Crossing Paths (24 page)

The crowd is crazy in this place. I’m trying to walk in between people without touching anyone indecently. It’s quite a challenge. When we reach the bar stools, a small area opens, giving me a full view of the bar as it stretches out to our right. That’s when I see him sitting casually on the edge of his seat.

Liam is drinking a clear liquid that I’m sure burns as it goes down his throat. His eyes brighten as she approaches. A leggy blonde with boobs the size of Alaska puts her hand on his shoulder as she throws her head back, laughing.
Could she be more over-the-top?
I can’t hear their conversation, but it’s obvious they’re having a good time together.
He must enjoy her type.
Just when I think I couldn’t be any more disgusted, a redhead appears behind him, and he turns, smiling at her.
Wow, just wow.

Tears sting my eyes, but I can’t let June see my distaste. If she found out my feelings for Liam now, I’m sure it would earn me multiple I-told-you-so conversations over the next few months. Not to mention, I would have to explain why I lied to her for the past two weeks. I wrinkle my nose a few times to ward off the wetness that threatens to land on my cheeks.

“Are you going to sneeze?” June questions.

“No, I just need to go to the restroom. I think the smoke is getting to my eyes. I’ll be right back.” I get up from my seat and make my way through the crowd.

I walk the long way around to the small hallway, so there is no danger of Liam seeing me. I don’t want him to feel guilty for being himself. I should have known that nothing good would come from dating June’s brother.

I push open the restroom door, find the first open stall, and throw myself against the back of the swinging door.
I will not cry. I will not allow him to make me feel this way. I am a strong, capable woman who does not need a man to make her feel worthy and fulfilled.
As I am chanting these sentences over and over in my head, tears are streaming down my face. I don’t believe a word of it. I am, in fact, crying, and I do feel sad.

In this moment, I am weak, and suddenly, I’m scared of my next interaction with Liam and with June. I take some tissues from my purse and dab my eyes. I’m dreading what I will see in the mirror once I get the courage to walk out of this stall. As I pull open the door, the dark painted brick walls of the restroom come into view, and June is standing against the sink counter, picking at her nails.

When she looks up, her eyes instantly cloud with worry. “What the crap, Caroline? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just have a lot going on with work and everything. Plus, I think I got something in my eye, and I can’t get it out,” I lie.

She sees right through me. “Like I believe that for a second. I knew something was up when you were talking about smoke out there. This place is nonsmoking. Spill it. What’s wrong?”

“Listen, do you mind if I go home? I’ll take a cab. You stay and have a good time.”

“Are you sure? I really don’t like seeing you this upset.”

“I just need to go home and get some sleep. I think I’m running on fumes at this point.”

“I’m going home with you, and we’ll make some hot tea,’” she says, eyeing me with caution. “I just ran into my brother at the bar. Let me tell him that we’re leaving. I’ll meet you at the car.”

“No, really, June. I just want to have a moment of alone time. Tell Liam hello for me,” I say as the tears threaten again. “I’ll see you later at the apartment, okay?”

June wraps me in a hug. “Hey, it’s alright. Whatever’s going on will work out in the end.”

I wish I could tell her I don’t think that’s true, but I keep my mouth shut.

I walk to the street, hail a cab, and slide onto the worn upholstery. As I tell the driver where to go, I lean my head back on the seat, close my eyes, and take a deep breath. My heart is erupting in my chest, begging for the release of a good sob, but I try to hold off until I get home. This is a perfect example of why I never gave my heart away in college.

After a short time, the cab pulls into the parking lot of my apartment complex. I slip the proper fare to the driver and get out of the car. I walk slowly across the sidewalk to the set of glass doors. Suddenly, a hand grabs the handle and opens the door wide. My eyes trace across the crisp white long sleeve up to his shoulders before I meet his gaze. My face instantly turns hot, but it’s not from blushing. I am furious. Liam is standing beside me, grinning.
What the hell is he so happy about?

I walk through the door with purpose, trying to leave him behind.

“Caroline, wait. Are you okay? June said you were upset, so I came over to make sure you were alright.”

“No, Liam, I am not alright. I started off my night by trying to enjoy some time with my best friend, and instead, I got to watch her drunk brother flirt with hot girls at the bar. So, I would definitely say that I am not alright!”

He looks stunned.
I hope his face gets frozen in that position, so no other girl ever wants to give him the time of day.
When he steps toward me, I take a step back.

“Don’t even think about touching me.”

“Caroline, you have to listen. I’m not drunk. I was only drinking water. Have you ever seen me drink alcohol? Those two girls are just friends from work. I know it sounds like an excuse, but it’s true. We had some great meetings this week, and things wrapped up a little earlier than we thought today. We just wanted to go out to celebrate for a little bit.”

I give his statements some thought, but my anger is too loud for me to hear any logical reasoning. “Meetings? Right. Is that what you call them? Do you refer to all your dates as meetings, so you don’t have to feel guilty about leading girls on?”

Liam closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he looks at me again, he speaks with a calm voice. “I wish you could have heard our conversation on the way to the bar tonight. For heaven’s sake, all I talked about was you. I left the girls at the bar, so they had to catch a cab home. I drove like a madman to come and see what was going on with you.”

“You need to leave,” I say coldly. Turning away from him, I’m determined to make it into the apartment this time.

