Page 39 of Play With Me

My brother pulled his fingers through his hair once more and looked up. “I’ll take roses on my way up.”

“Thank you.”

I was grateful I didn’t have to ask him to do so. I wasn’t sure that I could, even if I wanted to. The words always stuck in my throat.

“I’ll see how they’re doing.” I left Cameron out in the hall and went into Kate’s room. I stopped as soon as I passed through, realizing that Lola had left through a second entrance, out into the hall around the corner.

I should have known.

Seeing how Kate was unconscious, I assumed that Lola would have checked her chart and stayed behind if she needed to. Yet she chose to leave without saying a word. That could only mean Lola thought Kate would be all right. Myself, on the other hand….

My chest deflated.

Not even a simple goodbye.

I dialed her phone at least a dozen times that day and left her a message as well. I called her again the next morning and the day after.

When Emma Cross’s number showed up on the fourth day, I knew that my painfully unanswered phone calls would remain that way.

“Brook, she knows you’re calling her, but she needs some time.”

“She needs me,” I countered.

“She needs time.”

“She shouldn’t be blaming herself. What happened to Kate wasn’t Lola’s fault.”

“It’s more than that, Brook. I’m afraid that I’ve already said more than Lola would have wanted me to. Give her time. If there’s one thing you can’t make Lola do, it’s to force her to come to you before she’s ready. Trust me, I know.”

“She’ll destroy herself.”

“She won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she has something to look forward to.”

I waited for Emma to say something more, but quickly realized that she wouldn’t. Determined to find a way to reconnect with Lola, I asked, “What about Xavier’s case? Isn’t she going to work on that?”

“All the leads are dead. Besides, it’s not your case to worry about.”

I felt my brows narrow. If Emma thought Lola was stubborn, then she didn’t really know much about my capabilities.

“How long will this last?”

“You should know the answer to that.”

The truth was that no one knew how long it would take Lola to get herself together and come back to me. I wasn’t even sure that Lola knew herself. What I did know, however, was that I could only control so much. But if I could influence some part of her life, maybe there was still a chance.

If this were any other woman, I would have given up long ago, but this was Lola. She was special and unique. She fit perfectly into my life, and she didn’t even know it. I didn’t know exactly why either, but I knew that she was important. With her at my side, whether we argued or fucked, I had that piece of hope my brother had been blabbing about the past year.

A couple of weeks later, as I sat on the couch beside Sophie and set the book she’d been reading aside, I felt Lola’s absence a lot more than I expected. I’d given her the time she’d asked for but staying away was killing me. I missed her like crazy.

The fireplace was lit, empty mugs with hot chocolate drips rested on the coffee table, and the smell of winter filled the air and all that was missing was my other girl. With Christmas just around the corner, this home needed more joy. Sophie was excited to get up early so that she could decorate. She would turn seven in less than a month, and took to more responsibilities every day.

“Do you think I’ll get a puppy, Daddy? Christmas is coming.” She folded the blanket and set it in the corner basket.

“Sophie, we already talked about getting a puppy. I’m pretty sure you remember what decision we made, together.”

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