Page 93 of Off the Wall

“I had to go, Cash.”

I freeze in place, then turn to face him again slowly.

“To Vortex,” he says, coming toward me, shoulders hunched.

“I know where you went and what you meant.” I stuff my hands in my pockets. “I also get it. They offered me a big guarantee too. Hard to turn down.”

“It was never about the guarantee for me.” Alex shakes his head. “Although the pay increase doesn’t suck.”

“I’ll bet.” I work up a crooked smile. “Anyway, you did me a favor,” I say. “If you’d stuck around like we’d planned, I wouldn’t have pushed so hard for the LA territory.”

“I heard about that. Finally living the dream, huh?”

“Yeah.” Even as I say this, though, Nori’s hazel eyes flash before me.

We’re a whole hand now.

Let’s be friends.

“I’m glad things are working out for you,” Alex says. “But I went to Vortex for me.”

I smirk. “No kidding.”

“I’m serious.” Alex gulps. “If I’d stayed with Powell, I was never gonna get out from under your shadow. You were the man there. The only rep who’d experienced spine surgery firsthand. And I just … couldn’t compete.”

“What are you talking about?” I scoff. “We had the territory on lock. You were great.Wewere great together.” I take a beat. “I thought we were friends.”

“We were. Sure. But at work, I was the junior partner.Youwere Cash Briggs. Jason’s favorite. The doctors’ favorite. Nurses. Scrub techs. Front desk staff. Everybody’s favorite.”

I pull down my brow. “Come on, man.”

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

“Listen.” I splay my hands. “I have no clue how other reps rank in Jason’s heart. I just try to put my head down, go to work, and do my best.”

“And it only took you two months of doing that on your own for you to land that spot in LA,” he says. “So I guess you really are better off without me.”

I inhale deeply. No point in arguing with the man. “For the record, I never wanted a leg up on anyone. I just broke my back.”

Alex bobs his head. “I know it. And that’s what sets you apart.”

“Maybe.”

“What I’m trying to say is … I’m lucky I got to work with you for as long as I did. I was trained by the best. You’re the only reason Vortex wanted me.”

I swallow against the lump in my throat. “I don’t think that’s true, but thanks, man. Means a lot.” I jerk my chin toward the elevator. “Now you’d better get out of here, or Dr. Lu’s gonna have your head.”

“You know it.” Alex’s mouth quirks, and he presses the button. “And this conversation never happened.”

We fall quiet, and I wait with him until the doors ding open and he disappears. Afterward, as I make my way to the vending machines, and my shoulders feel looser than they have in a while. For months now, I’ve been ignoring the tightness in my gut, the weight of yet another person I trusted leaving me.

Alex and I had a plan for the future. When our vision came to an abrupt end, that took its toll inside and out. I had to carry on, though. The alternative—giving up—wasn’tan option. Alex had his reasons for what he did. I see that now.

Time to move on.

After snagging cookies and chips from the vending machine, I head back to Lauren’s room. At the nurse’s station, I make a pitstop to confirm the anesthesiologist will be checking on her soon. Then I hang out in the hallway scarfing my food. Lauren can’t eat right now, so snacking in front of her would be, frankly, cruel.

There’s also the fact that I’m not in a real hurry to get back in there. As comfortable as I am on the surgical floor, I’m a total outsider in the maternity wing.

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