Page 99 of The Rules

Dylan winced then nodded, turning away.

“Wait,” she said, touching his sleeve. “Dylan. Listen, I know you were helping Josh out, but Cat’s my best friend, so thank you for taking care of her.”

“I didn’t just do it for Josh. I love Kit Cat.”

Her face softened into a smile. “Everybody does.”

“Yeah.”

“And everybody loves you too.”

“Not everybody.”

She dropped her eyes to the green and white tiled floor, scuffing her winter boot. What could she say to that? She’d tried. She’d wanted to.

When Dylan spoke again his voice was raw. “Seeing them just now, it made me think about a lot of stuff, Dani. Josh would do anything to get back here. To be where Cat needed him. I always thought of it as a huge ask—being responsible for someone like that. But maybe when it’s the right person, it’s not that hard.” His voice dropped to a whisper and his eyes were pleading. “I can do better, Dani.”

“Dylan—”

She took a step back, but he followed. “Wait, Dani, please. Can we just talk?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t. I have to go.” She buttoned her own coat, ignoring the way his face was lined in pain. She wasn’t here to do this with him. What could he possibly say to erase what she’d seen with her own eyes? He’d lied once before, and she wasn’t going to stand here outside of her friend’s hospital room and listen to it again.

But before she walked away she needed him to know something. “You were really good today, Dylan. You’re better than you think you are.”

His shoulders fell and he nodded. “Thanks, Dani-pie.”

Thirty-eight

“Okay. Seriously, Josh, go!” Danikicked the back of Josh’s leg as he stood by Cat’s bedside, fussing over her,still. He’d had his coat on and had been “headed out the door” for the last fifteen minutes.

Cat had been ordered to bed rest, and Josh hadn’t left her side for two weeks. She’d stopped by twice with freezer meals from Sonya and Emma (since she didn’t cook, she’d offered to deliver) and both times she’d found him with his computer and job packets spread out over their bed while Cat slept beside him. He had a whole office on the second floor of their house, but after hearing Dylan’s story, she was less inclined to roll her eyes at him.

Today he had a meeting he couldn’t get out of, though. Dani had taken the day off to hang with her, but even so, she could tell Josh was nervous to leave the house. She hip-checked him out of the way and plopped down on the bed beside Cat with a pint of ice cream and two spoons. “I got this,” she told him sincerely. “Now please leave so we can talk about you.”

“Okay,” he said, his hands up in surrender. “Call me if you needanything.” He leaned over her to kiss Cat one more time, then patted Dani on the head. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, see ya, bye.”

“Bye, baby,” Cat said. The two of them shared some obnoxious silent eye conversation, and then he left.

“Finally,” Dani said.

“Shut up. Give me a spoon.” She handed one over and Cat took a huge bite of mint chocolate chip. “So what’s new? I’m bored out of my mind here. Got any gossip?”

“Ha. I wish. Unless you count Emma’s new pots and pans set and Sonya’s real estate woes. Everyone is so boring now.”

“What about Ryan?”

Dani shrugged, hesitant to admit that, despite their near-perfect date, she hadn’t had any desire to see Ryan again. Every memory she had of him was tied up with one of Dylan. It was completely unfair that Dylan had to go and ruin that too, but there it was.

“Nothing new there,” she said safely. “I’m starting over with eight new dates. The first one is tonight.”

Cat shoved another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, giving Dani one of her meaningfully silent replies.

Dani rolled her eyes. “Use your words, Cat.”

“What about Dylan?”

---