I’d parked. Not even five seconds had passed before he fell in step beside me and we walked through the parking lot silently. He stayed with me as I approached my car and I glanced around at the others parked around me.
“Where’s your car?”
He jerked his head in the direction his sister had gone. “Over there.”
I stared at him, confused. “Then why did you come this way?”
He rolled his eyes as he reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck. “So you wouldn’t have to walk alone, Amanda.”
I blinked several times before taking a step forward. One of my hands absentmindedly came up to sit at my stomach and I bit my lip.
“Matt.”
He shook his head. “Don’t say anything, okay? It seems every time I’ve moved past us, we do something that resets all of my progress. I want us to be friends but I need to keep that distinction. I really just didn’t want to let you walk across the parking lot at one in the morning by yourself.”
I snapped my mouth closed. In that moment I had wanted to tell him about the baby, maybe even declare my love for him, but he was right. He was in a good place and he had a girlfriend that made him happy. I gave him a jerky nod and pulled the door to my car open.
“Thank you,” I said quietly as climbed in. “Goodnight.” Shutting the door, I started my car and steered it out of the parking lot. I glanced in the review mirror and saw Matt where I’d left him, just watching me drive away.
Chapter Six
A week later I stood in the doorway to David’s hospital room. He was sitting up in his bed, just watching something on TV while Sydney did something on the laptop in front of her. He looked better than I had imagined in my head, although he was paler than I’d like. He wasn’t wearing the hospital gowns other people were, but instead he had a gray button-up shirt on with the sleeve of his injured arm empty. He was also wearing a pair of sleep shorts and I couldn’t help notice that his bare toenails were painted a light pink color, probably thanks to his daughter. I knocked quietly and both heads snapped up to look at me, a smile hitting both of their faces.
“Hey guys. Is now an okay time? I come bearing clean clothes.” I held up a duffle bag that I’d brought for them.
Sydney shut her laptop with a nod and David switched off the TV before gesturing me in. “Definitely. Come on in.”
I did as he said and gave Sydney a hug before moving to do the same to David. I hugged him as gently as possible, but he wasn’t having it and instead pulled me to him tightly. I fought back the urge to cry as I remembered everything that had gone on this past week, and David must of sensed it because he let me go while shaking his head.
“I’m fine, Amanda. They say that I’m healing nicely.”
I took a step back and nodded at his words as I wiped a single tear that had escaped. “Don’t get shot again, okay?”
David laughed. “You sound like her.” He pointed towards Sydney and I looked back at her with a smile.
She wasn’t as amused as her boyfriend as she met my eyes. “He won’t or else I’ll kill him. Can you stay with him for a minute so I can go talk to my boss?”
David scoffed. “I don’t need a babysitter, Tink.”
Sydney held my gaze as she ignored David, and I nodded as I sat in the chair next to his bed. “I’m gonna hang out for a few. Go.”
Sydney smiled and gave David a long kiss. “I’ll be back.”
He watched her retreating figure before looking back to me. “She’s kind of intimidating when she’s serious. All of my nurses are scared shitless of her.”
I laughed. “She just loves you, is all.”
“Yeah, I love her, too.” David looked at me. “And you, too. Thank you for all you did while we were apart.”
I shrugged. I hadn’t told anyone that David and I had kept in touch by text since that night he found Sydney at the bar. He had wanted to know how Syd was from afar while giving her the space she needed and I was
“Where’s your car?”
He jerked his head in the direction his sister had gone. “Over there.”
I stared at him, confused. “Then why did you come this way?”
He rolled his eyes as he reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck. “So you wouldn’t have to walk alone, Amanda.”
I blinked several times before taking a step forward. One of my hands absentmindedly came up to sit at my stomach and I bit my lip.
“Matt.”
He shook his head. “Don’t say anything, okay? It seems every time I’ve moved past us, we do something that resets all of my progress. I want us to be friends but I need to keep that distinction. I really just didn’t want to let you walk across the parking lot at one in the morning by yourself.”
I snapped my mouth closed. In that moment I had wanted to tell him about the baby, maybe even declare my love for him, but he was right. He was in a good place and he had a girlfriend that made him happy. I gave him a jerky nod and pulled the door to my car open.
“Thank you,” I said quietly as climbed in. “Goodnight.” Shutting the door, I started my car and steered it out of the parking lot. I glanced in the review mirror and saw Matt where I’d left him, just watching me drive away.
Chapter Six
A week later I stood in the doorway to David’s hospital room. He was sitting up in his bed, just watching something on TV while Sydney did something on the laptop in front of her. He looked better than I had imagined in my head, although he was paler than I’d like. He wasn’t wearing the hospital gowns other people were, but instead he had a gray button-up shirt on with the sleeve of his injured arm empty. He was also wearing a pair of sleep shorts and I couldn’t help notice that his bare toenails were painted a light pink color, probably thanks to his daughter. I knocked quietly and both heads snapped up to look at me, a smile hitting both of their faces.
“Hey guys. Is now an okay time? I come bearing clean clothes.” I held up a duffle bag that I’d brought for them.
Sydney shut her laptop with a nod and David switched off the TV before gesturing me in. “Definitely. Come on in.”
I did as he said and gave Sydney a hug before moving to do the same to David. I hugged him as gently as possible, but he wasn’t having it and instead pulled me to him tightly. I fought back the urge to cry as I remembered everything that had gone on this past week, and David must of sensed it because he let me go while shaking his head.
“I’m fine, Amanda. They say that I’m healing nicely.”
I took a step back and nodded at his words as I wiped a single tear that had escaped. “Don’t get shot again, okay?”
David laughed. “You sound like her.” He pointed towards Sydney and I looked back at her with a smile.
She wasn’t as amused as her boyfriend as she met my eyes. “He won’t or else I’ll kill him. Can you stay with him for a minute so I can go talk to my boss?”
David scoffed. “I don’t need a babysitter, Tink.”
Sydney held my gaze as she ignored David, and I nodded as I sat in the chair next to his bed. “I’m gonna hang out for a few. Go.”
Sydney smiled and gave David a long kiss. “I’ll be back.”
He watched her retreating figure before looking back to me. “She’s kind of intimidating when she’s serious. All of my nurses are scared shitless of her.”
I laughed. “She just loves you, is all.”
“Yeah, I love her, too.” David looked at me. “And you, too. Thank you for all you did while we were apart.”
I shrugged. I hadn’t told anyone that David and I had kept in touch by text since that night he found Sydney at the bar. He had wanted to know how Syd was from afar while giving her the space she needed and I was
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