s lying on her side so all I can see is her mass of hair assaulting the pillow.
“I know she just arrived, but do you have plans tomorrow night?”
“Kinda looks like I don’t have plans for the next eight weeks, Dad.”
He laughs. “All right, well, why don’t you come over for dinner after work? She can play in the pool.”
So those are the plans for our first whole day together. Lia joining me at work, then dinner with her grandpa.
I can’t help smiling as I get the two of us ready to leave in the morning. Talking with Ellie last night put me in a good mood. It’s been a long time since I laughed like that, even longer since I heard her laugh like that. God, she sounded amazing. Like the Ellie I remember from when Liam was alive. When she practically lived at our house.
“My grandpa is a doctor?” Lia asks, scooping another spoonful of Lucky Charms in her mouth. I’ll buy Dylan another box later. Dude and his freaking kids’ cereal.
“He’s an oncologist,” I specify.
“What’s that?”
“It means he helps people who have cancer.”
Lia pushes her hair out of her face. I tried to brush through the mass, but she kept whining that it hurt, so I gave up. I have no idea what to do with it.
“What’s cancer?” she asks.
“A horrible, horrible disease,” I answer, downing the last of my coffee. “You ready?”
“Yep.” Lia slides off the chair and grabs one of the Twilight Sparkles I said she could bring along.
I open the back door of my car, and she hops in and buckles herself. I’m not the one who taught her, yet I’m proud. It’s strange.
Lia stays close to me as we walk through the double doors and ride the elevator to the third floor.
“I’ve never been in a hospital before,” she informs me. “Except when I was born.”
“Good. Let’s hope you never have to be admitted into one.”
The elevator doors open, and sitting on the bench right outside of
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