cel

doing something very c

nfetti, music, fireworks. The kind of ridiculou

lly gettin

by.

e if they had his dark gray eyes or my stubborn mouth.

an, Bloom, Tristan. I filed them away carefully, like preci

ot notice the tears. Not until h

waist, you might want to be ready

apped back

h

l

ll locked tig

quickly unwrapped myself, ne

ldn't need a neurologist for that anyway. More like an ortho

for him

he d

at, hitting the floor between us and dying there. My

elf back

y hair with my fingers, though it was useless. By the tim

calm, and

ng had eve

e. My hair was a mess, my makeup was smudged, and I had cûm I wa

om before everyone realized I had ju

u," I blu

had just witnessed what happened between us, it must've s

?" Mr. Vitali asked, b

he had to m

y, slipping back into my pr

s again, he cut in. "Is this your fi

ic

what that

pt for the fact that I knew nothing about his family history or

said quickly, then fr

like I wasn't worth any more of his

r from the floor, shoved it into my bag w

peared. Just as my hand touched the handle, his voi

c, thanking a man a

ept up

e strange and awkward. Before I could say anything,

ve i

d. "Leav

htened. "Th

mach d

me dizzy. Why would he want that? The thought alone made

mething els

thing, ju

him, compared to what I was walking away wi

ot the gre

reached in and pulled the shredded white fabric free. I held

I did not w

o fast, heart pounding too hard, my chest tight with f

not lo

did, I migh

a luxury I cou

eady carrying ever

*

NTH LA

I could already picture the look on Corey's face when I told her. The shock first, then the

forgive

bab

of news you shared over the phone or through text messages. T

who smiled politely. I smiled back and grabbed my purse, still ridin

up, in the small breaks between work, and in the way my han

the best possible way, and tha

e moment she saw me. "I was star

" I said, sliding onto

ained and paid her bills without draining the life out of her. Corey had never liked the idea of sitting in

my world,

e asked, grinning wide and unapologetic. "Because th

God, I had

said, setting a menu in fro

e w

can

o I have to tell you those coffees or whatever it i

I said lightly and smil

sliding a drink to a customer before turning b

en work all through, but it's differ

Okay, now you have my

was

just as I was about to speak, a male coworker who had

talking, mo

goddamn business, Jake," She fire

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Thankfully,

Vegas who needed special evalu

"Already sound

ontinued. "That patient turned out to

ft Vegas the morning after the final evaluation. New York wa

nd busy. And busy was good. Distance was even

verything worked the way I planned, I would already have my chil

oubt cam

it did

risked everyth

ays, and pretending I wasn't scared. I would lie awake at night, resting my hand

est turned

there on my ba

shaking hands and laughter that scared even me. I was

nt?" Corey asked after p

ctive hand on my stomach, even though t

gasped loudly. "No way, Mar

way,

urn across the club. A fellow cowor

without looking and r

and hugged me tight. "Oh my God. Oh my God

to her shoul

new eve

he had tried to set me up with men before, but it never worked.

so hard her cheeks must h

can't," I

h again and smiled even wider. "R

two shots, and downed them one at a time. "Okay. Tell

man who had no idea what he had given me. Then finall