Page 74 of The Beat of her Heart

“Yes. She’s always saying how driven you are.”

Addie shook her head. “She has a funny way of showing it.”

They each took a sip, and Addie set down her glass and glanced over at her. “Be honest with me. Did you know I was talking about Giselle the whole time in the car?”

Alex tilted her head, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. “Giselle?”

“Come on, don’t play coy with me,” Addie said.

Alex laughs. “You mean the beautiful new surgeon with an eye for no one else but you. The ice?—”

“Don’t call her that,” Addie said with a little laugh. “Madeline did tell you a lot.”

“She likes to talk about people at the hospital.”

“So you did know who I was talking about.”

Alex shrugged. “Well, I wasn’t sure then. But now I am.”

Addie let out a soft laugh. “Guess I made it kindof obvious.”

Alex leaned back, looking thoughtful. “So…any chance of a proposal happening with you two?”

Addie choked on her wine, her eyes widening as she sputtered, “Oh, no, nothing like that. Not even close.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “If you say so.”

Addie shook her head, laughing. “I promise. Besides, it’s complicated.”

Alex glanced at her watch and set her glass down. “I should get going. Thank you for the wine, and for letting me celebrate with you.”

Addie got up and walked her to the door. A strange sense of calm settled over her. But as she watched Alex walk to her car, her thoughts drifted back to Giselle—to the warmth she felt whenever they were together, and the sharp ache of the distance that always seemed to linger between them.

“Take care!” Addie called as Alex got into her car.

She stood in the doorway for a moment, wondering how things might have been different if they hadn’t kept holding back. Ifshehadn’t held back.

But then Sophie’s voice called from her room, breaking the quiet. Addie closed the door, shrugging off the thoughts. She could move on.

She had to.

23

GISELLE

Giselle couldn’t stop pacing.

How could she let this happen?

Her parents were still seated in her living room, judgment still lingering in their expressions.

Giselle couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Do you realize what you’ve done?” she blurted out, brimming with anger. She stopped pacing, her gaze trained on them.

Her parents exchanged glances, and then, as though they’d rehearsed it, turned to face her.

“You okay, Giselle?” her mother asked.

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