Page 23 of Always Heated

“Hmm.” Lucy dramatically sips the water from her handled metal cup. “Well, this got interesting. Oh, would you look at the time!” Lucy doesn’t glance at her watch or the clock, and I have to stifle a laugh. “I have to do a quick round. Toodles!” Like lightning, she’s gone from the nurse station to pretend to work for three minutes before she starts her actual round with patients.

Fuck!

“Hey.” It’s the only word I can manage. I can’t bring myself to ask if he’s the one sending me the mystery dinners. If I’m wrong, it’ll be embarrassing for both of us. Also, why the fuck is he here?

“Hey.” Zack stuffs his hands in his pocket and rocks back on his heels. “I was visiting a friend and thought I would come say hello.”

I swallow hard. “Yeah, um, visitor hours ended a few hours ago, except for immediate family. Is everything okay?”

“I hope so, but they’ve already been discharged.” He rubs the back of his neck, like when Travis nervously does it, making guilt seep in. “Can we talk?”

“This is a really bad time, I?—”

“Please?”

Willing back my tears and unable to face him trying to propose again, I’m tempted to use work as the perfect excuseto get out of it. Before I have a chance, Lucy peeks her head around the corner and announces, “All’s well! You need a quick break? I’ve got you.” I’m in hell. I’ve sinned enough that heaven said, “Nope!” and here I am in purgatory. “Why don’t you take a walk outside? It’s a beautiful night, the moon is full, and?—”

“Thanks, Lucy,” I grit out, then take a deep breath. “She’s right, I can spare a few minutes.”

Zack and I walk outside in silence and take a seat on one of the benches. “I’m sorry,” I rush out.

At the same time, he admits, “I’m a father.”

“What? Did you just say you’re afather?”

“Yeah. I didn’t know, until she messaged me.”

I rub my hands down my face. “How old is your child?”

“She just had the baby a few days ago.”

“A few days ago? I’m sorry, but the math isn’t mathing here, Zack. That would mean you knocked her up about nine months ago, technically ten if you want to bring conception into the equation. We were dating ten months ago.”

“That’s why I wanted to apologize.” I’m not sad, or mad. I’m numb and double over in laughter to avoid anything that could resemble real feelings. I’m laughing long enough that even he chuckles. “What’s so funny?”

“You fucked another woman while we were exclusive. We’re not together anymore, so I don’t need an apology, she does.”

Zack places his hand on mine. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, and when you mentioned you had a crush on your brother’s best friend, I figured we were even and?—”

“Even? I’m sorry, can we back up a little? Here’s how I remember it—I never touched Travis. I told you everything that happened, and you told me you still wanted to marry me. I gave you back your ring and told you I needed space to figure things out. And now you’re telling me that we’reevenafter you admit you knocked someone up? Are you fucking joking?” I let out a humorless laugh. “Come on, Zack.”

“We’re even,” he insists. “We can still get married. You’d be an amazing stepmom, and?—”

“No,nope, we are not doing this.”

As I stand, he adds, “She named him Caleb. Isn’t that a sign?”

“Caleb.” The name comes out breathless, quieter than a whisper.

Room six.

“No.” I swallow hard. “No. Don’t you dare evenlookat that woman unless you’re in couples therapy.”

“What are you?—”

“Promise me,” I bark. “You don’t talk to her unless you’re both in therapy, understood?”

“Cass, I don’t under?—”

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