Page 49 of I Knew You
I thought about Bram as I drove. I couldn’t deny that adult Bram was superior to the younger version I’d known and loved. When we were teens, he had been flirty, adventurous, and a little cocky. Now, he maintained the best parts of his past self but mixed them with humility and maturity. How was I supposed to keep myself from falling back into him?
Kallie didn’t want me to get my heart involved, and I was fighting hard. Yet there was no easy way for me to separate my heart and brain when it came to Bram. There had never been.
I stopped by a Roanoke eatery and grabbed a fancy biscuit sandwich and a coffee. An idea crossed my mind. Bram and I had awkwardly traded phone numbers the night before. This could be an opening to make things casual. I took a snapshot of my breakfast and sent it to him.
Me: Trying not to get grease all over your leather seats.
Five seconds later, a reply bubble appeared.
Bram: The seats can take it. Enjoy every bite. Wish I were with you.
My breath hitched. What could I say to that? My fingers hovered over the keyboard of my phone screen for a couple of minutes before I settled on “same”. I hit send and then cringed.
A one-word response?
Ugh.
I was a little worried when he didn’t write back immediately. Was he expecting more from me? Should I have waxed poetic or maybe made a joke? That chaste kiss we’d shared the day before—did it change anything?
You’re overanalyzing this.
I had something else to attend to before the appointment. Still parked, I polished off the end of my breakfast sandwich and grabbed my phone, dialing the number before I got too nervous.
Kallie answered on the third ring. “What’s up, mountain hottie?” I heard the chime of the bakery door and the muffled sounds of diverse voices in the background.
“Morning rush?” I asked.
“Yeah, kinda busy. Everything okay?”
“Everything is great. I won’t keep you. I’m on my way to my appointment. And oh, um, Bram kissed me. And we’re getting married.”
Proverbial crickets sounded down the phone line.
“Kallie?” I asked, wondering if she was still there.
“Did you say you are getting married because of a kiss?”
“No, not because of the kiss,” I said steadily, although I was smiling. “That was separate. Marriage is in name only, not a real marriage.”
“Will there be a license? Because that seems legit.”
“Yes. It’s a long story. I’ll explain everything later, but it’s for a good cause.”
“I-I don’t know what to say to what you’re telling me, except, have you lost your fucking mind?!”
I cringed. “No, it’s all good, I promise. It’s for a million dollars.”
The sounds of shuffling paper and the woosh of the bakery case opening and closing echoed. “I have to go, we’re backed up. I don’t know what you’re pulling here with this joke of a phone call, but you will explain later. You better have something good lined up too, or so help me, I will drive my ass there tonight.”
“I’ll explain it all, I promise,” I replied. “Have a great day. Talk to you later.”
Hanging up, I wondered if I’d ever be able to adequately explain to my best friend how this was a good thing—the marriage part, at least. I wasn’t sure how to describe the kiss that could have lit a thousand torches with its spark. Kallie didn’t trust Bram, and no amount of charity work or fire was going to make her change her mind.
But there was no time to dwell on it. I had no idea what toexpect from this appointment and didn’t want to be preoccupied. I put the Jeep in drive.
I walked into Dr. Kaveh’s office in Roanoke’s medical complex with minimal nerves. The friendly nurse excused herself after taking my vitals, and I waited patiently for Dr. Kaveh’s physician’s assistant, since that’s who the nurse indicated I would be seeing.
A knock sounded at the door, and I let out a small, “Come in.” I’d seen my fair share of medical professionals over the years, but nothing could have prepared me for the man who walked through the door of that sterile room that reeked of alcohol and plastic.
