Unexpected Gift(78)

“What’s going on, Molly?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t pull that on me. What is going on? I know you were at the grill. The hostess told me. Did you leave because of Victoria? That’s just some woman I work with. She means nothing.”

“It didn’t look like nothing.”

“Well, maybe if you would have stayed, you would have heard me say I have a girlfriend meeting me, but you did what you always do and ran off when you saw something you didn’t like.”

She snorts and takes a sip of wine, mumbling something under her breath that I don’t hear. “What? If you want to say something, then say it, Molly. I don’t want to do the same old song and dance with you. I want us to get past that.”

She slams her wine glass down on the table, her chest rising and falling the angrier she gets. “I said that’s funny because you are not one to talk. I got home and checked the messages.”

“So? What? Did your parents call or something?” I stride into the kitchen to pour my own glass of wine.

“Nope. Dr. Rawlings called, though.”

The bottle slips from my hand and crashes onto the floor, sending red wine and glass pieces everywhere. “Shit,” I curse, snapping the dish towel off the oven.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“That’s why I asked you to lunch. I want to talk to you about the promotion.”

“A promotion? How much higher can you get? You’re a neurosurgeon, for goodness sake.”

One minute I’m standing in front of spilled wine, and the next, I’m beside her, holding her hand. “I can be Chief of Neuro.”

I see the despair on her face. “In San Diego?”

“I know. It’s far, but I think it can be good for us. We can all go. It’s a big raise. Posie will never have to worry about a thing.”

“She doesn’t have to worry about a thing now, Caden. You can’t really be serious. You would uproot her? Change her life again? She just lost her parents. She finally doesn’t cry all the time. Her grandparents are here. Brandon and Amelia are here. And you want to take that from her?”

I sigh, throwing the dishrag on the table. “Of course, I don’t. But it is a good opportunity for us.”

“You mean for you, Caden. It is a good opportunity for you. It’s your dream job. You should go.”

I take a step back like she slapped me. “What? No. I don’t want to make this decision without you. You are a part of it.” I reach of her again, and she yanks her hand away, laying it in her lap.

“Let’s not fool ourselves anymore, Caden. You and I both know that this isn’t the life you imagined for yourself. That job is your dream. I don’t want to be the one that you look at and despise because you never fulfilled that dream. Go. Live your life. You aren’t bound here.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Molly? Of course, I am. I made a promise to Brandon—”

“Brandon is dead! You aren’t bound to do anything!” she screams, punching the kitchen table with her hand. “He is dead. You don’t have to live by his wishes.”

“You’re just saying that to push me away.”

“No. I’m not, Caden. If you are worried about us, don’t be. You can still see Posie whenever. I’ll get a house that I can afford. Let’s just stop kidding ourselves. This will never work. We are too different. We gave into some lust. That’s it. We can write it off as a one-night stand. You should be used to that, right?” She finishes her wine in one swallow.

She goes to walk away, but I grab her, pulling her to me until her breasts are pushed against my chest. “You know that isn’t true. You know what we had was more. It’s always been more.”

A tear rolls down her cheek, and her next words break me. “It’s never been more. We’ve never been more. Just go.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“I want you to leave me! Your work is so important to you? Then fucking go, Caden. Nothing is stopping you. Your dreams have always been first. I refuse to be the person that ruins that for you.”

“So that’s it? You won’t even consider going with me?”

“No. Posie’s life is here. I won’t take her from her grandparents. She needs them.”

“What about you? What do you need, Molly?”

She doesn’t answer. The wine glass makes a harmonic noise as she runs her fingers over the rim. “I need you to go live your dream.”

My blood starts to boil. No matter what I say to prove to her that I want them with me while I strive for my dream, she shoots me down. “You want me to go? Fine. And don’t worry about the house. Consider it on me.”

“I don’t need your charity.”

“Just take the damn house. I can afford it.” I run up the stairs and slam the door behind me. Posie’s cry rips through the night, breaking my heart. Am I really going to do this? Am I going to leave my best friend’s daughter?

“Look what you did. Do you know how long it took to get her down?”

I groan in frustration. I don’t need Molly’s attitude. I’m done fighting. I want to be done for the rest of my life. I ignore her and grab the suitcases from my closet. I toss them on the bed. The zipper is loud as I open the suitcase and start throwing all my clothes in there. They aren’t folded, and whenever I get to where I am going, all of them will be wrinkled. Once the suitcases are packed, I open the door and pound down the steps.