Page 25 of Worlds Collide

“I couldn’t sleep, so I took the car and drove over here. And yes, I called Rich before I even turned on the car, and I made it safely here.”

“Are you okay?” Now there’s only worry in his tone.

Fuck, I hate that even more.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I tell him, and I think I pull it off.

“Okay, well I wish you would’ve stayed. We’re about to sit and eat together and I know Mike and Theo would’ve wanted to thank you again for playing with Ed.”

My left hand twitches instinctively. There were a couple of months there after the accident where I was sure I’d never be able to play the guitar again. I worked a lot with my physical therapist to get back almost all my mobility and yesterday was the first time I’d played in front of anyone since.

I’m glad it went well, but I still know that I could’ve played better. And I do wish I could’ve at least celebrated that accomplishment with a drink.

“It’s fine. I know they have other things on their minds today, like leaving for their honeymoon,” I deadpan. Hawk grumbles a little, and I think he should be thankful I didn’t say “fucking like bunnies for days on end.”

“We’re not flying home until tomorrow morning, though, what are you going to do?”

Everything inside me freezes. How the fuck did I not think about the fact that CJ is flying back with us? I can’t see him again. I need to get out of this.

“Uhh,” I stall, and an idea comes to me in the nick of time. “I’m going to hang out with Tassie this morning.” I mention a producer we love working with. “Then Rich and I are flying back home this afternoon.” It should be easy enough to get another jet chartered inNew York. Though it won’t be cheap, I’m more than willing to pay the price.

“Oh,” Hawk says quietly, clearly surprised. “Are you hooking up with her again?”

“It was one time almost a decade ago, Birdie. You need to let that go. We’re friends and nothing else. I’m just gonna catch up with her, see what she’s working on.”

“Okay then.” He sounds dejected as hell, and I grit my teeth. I want to take it all back, tell him I’m driving back to the Hamptons and hanging out with him and his friends all day, just to make him happy.

But I don’t say any of that. Instead, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, then say what I actually want to say.

“You have fun with all your and Deedee’s friends, Birdie. I’ll be home when you get there, okay?”

“Yeah, tell me the details of your flight, please?”

“Sure, Tate will have them.”

It’s a cop-out, but it’s necessary to not feel fucking suffocated.

I hang up after saying goodbye and let out a long breath. Now I need to call Ollie and have him arrange the flight for me and Rich, then I need to call Tassie and pray she’s actually in the City, then I need to talk to Rich and Tate.

Lying is a goddamn full-time job.

EIGHT

CJ

Six Weeks Later

“Good job, Sounders.”Dr. Yang claps me on the shoulder as we walk out of the OR. “I’m going to be benevolent today and let you go get something to eat while I tell the family.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, beyond grateful. “I’ll have the chart updated before you’re done with your own lunch,” I say, then salute him and walk away before he can call me back for being a dork.

An eight-year-old had come into the ER. She’d been in a horrifying car accident with her mother, and a piece of metal from the car that crashed into theirs flew through the windshield and lodged itself into the girl’s abdomen. It nicked her large intestine and her liver, and was a pain in the ass to fix, but we got it done in less than five hours.

Besides us, there was an ortho surgeon in the room fixing her right tibia and a neurologist monitoring her concussion. We got word about an hour ago that the mother was out of surgery andwould make a full—though long—recovery, so all in all, it’s been a day of wins.

As I walk to the staff-only elevator to get to the cafeteria, I can’t help but lean my whole body against the back wall.

I didn’t have any misconceptions about what being a surgeon would be like. Exhaustion might as well be my middle name, but I still think it’s worth it.

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