Page 62 of Heal Me
“Make me laugh. I need to laugh.”Shit.That wasn’t what he’d intended to say, but it seemed as though the booze was already making him sentimental.
Her forehead puckered with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Sure. I’m just bored and tired and my mind won’t shut down. Were you busy working?” he asked.
“You don’t look very good,” Emily said.
“Bad lighting and I’m working on getting drunk. I need to relieve some stress.”
Sympathy shone in Emily’s hazel eyes. “Tyler’s been the same way with trying to juggle everything with the hospital and fighting this takeover attempt.”
Ric snorted. “I’m about ready to say fuck it and just let them have it.”
Shock crossed Emily’s features right before the picture shifted to show Tyler. Ric recognized Emily and Tyler’s bedroom now.
“What did you say?” Tyler asked, an odd look in his silver eyes.
“Shit. I didn’t know you were there.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I’m tired, Ty, and the fact is that I miss home. God, listen to me whine. Don’t mind me. I’m half-drunk. You know how I get.”
Emily said, “Ric, don’t blow smoke up our asses. This doesn’t sound like you, drunk or not. What’s wrong?”
His eyes filled with tears. “Kate and I broke up. At least, I’m pretty sure we’re through.”
Tyler must have pushed the laptop back farther on the bed because Ric could see both of them now. They looked at each other in surprise.
“Since when?” Emily asked.
Ric took a swig of scotch. “Friday.”
“Start at the beginning,” Tyler said, matter-of-factly.
Taking a steadying breath, Ric said, “Ty, you know that I was in love with Lizzie.”
Tyler nodded. “You told me. But that was a while ago now.”
Ric let out a mirthless laugh. “I loved her because she was so full of life and brightened up any room she was in. Hayley reminds me so much of her.”
Emily smiled. “Yes, she does.”
“I tried not to love Lizzie after she led me on, played with my feelings when she needed me, but I never got over her. When she died, I almost hated her too. She thought life was one big joke. She took so many risks and didn’t care who she hurt along the way. A piece of my heart went with her,” Ric said. “I swore that I was never going to fall in love again and threw myself into my work.”
Tyler said, “I know exactly what you mean. But then Kate came along, right?”
“Yeah. Out of the blue here comes this goddess in jeans, walking into your house that day and that was that. I just had to see her again,” Ric said. “I know that things happened fast, but what I feel for Kate is so strong and real.”
“If you love Kate so much, why would you break up with her?” Emily asked.
Gritting his teeth to keep from breaking into sobs, Ric got a hold on his emotions and told them everything. By the time he got to the end of the story, he felt a little lighter, but was just as miserable. “So the ball is in her court,” he concluded. “And most likely, she’s going to tell me to go to hell, or not talk to me at all.”
Emily crossed her arms, resting them on her large belly. “I wouldn’t blame her, Ric. I don’t like the idea of her mountain climbing, either, but it’s not my place to tell her she can’t. Besides, what would happen if everyone decided that keeping safe was better than helping others. Where would our rescue team or our world be? It’s not yours, either. Kate loves it because her dad taught her and her cousins when they were kids. Then her Dad died. That’s why she grew up with her cousins. She feels close to her father when she climbs and closer to God, so she told me. You can’t just ask her to give up something that means so much to her without talking it out.”
Ric ran his hands nervously along his thighs. “We did talk about it. I asked her to give it up, she said she won’t, and I can’t be with someone who takes such risks with her life. When Robert called me that day, I thought he was going to tell me that Kate was dead. I can’t go through that again. I just can’t.”
Tyler blew out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “Ric, Ric, Ric. When you love someone you have to love all of them. You don’t let fear overrule that. We don’t know what’s going to happen down the road. Bad things happen to people when they’re doing the most ordinary things. You broke your ankle just getting out of your car. That’s not a dangerous activity, but you got hurt.”
“Hell, Phil was killed driving to the store to pick up ice-cream,” Emily added.
“I understand that,” Ric said. “But constantly putting yourself in life-threatening situations is far different than having an accident. Kate was forty feet in the air. Forty feet! And she hand glides and cliff dives! She craves danger and I just can’t be with someone who I’m going to constantly be worrying about. Not again. Could you guys?”
