Page 54 of Lost on Ice
He looks shocked.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t sleep with someone else,” he replies, bitterly.
“So?” I snap back. “You made it clear you never wanted anything serious. You didn’t want a commitment, so why would I hold out for you? I would’ve been happy to go steady with you, Jake. Hell, Icravedit. But you made that impossible.”
As if my words hit him like a physical blow, he sinks back in his seat with a frown. “Well, whatever. Are you going to answer my question now? Why didn’t you tell anyone when you found out you were pregnant?”
I tilt my head and arch my brow. “I’ll give you an answer just as helpful as the one you gave me. Because I was scared.”
“Scared?” He shakes his head in confusion. “I didn’t say I was scared. And why would you be scared…?”
I glare. “Tell me, Jake. Why would a single mother be scared? Hmm, that’s a good one to ponder on.”
At that moment, the waitress appears with our food so we mutually — albeit, silently — agree to focus on the food instead of trying to hash out any more disputes. I’m a little calmer, but I can still feel some lingering tension in my shoulders and jaw. I bite deeper into my cheeseburger. He digs into his own food and we eat together, the table between us seeming impossible long, and the restaurant blanketed in a quiet, invisible fog thick with passive aggression.
The peace doesn’t last long. He’s twitching with anger. He can’t stand it anymore.
Looking back up at me, he asks, “What’s going on between you and Dr. Westbrook?”
I almost burst out laughing. “Well,that’sa loaded question from somebody nursing a conspiracy theory. Nothing, in fact. He’s a nice guy and we work together. But way to make an accusation.”
Clearing his throat, he looks down at his food and grumbles, “He said you two go way back.”
“Uh, yeah. Because we worked at the same hospital for years.”
“And he just happened to take the job here, of all places?”
I give him an exasperated sigh. “I was talking about Ivy Glen before I left Harrisburg and he apparently liked what I said. So he applied for the job. It’s not that strange. I know how stressful working in a big city hospital is, so I don’t blame him for seeing the appeal of small town life. And honestly, if I were him, I’d rather work with someone I have experience with too, so I’d jump at the chance if it were available.”
We stare at each other for another moment before we keep eating. It feels like we’ve reached a stand-off of sorts. I doubt he’s willing to believe my explanation, but I’m not willing to offer him anything else.
The rest of our meal is silent, and it’s hard to really enjoy my food. I hate this distance between us. This rift. It wasn’t like this three years ago. We were so good together and things between us were easy and natural. Not now, though. Not after everything we’ve been through.
Just as we’re finishing up and Jake’s trying to wave the waitress down to bring us our bill, my phone rings.
“It’s the police station.”
“Better answer it,” he tells me.
“What, do you expect me to ignore it?” I roll my eyes, and press the green button. “Hello? Detective Peterson?”
“Yes,” the detective says, and his tone sounds even drier than usual. “Can you meet us at your apartment, ASAP? We’re going to do a sweep and you’ll need to let everybody inside.”
“Okay.” I nod. “We’ll meet you there.”
I hang up. Jake’s jaw is tight, but his eyes are sympathetic, and it’s as if our heated conversation over the meal never happened. “What’s up?” he asks.
“He said his team is heading to my apartment to do their sweep,” I softly explain. “I need to go unlock the door.”
He doesn’t hesitate, pulling out his wallet and getting to his feet. “All right. I’ll get the bill paid, and we’ll head back to your place together.”
I frown, surprised. “You still want to come with me?”
Holding my gaze, he smirks. “Of course. I promised you I’d stay by your side and protect you and Lilah. I don’t care if we spend every day fighting. I’m not going away.” Then, lowering his voice to a mumble, he continues, “Besides… I kind of like fighting with you. You’re really hot when you’re arguing with me.”
There’s a moment of silence before I let out a burst of laughter.
“Well, okay then.” I smile at him. “If you insist, you’ll be accompanying this furious hottie. Just don’t get burned.”
