Page 98 of Under Fire

He leaned in and kissed her hair, apologizing for every last thing he’d ever done.

“That’s what I’m about to do, Brooke.”

All he could think of was Alisa.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Alisa

Alisa glanced at the clock in Maria’s car as she rolled up to a certain house in a certain gated community. After everything that had happened, there she was again, looking up at the dark bedroom window where she’d lost herself. Shaking already, she opted to park on the street in front of the house, since there was no chance in hell that she was going to stick around.

“Just give him back his key and be done with it,” she said aloud to herself as she got out of the car.

With Warren’s house key burning in the palm of her hand, she strode toward his house in her green scrubs, still unchanged from her shift. The way she saw it, there was no point in getting dolled up. It wasn’t going to change anything.

The setting sun cast her shadow on his front door as she approached, ready to knock. She fidgeted for a minute, debating whether to ring, knock or just go in. He’d kind of told her to do the latter. Second-guessing herself, she knocked before opening the door, stepping into the cool entryway of his gorgeous home. The scent of his home encased her, already too familiar. It was pleasant and warm. She fought it off, like an unwelcome invitation.

“Hello?” she called out down the empty hall, seeing no one.

Her voice echoed off the hardwood and slate walls, vacant and stony. She was late, but she assumed he was still expecting her.Right?

“Warren?”

Then she heard his heavy steps coming down the stairs. She coiled and twisted in pure anxiety, anticipating their final moments and the words she’d built up in her mind. But the second he turned the corner, smoothing back his freshly washed auburn hair, firing that icy blue gaze at her, she forgot everything she was going to say.

Damn.

“Hi.” She folded her arms tightly, hugging herself into a turtle shell.

“You’re late.” He betrayed no emotion, just studying her.

“I had a meeting after my shift.”

“About.”

“Dr. Zucker offered me a residency,” she said. The reality of it hadn’t even hit yet. “He said he didn’t need anything else to convince him after he saw me with Katy…and you. He said I’ve got a bright future in pediatrics if I keep doing what I did.”

“Holy shit—congratulations. That’s great,” he said. “Here? At this hospital?”

“Yes.”

They fell silent. Alone, once again…after everything. She had to bite her lip to prevent it from trembling, her emotions still running high. He stationed himself not far enough, leaning against the wall, continuing to assess. It bothered her how cool he was. He needed to be more upset, like her.

But he was not.

Stoic, solid, he stared right back, as if to see what she would do, if she would break first. He just reached up, rubbed his chin. The masculine sound of his calloused hands scraping over his rough stubble nearly drove her right into him.

Maybe she was being childish, but she held her ground, watching him, getting angrier by the second. It wasn’t just about how he’d left. It was about how angry she was at herself, how desperately she wanted to sink into him but couldn’t. She couldn’t allow herself to.

“About last night—” Warren started.

She cut him off, flashing her eyes at him. “Look… I have no words for what you’ve done for me, what you did for me today. You protected me. You saved me. I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless.”

“Don’t say anything,” he said. “Just come here—”

“No, I can’t. It’s been way too crazy. This fling? This romance? Neither of us are any good at this. Let’s just stop while we are ahead.”

He remained motionless, waiting for her to continue.

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