is.”
His apology impressed me. But as my eyes fell on Maddie’s empty chair, my smile faded. I sensed I had some apologizing to do as well.
The SUV pulled up to what I assumed was Maddie’s apartment building. We’d already dropped off Dane, and now it was just the three of us with our agents. Maddie hadn’t said much when she’d returned to the table, and she remained aloof as she opened the car door. “Bye, guys.”
“Wait.” I scooted closer to her. “I’ll walk you in.”
Brad opened his door, preparing to follow us.
Maddie paused. “No worries,” she said. “Don’t want to make a big production.”
I frowned. “And I don’t want Secret Service to kill chivalry. C’mon, I’ll walk you.” When I scooted over again, she sighed.
“Fine.”
Her clipped tone made my heart thump. Why was she angry with me? I glanced at Lucia before I climbed out, and she seemed equally perplexed.
I jammed my hands in my coat pockets as I followed Maddie to her building. My breath practically turned to ice crystals as I exhaled, and I wondered why anyone would want to live here. Baltimore was way colder than Houston, but nowhere near as bad as the Midwest. Brad remained a respectful distance behind us.
We went inside and in no time arrived at her door. Maddie almost had her key in the lock when I said, “Wait.” She kept looking down. “Please?”
“It was good meeting you.” Her voice shook.
“Maddie?” She still wouldn’t look at me. “I think I hurt your feelings back there, and I, I’m really sorry.”
She looked up at me as a tear slid down her face.
No! “I did. I did hurt your feelings. Oh, Maddie, please forgive me. I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m a total mess—”
“No, you were fine. It’s me who’s the mess.” She swiped the back of her hand across her cheek. “I never cry like this. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
I huffed out a breath, disgusted with myself. “I have that effect on women, apparently.”
“I should’ve stayed home. I knew I’d only bring people down tonight.”
“You didn’t bring me down. If anything, I was the one darkening everyone’s moods. I shouldn’t have said anything about black people—I clearly should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“You have no idea what it’s like to be black in this culture,” she said sharply. Then her voice softened. “But you’re right about growing up in a single-parent household. It’s not easy.”
My eyebrows drew together. She’d said her dad had stayed, right? “What do you mean? I thought…” My heart seized when a sob escaped her throat.
She clasped her hand over her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Gotta go.” She turned the key and darted inside before I could stop her. “Tell your sister thanks.” Then the door closed.
I looked at Brad, who shrugged.
What the hell just happened? I closed my eyes as I exhaled. “Good job, imbécil .”
Chapter Five
I T H AD B EEN T HREE W HOLE W EEKS now since Jaylon had broken up with me, and I still dissolved into tears every time I thought of him. Feminists everywhere were likely peering down their noses at my pathetic response to a simple breakup. Where was my cheerful disposition? My competitive fire? Those had disappeared along with my dignity.
And how embarrassing that I’d cried in front of Alejandro not once, but twice. I wished I could’ve been stronger around him, though I wasn’t sure why I cared so much about his opinion of me. He’d seen me at my worst two weeks ago, and he must have thought I was a delicate little flower. No wonder he’d questioned whether I could make it as a doctor.
As I stared at the incomplete p-chem lab report on my laptop, I had the same doubts about my abilities. We’d studied phase transitions in the lab yesterday, melting a chemical from solid to liquid, and I couldn’t help but compare that little glob of gallium to my own life. If all went as planned, soon I’d transition
His apology impressed me. But as my eyes fell on Maddie’s empty chair, my smile faded. I sensed I had some apologizing to do as well.
The SUV pulled up to what I assumed was Maddie’s apartment building. We’d already dropped off Dane, and now it was just the three of us with our agents. Maddie hadn’t said much when she’d returned to the table, and she remained aloof as she opened the car door. “Bye, guys.”
“Wait.” I scooted closer to her. “I’ll walk you in.”
Brad opened his door, preparing to follow us.
Maddie paused. “No worries,” she said. “Don’t want to make a big production.”
I frowned. “And I don’t want Secret Service to kill chivalry. C’mon, I’ll walk you.” When I scooted over again, she sighed.
“Fine.”
Her clipped tone made my heart thump. Why was she angry with me? I glanced at Lucia before I climbed out, and she seemed equally perplexed.
I jammed my hands in my coat pockets as I followed Maddie to her building. My breath practically turned to ice crystals as I exhaled, and I wondered why anyone would want to live here. Baltimore was way colder than Houston, but nowhere near as bad as the Midwest. Brad remained a respectful distance behind us.
We went inside and in no time arrived at her door. Maddie almost had her key in the lock when I said, “Wait.” She kept looking down. “Please?”
“It was good meeting you.” Her voice shook.
“Maddie?” She still wouldn’t look at me. “I think I hurt your feelings back there, and I, I’m really sorry.”
She looked up at me as a tear slid down her face.
No! “I did. I did hurt your feelings. Oh, Maddie, please forgive me. I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m a total mess—”
“No, you were fine. It’s me who’s the mess.” She swiped the back of her hand across her cheek. “I never cry like this. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
I huffed out a breath, disgusted with myself. “I have that effect on women, apparently.”
“I should’ve stayed home. I knew I’d only bring people down tonight.”
“You didn’t bring me down. If anything, I was the one darkening everyone’s moods. I shouldn’t have said anything about black people—I clearly should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“You have no idea what it’s like to be black in this culture,” she said sharply. Then her voice softened. “But you’re right about growing up in a single-parent household. It’s not easy.”
My eyebrows drew together. She’d said her dad had stayed, right? “What do you mean? I thought…” My heart seized when a sob escaped her throat.
She clasped her hand over her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Gotta go.” She turned the key and darted inside before I could stop her. “Tell your sister thanks.” Then the door closed.
I looked at Brad, who shrugged.
What the hell just happened? I closed my eyes as I exhaled. “Good job, imbécil .”
Chapter Five
I T H AD B EEN T HREE W HOLE W EEKS now since Jaylon had broken up with me, and I still dissolved into tears every time I thought of him. Feminists everywhere were likely peering down their noses at my pathetic response to a simple breakup. Where was my cheerful disposition? My competitive fire? Those had disappeared along with my dignity.
And how embarrassing that I’d cried in front of Alejandro not once, but twice. I wished I could’ve been stronger around him, though I wasn’t sure why I cared so much about his opinion of me. He’d seen me at my worst two weeks ago, and he must have thought I was a delicate little flower. No wonder he’d questioned whether I could make it as a doctor.
As I stared at the incomplete p-chem lab report on my laptop, I had the same doubts about my abilities. We’d studied phase transitions in the lab yesterday, melting a chemical from solid to liquid, and I couldn’t help but compare that little glob of gallium to my own life. If all went as planned, soon I’d transition
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