Page 63 of A Magnolia Move-In
It’s a good thing that I left Practical Penny in my apartment in New York.
NINETEEN
Naomi
Iwasn’t sure how long I could live with Jackson and Walker under the same roof.
It seemed as if they were two pit bulls, aimed at each other and ready to fight at the right signal.
Thankfully, Jackson spent most of his time holed up in his loft, reading and brooding. Walker had taken on the tasks of helping me, which I was grateful for. I wasn’t ready to pick between my brother and Walker, and I hated that I felt like I needed to.
After my Thursday appointment, Christopher wheeled me from the back room and over to the appointment counter where Walker was waiting for me. He was leaning against the counter, speaking with the receptionist in hushed tones. As soon as he saw me wheel up, he stopped talking and offered me a wide smile.
“Hey,” he said, leaning down to brush his lips against my cheek.
“Hey,” I responded as I furrowed my brow and glanced between him and the receptionist. “What’s going on here?”
The woman’s cheeks flushed as she glanced between us, but before she could say anything, her phone rang. She rushed to pick it up, which only heightened my skepticism.
“Everything okay?” I asked, eyeing Walker.
He nodded. “It’s great. I’m just getting a list of qualified physical therapists in North Carolina.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I figured that we’d go back soon. After all, I can’t keep sleeping on your brother’s couch. I’m going to need to see my own physical therapist if I don’t find a different solution.”
I paused, the reality of his words sinking in around me. “You want me to go back?” I’d spent so much of my time here wishing that I could return, but I felt strangely hesitant. North Carolina was my home. Magnolia was just a stopping point on the road that was my life. Right?
I swallowed as fear crept up inside of me. My hand instinctively went to my stomach. I still hadn’t told Walker about the baby. I wanted to wait for the perfect moment.
I couldn’t fight the fear tickling the back of my mind that if he found out, he wouldn’t like it. Which was ridiculous. After all, he’d been so attentive to me ever since getting to Magnolia. Did I really think that he would be angry?
It was my fear of my past clouding my future.
The receptionist returned her phone to its cradle. “I’m so sorry for taking that call, but I did print off the list oftherapy centers.” She slid a piece of paper across the counter toward us.
Walker took it and folded it a few times before stuffing it into his front pocket. “Perfect, thanks.”
I gave her a nod but wasn’t allowed to do anything further because Walker had his hands on my chair and was pushing me toward the door.
Once in the car, Walker drove off toward Magnolia. We were crossing the bridge when he spoke. “Are we okay?”
His voice was quiet, and his words caught me off guard. I glanced over at him. “What?”
He swallowed. “I just feel like we’ve grown apart.” He glanced over at me. “Are we okay?”
I let his question settle around me as I tried to figure out what I was going to say. I wanted to cry and tell him that he should have never left. I still hadn’t asked him who the woman was on the other side of the phone call before my accident. I knew I should, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask him.
There was fear every time I attempted to. So, I’d decided it was a part of my past that I wasn’t going to resurrect. It didn’t really matter. Walker was here now.
“We’re okay,” I finally said. “It was hard not hearing from you, but I’m glad you’re back.”
Walker came to a stop at a light and glanced over at me. His hand found mine, and I gave it a squeeze. I wanted him to know that I wasn’t going to go anywhere. He squeezed my hand back.
“So, are you ready to go back? Start our life again?”
I hesitated, hating that my first reaction wasn’t a resounding yes. There was something holding me back. I wanted to be sure of Walker like I had been before. I just needed time.
