Page 88 of Tulips and Lost Time

“There has to be a plan that doesn’t involve prison and stalking, right?”

I roll the Pepsi between my palms and enjoy the cold metal on my skin. “You think I should move on?”

“I think you should consider the possibility.” He reaches up and swipes his hand through his hair. “It’s been six years, bro. People change. Wants change. The world changes. She’s been gone a long time, and you’re counting on the word of an eighteen-year-old to ride in and save the day.”

“I’m not counting on her word.” I glance back to the ED doors and drag my bottom lip between my teeth. “She didn’t promise me anything back then.”

“So what are you?—”

“I’m counting on her heart. Because it’s pure and perfect, even when wrapped in pigheadedness.”

“She’s dating someone else.”

“She’s friends with someone else.” I push to my feet when the doors swing open and three women step out. Two of them are old enough to be my mother. But the one in the middle… her eyes shoot across the wide driveway and stop on mine. “He’s actually pretty nice,” I finish. “She chose well.” I couldn’t peel my gaze away from Kari even if I wanted to. I can’t look away from the color in her cheeks or the flex of her jaw. But I stay put. I give her that hundred feet and allow her the chance to make a choice. She can turn and go with the older nurses. Or she can cross the concrete and be brave. “You should leave now, Mitch. I’m done talking.”

He scoffs. “First of all: that was rude. And second: it might be best I stay. When you end up in handcuffs, the cops are gonna want a witness statement. Considering you’ll scream that you’re innocent, my respected word will carry weight.”

“Respected? Your brother is a firefighter. He’s the chief’s enemy. What makes you think X wants anything to do with you?”

“You’re just being hurtful.” Mitch stands in my peripherals, ducking to grab his bag and straightening out on my left. Then he claps my shoulder. “Be safe. Do whatever it is you’re gonna do. But I’d really like for you not to get arrested. I’ve spent years training you to be a reasonably non-annoying partner on the job. If you make me start again with some other asshole, I’m gonna pay a prisoner to shank you in the showers.”

“You’ve put too much thought into this.” I hate that Kari only stares. That she freezes in place by the doors, clutching to a backpack and watching me warily.

Like I’m the enemy.

Like I’m dangerous.

“Good luck.” Mitch taps my shoulder one last time, then he continues forward, filling in the space that separates me and the pair of green eyes that stare. He approaches her, unafraid, smiling and throwing his bag over his shoulder. “Hey, Kar.” Friendly, he wraps her in a one-armed hug. “You rocked today. I saw you bossing Dr. Eastgate around.”

“Got a little ahead of myself,” she blushes. “But I didn’t get written up for it.”

“It was a damn good shift.” He steps back and follows her gaze when she looks across to me. Then he shakes his head, chuckling. “You’re as bad as each other. Take it easy on him, okay? Whatever choice you make about this, be gentle. His intentions were always to do the right thing by you.”

“Don’t be that guy.” She peels her eyes from mine and meets his stare. “Don’t become the messenger and make me hurt you.”

He lifts his hands in faux-surrender and backs away, amused. It’s easy for him, considering his whole world isn’t on fire. “I’ll catch you tomorrow for your second shift. Maybe I’ll see what kind of roadkill I can scrape off the pavement. Make you fix a raccoon or something.”

“Raccoons?” Sly, she looks him up and down. “Isn’t that your brother’s job?”

He snorts and turns on his heels. Lifting a single hand in the air to say goodbye, he wanders to the other nurses. The older ones. And hustles them away. Since I suppose they’ve taken it upon themselves to protect Kari from the big, bad jerk who breaks hearts.

Taking a fortifying breath, I set my Pepsi can on the small brick wall and turn back to meet Kari’s terrified eyes. It’s midnight. The cicadas scream, while the rest of town slumbers. We’re outside the emergency room of a hospital, but all is silent around us except for the sound of my heart thundering in my ears.

“You need to stop staring at me.” Kari swallows the nerves in her throat and plays with her fingers. Fussing. Nervous. But she doesn’t run away. So I take that as a decent sign, at least. Promising.

I start forward, empty-handed, since my bag and clothes are still inside the hospital, still in my locker. “You’re asking me to do the impossible.”

“You need to move on,” she rasps. “Find someone else to harass.”

I cross the distance that separates us. My boots gliding on smooth concrete, and my pulse sprinting in my throat. Who needs Mitch to act as witness to my stalking when we have the hospital’s entire security system zooming in on the side of my face?

“Luc,” she tries again, dropping her hands and lifting her gaze. “You need to find?—”

“There is no one else.” I stop just a single foot from where she stands, her perfume slamming into the base of my lungs and her long, brown curls whipping forward to tickle my arm when the breeze kicks up. “There is no one, Bear. There’s just you and me. And there’s nothing else I want outside of us.”

“Luc, I don’t?—”

“Marcus asked me to drive you home.” I lean closer and inhale her exhaled breath. Because I want it. And I knew she’d release it when I told her I’m her ride for the night. “I know he said he’d pick you up. But I was here anyway, and he has to work in the morning. So I told him I’d get you home.”

---