Page 80 of Don't Remind Me
I paused at the shift in Alec’s voice. His skin had gone pale, the fingers of his free hand clutched in his hair, making it stick up left and right.
“Are you sure? You—Okay. Okay, yeah. Which hospital?”
That had me standing, the box forgotten.
He hung up a moment later, disbelief and a little panic in his features. “Stephanie’s water broke.” His eyes met mine, quickly filling with tears as he burst into a smile.
My concern swept into joy, a breath of relief escaping my chest as my own smile spread.
“Her friend’s taking her to Philly Memorial,” he said, his hand dropping from his head as he spun, frantically searching the lobby. “I need to meet her there. I should…where?—”
“My car’s right out front. I’ll take you,” I volunteered.
“I don’t know where the hospital is?—”
“I do.”
Marcus came back for another box, and I asked him to finish up without me, then grabbed my purse and fished out my keys. I tossed a look at Alec, who was still scanning the lobby with wide eyes.
“Let’s go, soon-to-be Dad.”
He froze, shoulders dropping as if those words made it sink in. A grin flooded his face, and we hurried to my car.
Ten minutes later,I pulled in front of the hospital entrance. Alec was out of the car before I’d even fully stopped, rushing for the doors. He slid to a stop just before he reached them, spun on his heel, and ran back to where I idled. I rolled down the passenger window.
“Thank you,” he said, a little out of breath.
I tilted my chin. “Now you owe me twice.”
He smiled and dropped his gaze, then returned it to me. “About Jase.”
My heart kicked in my chest as I tightened my grip on the steering, unsure of what Alec might say next.
No matter the closure it seemed we’d gotten, my dating his older brother could still be hugely awkward for him, and as lovely as Stephanie had been to me last night, I had no idea how she felt about the whole thing. She could hate it. Hate me.
I had a feeling their parents would take Alec’s side over Jase’s every time, and if that was the case, I didn’t know what it meant for Jase and me. And that was only if Jase didn’t decide to end things on his own first.
But all Alec said was, “I want you both to be happy. That’s it.”
My throat closed up at the sincerity of his words.
I was lucky, I realized, so lucky to have this man as my ex. To have experienced love for the first time from someone so willing to give it. There was a lot I’d built up about Alec in my mind over the years, the fantasy I’d created in my self-doubt and loneliness, but this much remained true: he was a good man. Just not the right one for me.
With that, he tapped the car’s windowsill and ran inside to his growing family.
Not letting myself think too much about it, I dug my phone from my purse and typed out a text.
Me:Congrats. You’re about to become an uncle.
I added the name of the hospital and hit send. Something told me Alec wouldn’t remember to let everyone know right away, and Stephanie was a little busy. But Jase would want to be a part of this.
With him in mind, along with Alec’s words, I put the car in drive.Project Runwaycould wait. I had another stop to make first.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jase
Settingfoot in Ardena after three nights away was like stepping outside after a seven-hour flight and taking that first breath of fresh air. I even felt a bit jet-lagged. Everything about my world was slightly off, as if my brain hadn’t quite fallen into sync. Especially after spending the past four hours in the time warp that was a hospital waiting room.
