Chapter Ten
Kady
“Hold on, sweet baby,” I whisper, cradling the one-week-old lab puppy that was dropped off at the clinic with his sisters overnight. He squeaks and burrows around my hand, looking for his food. After placing the warm rice sock on my lap, I set him on top and hold him steady as I give him the bottle. He latches on quickly and begins eating as I lean back in the chair and sigh. With my free hand, I gently run my finger up his nose between his eyes as a yawn sneaks up on me.
“Tired?” Hannah asks, walking into the back room and I nod.
“Dr. Hebert called me in at five when he found these little babies in the box outside.”
She nods as she sits down next to me. “You going to be here all night?”
“No. He called Maggie in to take over for me since they have to be fed every two hours and I need a break.”
“So sweet,” she murmurs, petting the tiny little baby for a moment before she sighs. “How long do I have to wait before I ask how things went with Noah last night?”
I laugh. “I didn’t realize there was a time limit.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. Also, I brought you some lunch.” She sets a bag of fast food down on the table and my stomach growls.
“You might have to take over while I eat,” I tell her and she holds her hands out. We transfer the puppy over to Hannah’s lap despite his protests but he quiets down again as soon as the bottle is in his mouth and she meets my gaze as I pull a burger out of the bag.
“Spill it, woman. It took all my strength not to call you last night and demand answers.”
I arch a brow. “Wow. And you managed to wait until noon before you ambushed me. I’m impressed.”
“It wasn’t by choice. I had too much to do up front and we had back to back patients all morning. I thought I was going to die.”
“You poor thing,” I quip as I take a bite of my burger and she shoots me a glare.
“Start. Talking. Woman.”
I sigh. “Fine, but it wasn’t that interesting. We fought… like always.”
“Oh, hell no. Details, Kady. I need fucking details,” she growls and Lauren, one of the techs, glances over at us before turning back to her work.
“Fine,” I growl, lowering my voice. “After you left, he asked how he had hurt me in the past, which led to this whole thing about how everything he did back then was for himself.”
She winces. “Ouch.”
“Yeah, maybe I was a little harsh on that one but the resentment I felt toward him, no matter how misguided it was, is hard to shake off.”
“Understandably,” she agrees.
“So, then he pins me to the counter and I was just too drained from our friend in the parking lot to fight him anymore and he started asking what happened to me.”
She nods and I can see the wheels turning in her head.
“What, Han? Just spit it out.”
“Well,” she muses, setting the empty bottle down on the table. “Go with me on this for a second but why can’t you tell him the truth? I mean, now that you’re certain Oliver has found you.”
I sigh. “You mean besides the fact that he would blame himself or it would hurt him?”
“I knew it.” She grins. “I knew you still had feelings for him.”
“Yeah, yeah. I feel like it was the worst kept secret of all time but back to the other topic. The main reason I can’t tell him is because if he knew, he’d get himself sent back to jail in a heartbeat. You remember what he was like back then if he thought anyone even looked at me sideways.”
“Maybe he’s matured over the past seven years.”
I shake my head. “And maybe he hasn’t.”
“Okay, fine,” she answers with a sigh. “I suppose those are good points but, at some point, you have to tell him, Kady. It involves him, too.”
Staring down at my lap, I nod. “I know.”
“Did anything else happen?” she asks after a few seconds and I nod as I take a deep breath. This part, I’m not proud of.
“He kissed me.”
“What?” she screeches, reaching out and grabbing my arm.
“And then I kissed him.”
Her eyes widen and she grins. “This is even better than I imagined.”
“Will you stop reveling in my misery?” I snap and she turns to me with a dramatic scowl.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Is it so hard for the love of your life to hunt you down and tell you that he’s still madly in love with you?”
I cross my arms over my chest and sink further into my chair. “He didn’t put it quite like that.”
“Ah,” she says, her grin returning. “But he did say those three magic words, didn’t he?”
“Yes! Okay? Yes, he did and in case you’ve forgotten, I still have a boyfriend. A boyfriend that I cheated on last night. I’m not a cheater, Hannah.”
She rubs the puppy’s back gently as she shrugs. “The word cheating sounds so minuscule when you use it to describe you and Noah. What the two of you have… it’s…”
“Okay, I think that’s enough of this conversation. I knew you were Team Noah but damn, girl.”
“What?” she asks. “I can’t help it. Noah looks at you like you personally make the sun rise and set in his world. Every morning that he wakes up, it’s for you, Kady. No one could compete with that, not even a great guy like Mason.”
“Yeah, well, I’m still not sure that it’s a good idea for me to get involved with him.”
She glares at me as she stands up and puts the puppy back in the kennel with his sisters. When she sits down again, she crosses her arms over her chest and studies me.
“So, you’re just going to keep dating Mason even though you don’t love him the way you love Noah?”
I chew on my bottom lip as I peek up at her. “Maybe I could love him. One day. It would be safer and easier all around.”
“Um, who the fuck are you and what have you done with my best friend? You never take the safe or easy route.”
“And look where that got me,” I quip and her face falls. After a few seconds, she shakes her head.
“Don’t let that rule your whole life, Kady. It was a terrible, awful thing that happened to you but don’t let it steal the rest of the years that you have left on this earth. And if you do decide to follow your heart and choose Noah, he’ll face down whatever comes your way with you. He’s not going anywhere this time.”
I study her for a second before nodding. “I love you, Han. You’re the best friend a girl could ask for.”
“Shit,” she says as she blushes. “You flatter me.”
I laugh and she nudges me with her shoulder.
“One thing, though. Whatever you decide with Noah, I think you need to end things with Mason. I’m fairly certain that the boy is falling in love with you and he’s too decent of a guy for you to string him along.”
I nod, remembering his confession of love the other night. She’s right. Mason and me are a separate issue than Noah and me - one that I need to deal with as soon as possible. Hell, maybe it’ll even give me some clarity.