Page 18 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

A healthy layer of scruff covered his jaw, and his hair was a little longer and still insanely perfect. His eyes were the same hazel, still behind a pair of black-framed glasses, which looked way hotter on his masculine, angular face than was necessary.

“May?”

Oh.

That voice. She closed her eyes for the briefest second, savoring that deep rumble she remembered so well. She’d loved his laugh and the effortless conversation from that night, but this husky tone reminded her of the words he’d rasped against her ear, his hands wrapped around her waist and his large body pressing her back against the wall.Come home with me.

She’d almost forgotten she’d given him her middle name.

“Is it you?”

She was staring at him like a complete fool, but she couldn’t seem to grab ahold of a single thought racing around the track in her mind. She vaguely registered one questioning her choice of outfit this evening and wishing she’d gone with something a little sexier. Another had something to do with narwhals, but she didn’t trust herself to land a joke right now.

“Elliott!” A feminine voice came from somewhere. “You made it!”

It took physical effort to tear her gaze from Jamie’s face. Carly had come to stand next to Jamie, a smile on her face, and she wrapped her arm around his waist and pressed her body against his in a manner that spoke of more than familiarity.

It spoke of intimacy.

Elliott blinked.He can’t be.

As Elliott processed the couple before her, the room threatened to spin around her, and she took several deep breaths, willing her heartto slow down. She was no stranger to emotions that bordered on overwhelming and had gotten pretty decent at keeping them under control.

“Um, yeah, I just got here,” she managed to get out.

“Did you meet Jamie already?” Carly asked, casting a fond look at him.

Jamie glanced between them, confusion marring his features.

Elliott hesitated, unsure how to answer the question. He had to be Carly’s boyfriend, but for how long? Had they been together the night she met him? Unlikely, since he’d been waiting to meet someone from an app that night ... But in that case, surely it would be okay for Carly to know they’d met before. He hadn’t seemed like the kind of guy who’d get with women on the side if he was in a relationship, but how well did she really know him? She didn’t want to look at Jamie again right now, but she had to, hoping he’d give her some signal for how to handle this.

She slid her gaze to his face, gritting her teeth against the onslaught of sensations skating across her skin and gathering in one suspicious cluster inside her rib cage.

Tell her you know me.

“No, we didn’t officially meet. I just came around the corner and ran into her. Literally.” He frowned slightly when he added, “Elliott, was it?”

Okay, so they both had some explaining to do.

Oblivious, Carly laughed and lifted a brow at Elliott. “You okay? He’s not a small person.”

“I’m fine.”

“Well, Jamie, this is Elliott, the one I told you about who got the bone marrow I donated. Elliott, this is my boyfriend, Jamie.”

Understanding drifted down his features, and he swallowed as he held out his hand. His voice came out softer, somehow. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She cleared her throat and shook his large hand, pulling away from the contact as quickly as possible. “Likewise.”

She looked up to find him unsmiling. It had been a year since she’d seen that dimple, and it didn’t appear that would change anytime soon. What must he think of her, knowing she’d lied to him?

It occurred to her she could turn around and leave. Fake illness or text Yuka, asking her to call with an emergency. This was a lot to deal with all of a sudden—seeing Jamie again so unexpectedly, learning he was in a relationship with her donor, of all people ... and wondering if it was possible that on the best night of her life, she’d been the other woman.

There was also the fact that something in the vicinity of her pitiful heart ached with the realization Jamie hadn’t been pining for her this past year. He’d moved on and was happy with someone else.

She could go back to her apartment and process this information with a massive bag of chips and Yuka on speakerphone. Maybe do a little recon with Tiffany in a few days, because if she knew Carly, she definitely knew Jamie. She’d know how long they’d been together. Thank God Elliott hadn’t given Tiffany Jamie’s real name that day in the hospital.

But then she thought of Carly, the woman she’d spent an hour with this afternoon. More, the woman who had literally given up a part of her body to offer Elliott a new chance at a full, cancer-free life. They’d talked about silly things like where to shop and get pedicures, and the terrifying center lane on Dodge Street that switched directions depending on the time of day. Carly was sweet and kind and had just wanted to offer Elliott friendship. She’d seemed so excited when Elliott agreed to come, and Elliott hated to disappoint her. She owed her everything.

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