Page 73 of Broken Bonds

We fell into a comfortable silence, and then Amber helped my mom clean the kitchen while I sat and watched, feeling helpless. But I didn’t let the smile fall from my face, not wanting Mom or Amber to know about the pit of nerves that were twisting in my stomach.

The two had fallen into a conversation about Amber’s sisters when my phone vibrated on the table.

Mr. Asshole: Good luck, princess.

Me: Thanks.

Mr. Asshole: Don’t be nervous.

Me: I’m not.

Mr. Asshole: Right and the Pope isn’t Catholic.

Me: Do you always have to be an asshole?

Mr. Asshole: Only with you. Don’t be nervous. You’ll be okay. You will survive whatever is thrown your way.

Me: Thanks, I’ll see you tonight?

Mr. Asshole: Where else would I be?

Me: See you later.

Mr. Asshole: Let me know the results.

Me: Why?

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell him the results, but a part of me worried if I was just some piece of forbidden fruit he couldn’t help tasting. Did he really care? I hated that I was spiraling. IknewI was. But I couldn’t stop it from happening.

I watched the three dots dance on the screen as he typed. A hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump. Holding the phone to my chest, I looked up at Amber.

“Who ya texting?” She laughed. “Who am I kidding? With the look on your face, a sexy-as-sin man is on the other end of that conversation.” My mother laughed from the kitchen, shaking her head.

“It’s Ace. He’s asking about the appointment. No need to be a bitch.” Amber laughed, rolling her eyes, not taking offense to my words.

“We knew it was Ace, doll. What other man completely has your attention?”

A blush stained my cheeks as the phone vibrated in my hands against my chest. Bringing it to my face, my heart skipped a beat at his words.

Mr. Asshole: Because I care about you.

Me: Okay, I promise I will.

Putting the phone in my back pocket, I looked up at Amber. “I’m not telling you what it said, so stop staring at me.”

She huffed and even stomped her foot, making me laugh. “Damn it, you suck!”

“Yeah, I know. Help me to the car, why don’t you?” Helping me up, she walked behind me with my mom, helping me get into the black SUV. Putting the crutches in the back seat, Amber left with one final wave, getting in her car and reversing out the driveway.

I had been wheeled around in a wheelchair from room to room, my mother following behind, holding papers, and asking a million questions as a nurse rushed along. I tuned most of it out, already internally panicking and unable to handle even more on top of everything else I was already dealing with.

My mother wasn’t allowed in the MRI room during the fifteen-minute test, where I was expected to lie in a tube-like machine and not move—not even a finger. The loud noise scared me at first, echoing through the small room, but eventually, I drowned it out, thoughts of Ace filtering through my mind.

We were now sitting in one of the rooms at Dr. Alex’s office, waiting for him to deliver the news. Mom’s hand rested lightlyon my thigh, a gentle, quiet reminder that she was here, that I wasn’t alone.

I clutched her hand when Dr. Alex walked in, his eyes downcast, his eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth set in a grim line.

Oh, no.

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