“Please, Caroline, don’t do this. I care about you. I know June probably told you to stay away from me, but just give me a chance to explain. Give me a chance to show you how much I care.”

“No, I won’t do it.” I know I sound immature, but to be honest, I need the resolve of a stubborn child to stand my ground. “You will not make a fool of me, and just so you know, I haven’t said anything to June. I’m the one deciding to stay away from you,” I say as I close the door in his face.

Rushing into my apartment, I run to my room, slam the bedroom door behind me, and then collapse onto my bed. I wish I had never given him a first chance, and I have never understood the point of second chances.
If it wasn’t worth it the first time, then how could it be worth the risk again?

I hear the muffled sound of my phone ringing, but I know it must be him. I close my eyes and try to sob as quietly as possible, so there’s no way he could hear my sadness if he’s still at the front door.

A few minutes later, my phone rings again…and again…and again. I finally get up and fish it out from the bottom of my purse. Before I turn it off, I take a quick glance at my missed calls. They’re all from my mom and dad.
Why would they call me so many times?
My sadness quickly turns to fear as I return my dad’s call.

“Caroline…”

There is an emotion in my dad’s voice that I can’t place at first. Then, before I can get any words out, I hear my dad crying on the other end of the line.

“Dad?” I say, scared to ask any questions.

“Care, it’s your brother.”

He’s not just crying. I can barely understand his words through the tears.

“Dad, you need to tell me what’s going on before I get in my car and drive all the way to Washington tonight. Where’s Mom?”

“She’s with your brother. They’re waiting for the doctors.”

“Oh my god! Is Julie okay?”

“Julie is very sick, but we’re also worried about your brother. On Wednesday, he got a call that Julie wasn’t doing well, so he flew home immediately. This morning, the Franklins brought Julie to the hospital, and CJ was driving here to be with her. I’m sure he hasn’t been sleeping well with everything that’s been going on, so I’m guessing he was tired. He had an accident on the way to the hospital.”

“Is he okay, Dad?”

“It isn’t good, Caroline. Your mom thinks you should come home.”

I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes again. “Are you serious? Is he going to die?”

“We don’t know.”

The line is silent, except for my dad’s uneven breaths. I can tell he’s about to lose it again.

“Oh my God. I’ll book a flight tonight. I’ll send you my itinerary soon. Please tell Mom that I love her. I’ll be there with you as soon as I can. I love you.”

“We love you, too, Care. We’ll talk to you soon. Be careful.”

I hang up the phone and clutch it to my chest. My tears have dried, but I know they will come flooding back soon.

When I hear a knock on the front door, I walk over to let June in.
She must have lost her key again.
I unlock the door, open it slightly, and immediately turn, walking in the other direction, so June can’t see my tear-streaked face.

“Caroline.”

I stop abruptly.
Why is he still here?
I thought I made my opinion of him pretty clear. Tears prick my eyes again as I turn to tell him to leave, but instead, I take in his lean frame. His expression is filled with concern and worry. In one motion, I throw myself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. I remind myself that just a few hours ago, he mattered to me.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers lightly into my hair, his hand running over the back of my head.

“My brother,” is all that comes out from between my lips.

Liam gently pushes me back, so he can examine me at arm’s length. “What about your brother?” he asks, his brows furrowed with confusion.

“He’s dying.”

His face then fills with another emotion—pity.

We walk to the couch, and he sits, guiding me to lay my head in his lap. He pulls a blanket over me as I sob, soaking his khaki pants with my tears. Caressing my hair, he whispers what small pieces of reassurance he can find for a situation he knows little about.

I’m not only crying for myself. I am crying for my parents, for Julie, and for her parents. I am crying for June and for the way she will respond when I have to reveal everything about my brother. I dread telling her that the guy she has been falling for is now lying in a hospital bed.

As my thoughts run in circles, my eyes begin to feel heavy from crying until everything fades to an uneasy shade of gray.

Friday

Caroline is acting so weird.
I have only seen her cry a handful of times. Most of them had to do with snags in designer clothes or mean professors. This time, her crying was different though. It was heartbreaking. I wish I could do something for her, but she has been pushing me away more and more.
Maybe she’s homesick.
I should call her mom and see if her parents could come for a visit. I resolve to find a solution after I get home this evening, but for now, I’ll spend a little time hanging out with my brother.

“Hey, Liam.”

“June, where is Caroline?” he asks, looking past me.

“On her way home.” Liam turns his attention back to me. “Apparently, she has had a rough week at work. I haven’t seen her this upset in a long time. I think something else might be bothering her, but I just can’t put my finger on what it could be.”

“She was upset? Did she mention what she was upset about?”

“I just told you that she said it had to do with work. Why?”

“No reason. Listen, I need to get going. I have a lot on my schedule tomorrow, and I should get home. Have a good time, sis.”

With that and a pat on my back, he heads toward the door with long strides.

I stay and dance for a little bit, but I’m not enjoying myself. I don’t know anyone here, and my mind keeps drifting back to Cohen.
Why can’t he just freaking call me?
If he wasn’t interested in me, then he should have just left me alone when he came back to town. And if he is interested, he has a really funny way of showing it. Then, there was the way he acted at the meeting earlier this week.
Maybe this guy has way too much baggage for me.
After about thirty minutes of upbeat music and depressing inner dialogue, I decide to head home and see if Caroline is ready to talk a little bit more.