that he was having a hard time talking about it, before he swallowed and kept his statement simple.
“I saved his life.” He signed and set the pen down on the counter, turning his body to face me fully. “He died on the table and I brought him back.”
My gaze bounced from one of his eyes to the other, but I was still unable to make out what I saw in them. “Why?”
“It’s my job.” He sighed softly but never broke eye contact with me. “You know who I am, how seriously I take my job, and why I got into it in the first place. I couldn’t just let him go.”
Something that looked a lot like regret suddenly clouded his irises, and I knew he knew what I hadn’t asked him to do. I also knew he knew why I’d even thought it. Clearly, he felt bad about not doing it.
The problem was that I didn’t know how to feel about it. Guilt or no, part of me still kind of wanted to not have to worry about a custody battle when my child would be in actual danger if he won. Maybe that made me psycho, but maybe it just made a mom. No mother wanted their child in danger, but especially not from someone who only wanted to see them to fuck with you.
“I do know who you are, and I adore that person,” I said, keeping my voice low enough that no one passing by would be able to overhear me. “But I also know that this was a way out, and you brought him back to life.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgment. “It was a way out, and I did bring him back to life. But I wouldn’t have been the person I was if I handled it any other way.”
“I know.” I crossed my arms to hug my chest as a shiver passed through me. “I just have mixed feelings about it. This could’ve all been over. Adi would never have had to go through a lawsuit in which she’s the subject matter.”
“True.” His chin lifted a fraction of an inch higher. “I’m not apologizing for saving him.”
“I’m not asking you to.” Moisture started burning the backs of my eyes. “But I have to go. I need some time to process everything that happened today.”
“Fair enough.” Slowly bringing his hands out of his pockets, he burrowed one of them between my arms to squeeze my hand while the other went to my hip. Green eyes blazing intently into mine, he took a step closer until our chests were touching. “Call me when you’re ready to talk.”
“I will,” I promised, my throat closing as I tried to choke back tears. I didn’t understand why I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to cry, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it in much longer.
With one last teary-eyed look at the man I was pretty sure I’d been falling in love with, I wrenched out of his grip and took off back toward the parking lot. I didn’t go to my car though.
There was still about an hour before Adi’s regular dinner time, so I had plenty of time to try to make sense of what I was feeling enough to reel it in before I got to my sister’s place. Since it was still warm and nice out, I decided to take a walk in an attempt to clear my head.
When that didn’t work, I realized I needed to talk this out with someone. The nearest seat was a bus bench, but that would have to do.
As I made myself small in a corner, I pulled my phone out and called Luna. If there had ever been a time I needed my friend, this was it.
“Hey, you,” she chirped into the phone when she answered. “How are you? How’re things going with the hot doctor?”
The tears from earlier jumped back into my eyes at the sound of her voice. They burst out of me when I told her everything that had happened. Cyrus’s voice came over the line next. I had no idea if he’d been listening all the time or if she’d put me on speaker at some point during the story, but I was actually kind of happy he was there.
“Craig is the biggest piece of shit in the world,” he declared. “I’m not surprised you thought what you did, nor do I think you have anything to feel guilty about.”