Page 66 of Baby I'm Yours

“Elaina?” Maya prompts after a beat. “You still there?”

I put the phone to my ear again. “Yeah, sorry. I just got a text from the guy.” My cell buzzes again and I tell Maya, “Just a second. There’s another one. Be right back.”

I glance down to see another terse message from the man I love—Katie’s going home. You should, too. I’ll call you later.

My already plummeting stomach crashes through the patio, landing somewhere in the lower levels of the hospital beneath.

“Maya?” My voice wavers as I hunch lower on my hard brick bench. “I think I really screwed up. He’s already pulling away, and he has no idea I’m a liar.”

“You’re not a liar,” Maya says. “It sounds like you were put in a very difficult, if not impossible, position. Just give him time, support him as best you can, and when the time is right to either fess up or let it go, you’ll know. You have excellent instincts and the best people skills of anyone I’ve ever met.”

I bite my lip as I nod, praying she’s right. “Okay. Thank you. I appreciate the advice.”

“Of course,” Maya says. “Call any time. I’m here for you always. And if this guy needs a character reference, give him my number. I might not be as good with strangers as you are, but I’m always happy to brag on my best girl.”

I wince at the reminder that I’m lying to Maya, too.

I need to come clean, with everyone, but I can’t. Not yet. “Thank you, Maya Moo. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she says. “Hang in there and talk soon, okay?”

I end the call and stare at Hunter’s messages again. Yes, they’re pithy and lacking the warmth I’ve grown accustomed to lately, but his mother is fighting for her life in the ICU. He’s a little fucking distracted. It would be stupid to read too much into anything he does right now. He’s worried sick and focused on Margaret, as he should be.

So why does this feel like the beginning of the end?

Taking a deep breath, I reply to his text—Are you sure? I’m happy to stay. I can just sit in the waiting room and stay out of the way until you need me.

The three dots appear, disappear, appear again. And then, finally, his reply pops through—I’d rather be alone right now. But thank you. Talk later.

I like the message, then send a quick—Okay. Love you. Sending you and Margaret all the best vibes.

I wait for a beat, then another, but after a full minute—during which the pigeon is frightened away from his sandwich by two bigger, scragglier pigeons from a rougher part of town—I accept that he isn’t going to respond.

I tell myself that’s fine. Normal, even.

But nothing feels fine, and as I leave the hospital, I decide to take the subway home instead of a taxi. Navigating the train lines will keep my brain occupied and take longer than a cab. Hopefully, by the time I emerge aboveground uptown, there will be good news about Margaret.

But forty minutes later, as I wander toward our building, my cell remains silent,

And I remain certain that all my happily ever after dreams are about to come crashing down around me.

nineteen

HUNTER

I’m in hell.

Sitting beside my mother’s still form, not knowing if she’ll ever open her eyes again, if I’ll ever hear her voice or be able to tell her how much she means to me, is pure fucking hell. Combined with the general PTSD-tinged experience of being in a hospital ICU, I would like nothing more than someone to lean on as I sit vigil.

I want Elaina here with me.

I want it so badly, it turns my stomach.

Whether she’s been lying to me or not, I have to get a fucking grip. I’m not the type of man who falls apart when I’m on my own. I excel at being on my own. I’ve never met a situation I couldn’t handle, solo, and the fact that I doubted my ability to navigate this without Elaina for a single second is all the proof I need that a serious reevaluation is in order.

Even if she had no idea what my mother was planning, it’s time to put some emotional space between myself and this woman who’s slipped past more of my defenses in a few weeks than other women have managed in months of dating. We’re moving way too fast. Pumping the brakes will be good for both ofus, give us time to make sure we’re actually a good fit before we rush into a long-term commitment.

And if shehasbeen lying to me…

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