Page 69 of My Heart To Heal

‘He’s busy right now, honey. I’m sorry.’

I catch Cara’s attention as her lips purse, and I know she wants to say something, tell me to go to Nick and take Jonah, but she doesn’t.

‘I should be getting back. I left Bowie and Doug in the kitchen, so they’re probably both on a sugar high by now.’

I smile and stand to hug my friend, then thank her for picking Jonah up before saying goodbye and sending Jonah to queue upEncanto. Tonight calls for take-out and Disney.

As Mirabel sings her little heart out on screen, my attention is yanked to the sound of a knock at my door. His knock.

I heard him come home a little earlier, but Jonah and I were eating, and I didn’t know what I would say, so I tried to ignore it, but I’ve been unable tofocus on anything but seeing him or talking to him since then.

I take a deep breath and sit forward. ‘I’ll be right back, baby.’ I kiss Jonah’s head and make my way to the door. ‘Nick.’ My voice comes out way more panicked and desperate than I intended.

‘What the fuck, Marissa?’ I inhale sharply. I hate him calling me that. I want him to call me Missy, Miss, honey — any one of the sweet and sexy names he’s called me, but not that. Not what Bax calls me. ‘You are a real piece of work. You know that?’

I swallow hard and step forward, pulling the door mostly closed behind me.

‘Nick, please.’

‘No.’ I notice that he lowered his voice, and that he thought of Jonah makes this all so much harder. ‘I’m not going to be a pawn in your little game.’

‘I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t fair…’

‘Wasn’t fair?’ He releases a laugh. ‘You used me.’

‘Nick, I’m sorry.’

‘I didn’t understand. I thought we were good together and now it all makes so much fuckin’ sense. You stay away from me, okay? We’re not friends.’

‘Nick, I’m sorry. I just…’

‘All this time, you were telling me you didn’t want a relationship, but you just didn’t want onewith me. You were just biding your time untilheshowed up,huh? Using me to make him jealous, calling me your fuckingboyfriend,then inviting him to stay for the weekend. Nice, Missy, real classy.’

‘What?’ He’s got it so wrong. ‘No, Nick, that’s not it.’

‘Save it, we’re done.’

‘Please let me explain.’

‘I don’t want to hear it, Missy. You aren’t who I thought you were. I just hope you’re happy now you’ve got what you want.’

‘Nick, listen,please.’ I reach for his arm, and he yanks it away as the door opens behind me.

‘Nick.’ Jonah runs out, still in his scrubs, and wraps his arms around Nick’s legs. Emotion closes my throat as my friendly neighborhood vet lowers to a crouch.

‘Hey, bud.’ He takes in my son’s attire with a soft smile. ‘Look at you.’

‘I missed you.’

I see the emotion and the affection in Nick’s eyes.

‘I missed you too, bud. I’ve just been so busy lately.’

‘Can I come to work with you?’

Nick releases a breath and shakes his head. ‘Not right now, little man. Maybe soon.’ Jonah nods, and Nick stands, ruffling my boy’s hair the way he always does. ‘I have to go, kiddo. I have some errands to run, okay?’

‘Okay.’

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