Andrea just told me that Ted’s coming back soon. He’s awake—that’s good—but he won’t be alone, and he’ll probably be loopy. So pull yourself together for him. Can you do that?”
Jeff nodded.
“Good,” she said. “Go.”
As he went, she finally turned back to Thomas. The elevator was starting to beep because he’d held the door open for too long.
She stepped forward, pushing him back and holding the door open with her hip as she reached in to jab the button for the main lobby, because that noise had to stop.
Of course, it didn’t. It wouldn’t until the doors shut.
“Tasha,” Thomas said again. “I didn’t know.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“I’ll wait for you,” he said, “in the hotel lobby.”
“Wow,” Tasha said. “Now you’ll wait. Now that you don’t have to trust me. That’s just great. Good to know.” She glanced down the hallway, because she knew she had to be in the room before the hospital aides brought Ted back. “I gotta go make sure Jeff doesn’t... I gotta...” God, she was so frustrated, her tears were back. Damn it.
“Tash,” he said again, this time reaching out for her.
But she stopped him with an upheld hand. “Don’t even.”
He stepped back.
“Maybe you should just go with Dave and Rio,” Tasha told him. “All you had to do was trust me, all I wanted was a few hours. But you wouldn’t or you couldn’t—and I’m not sure which is worse. God, Thomas, I don’t know what this is between us, if it doesn’t include such a small, almost miniscule amount of trust. It’s definitely not what I thought it was, so... Yeah. Go back to California. I could use a little time—and space. Right now, my friends need me, and I’ve got to go.”
And with that she stepped back, and as the elevator doors slid toward each other, Thomas stood there looking back at her, his heart in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“Me, too.” As the doors closed with a clunk, she turned away, heading back to Ted’s hospital room, brusquely brushing away her tears.
Chapter Thirty-One
Early Thursday
It was hours later, nearly two in the morning, before Andrea dropped Tasha off at the hotel.
It had been a long, long night, but she was still marveling over the fact that, essentially, she’d nearly died because the internet thought she wasn’t skinny enough.
“You’re all checked in, room 508,” the queen’s assistant briskly said as she handed Tash the key card and three of the shopping bags. “That’s pajamas, fresh undergarments, an outfit for tomorrow. The room is equipped with toiletries, but if you need anything else, just give me a call—wait.” She dug into her handbag and pulled out a phone. “New phone—your old number. Your contacts have been uploaded. Don’t forget to set a passcode.”
“Thanks, Andrea.” Tasha got out of the car.
“Call me if you need anything,” the woman reiterated.
Tasha had to hit a buzzer to get the doors to open via the tired-looking person who stumbled out to the front desk. Andrea waited until she was safely inside before she drove off, heading back to the hospital, no doubt.
The hotel lobby was nice. It was decorated in clean lines and bold colors. At this time of night it was empty, save for the sagging front desk clerk.
And Thomas.
Her always-hopeful heart skipped a beat.
He’d been sitting near the entrance, clearly waiting for her, because he stood now as she came in.
He’d showered and changed. He was wearing a pair of nicely worn jeans and a Coronado T-shirt under a Patriots hoodie that he must’ve picked up at a gas station nearby.
She didn’t wait for him to start. She dove in, headfirst, herself. “I know you love me. You said you do, and I believe you, so what was that? I also know you hate hospitals, and maybe being there started you spinning, but on what planet do you think, after everything that happened, after everything I told you, after the way we made love, that I’d suddenly go Huh, looks like the prince is into me after all. Guess I’ll choose him instead of the man I’ve loved forever.”
Thomas had the good sense not to try to argue. He just nodded. “You’re right.”
“You didn’t trust me,” she continued. “I asked you to and you didn’t. Give me one good reason I should listen to anything you have to say.”
“Okay,” he said. “Okay. How’s... I believed you thought you were right about Ted. I didn’t doubt that for an instant, but I thought you were mistaken because I