Page 127 of Keep My Heart
‘Sorry, but the doors just closed. We’re taking off soon. If you give me your information, I’ll let you know if we find it.’
I give her my name and Sawyer’s number since I don’t have my phone. I can’t believe I lost it, but I’ve got a lot on my mind right now. It’s hard to keep track of everything.
Hours later, I arrive in Chicago and go outside to look for Nash. I see his truck and wave at him. He gets out and comes up to me and gives me a hug, and not his usual quick guy hug, but an actual hug.
‘How are you doing?’ he asks, letting me go.
‘Not great. And I somehow managed to lose my phone. Do you have any updates on my dad?’
Nash nods. ‘They’re running tests on him. They don’t have all the results back yet, but the doctor said it was definitely a heart attack.’
‘I was hoping that wasn’t the case,’ I say with a sigh.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ he says as a car honks at us to get moving.
As we drive away from the airport, I’m already feeling better than I did in New York. Being with family, back in the Midwest, I feel like I’m back where I should be.
‘What else did you find out?’ I ask.
‘It soundslike he has more than one blockage to his heart. They’re considering doing bypass surgery, although that could change depending on what they find out from the tests. That’s all I know. Dad called right before you came out. He and my brothers are already at the hospital.’
‘Did he say how my mom’s doing?’
‘She’s like she always is.’ He glances at me.
‘Pretending everything’s going to be fine.’
‘Yeah,’ he mutters.
That’s my mom, not wanting to worry us. Even when her parents died, she acted like she was fine. Her mom died of cancer, and a year later her father had a massive stroke, but my mom stayed strong through all of it, explaining that death is a part of life.
‘Did you talk to your girlfriend?’ Nash asks.
‘I haven’t been able to reach her. I called her before I got on the plane, but she hasn’t called back. Or maybe she did. I don’t have my phone so I don’t know.’
‘Here.’ He unlocks his phone and hands it to me.
I call her and get her voicemail. ‘She’s not picking up. She almost always picks up. I hope she’s okay.’
‘Did you guys have a fight?’
‘No. We went to our high school reunion last night and had a really good time. We ended up staying at the hotel where they had the reunion. She seemed kind of off when I told her goodbye this morning, but I think she was just stressed because she was worried she’d miss her flight.’ I look at Nash. ‘Why’d you call her my girlfriend? Last time we talked I wasn’t even dating her.’
‘But I could tell you wanted to. I was thinking maybe you two had gotten together by now. So how’s that going to work? Is she moving, or are you?’
‘She wants to move to New York, but I think it’s too soon.We’ve only been on a few dates.’
‘But you’ve known her forever. It’s not like you just met.’
‘But we’re older now. We’re different than we were in high school, and she just got out of her marriage.’
‘Sounds like you’ve got a lot of excuses for why you two can’t be together.’
‘They aren’t excuses. They’re facts. I don’t want her moving to New York and then regretting it.’
‘Are you sureyou’renot the one feeling that way?’
‘I want her to move there. I asked her to.’
