Stitches and Scars (19 page)

Kate bit on her lip to keep from laughing. It was clear that he wasn’t happy with being bothered and that thought made her happy. She listened to his conversation and felt her heart drop when he agreed to go in to work. Apparently, a Dr. Hunter had a family emergency and needed him to cover for her.

“Yeah, well, you’ll just owe me big time,” Ethan said with a laugh, before hanging up and looking at Kate. “I’m sorry. I can’t stay longer.” He hoped she could hear his honesty. There was nowhere else he’d rather be than right there with her.

“It’s okay. I understand,” she said with a half smile.

Ethan leaned forward and gave her another kiss, running his fingers through her thick hair. Twisting a piece around his finger, he felt something metal. He untangled his hands and removed the foreign object—a shiny silver paper clip.

“Guess that’s what happens when you make out on a desk, huh?” Kate giggled and grabbed the clip from his fingers.

Helping her down from the desk, the two silently made their way back downstairs and to the front door. “Can I take you out tomorrow night?” he asked, worried that she might say no.

“I’d love that.” She smiled.

“Great. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty?”

“Sounds great. I’ll see you then.” She leaned in and kissed his lips softly.

Each of them committed the other’s touch to memory, knowing that it would be what got them through the night.

“Bye,” Ethan said one last time and turned away, forcing his feet to walk away from her.

Chapter 16

Counting Down

K
ate lay in bed the next morning, letting the sunlight burst through her window, warming her body through the blankets. Thoughts of Ethan had preoccupied her mind all night. She continued to replay the way his rich voice sounded when he said her name, the way his carefree laugh made her heart skip, and the simple pleasure she felt from just being next to him.

She knew she must have dreamt of him during the night and was disappointed that she couldn’t recall every detail. Finally giving up, she took a deep breath, reaching her arms up over her head and stretching her muscles after being still all night. She rolled over and looked at the clock.
Eleven hours. Eleven hours and I get to see him again,
she thought. Excitement bubbled in her stomach and gave her a jolt of energy. She flipped the covers back and got up, ready to start her day. Hopefully if she kept herself busy, six-thirty would be there before she knew it.

Walking over to her desk, she switched on her laptop, smiling as she remembered what had taken place there last night. She instinctively placed her fingers to her lips.
Eleven hours, eleven hours,
she repeated over and over as she clicked on the inbox of her email. Scrolling through her unread messages, she noticed an all-too-familiar name. Her heart stuttered and she held her breath. Scott Christiansen. Her first instinct was to delete it, but she found herself wavering. What felt like an eternity later, she clicked it open to read.

Katie - I’m sorry about the text the other night. It was just

weird seeing you there with someone else. I really do miss

you. Can we meet up sometime for coffee?

Always,

Scott

Not blinking, she stared at the message until the black font began to bleed together into illegible squiggles. The unforgettable ache returned to her chest, pressing down on her. She dropped her head and took a calming breath in hopes of relieving some of the pressure.
Why does he do this? Why does he always come back?
she wondered, already knowing the answer. The history between them was too great. They would always be tied to one another.

Frustration built inside of her, layering brick by brick on top of the hurt. She clenched her jaw tight, and suddenly her bedroom was too small. The walls closed in around her and she felt trapped. Needing oxygen, she grabbed her favorite sweatshirt and keys and ran out of her house.

As soon as she made it outside, the cold air seemed to help clear her head, but only slightly. She bypassed her car and started on foot. Making her way down the street, she took a left on Main and picked up her pace. She walked quickly at first, matching the pace at which her mind was racing. Eventually, she slowed and forced all thoughts of Scott and his email from her mind. Glancing down at her watch, she noted the time.
Ten hours, ten hours,
she repeated in an attempt to turn her thoughts to Ethan.

With another calming breath, she pushed open the door of her favorite coffee shop. The delicious smells of freshly ground coffee and buttery pastries filled her senses, making her mouth water. As Kate stood in line, her eyes focused on the tile floor beneath her, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

“Miss? I said, can I help you?” The young girl’s loud voice from behind the counter woke her out of her daze and she looked up.

“Sorry, uh, yeah, I’ll have a—”

“Hazelnut latte, and I’ll have a double espresso.” A deep voice spoke up from behind her. Kate’s entire body stiffened as she slowly turned around. Standing in front of her for the second time in two days was Scott. He met her eyes with a casual smile. “Glad to see you’re still drinking the same thing.” He took a step forward to pay. Kate, upon realizing what he was about to do, shot her arm out, effectively cutting him off.

“I can pay for it myself.” She kept her voice firm.

“I know you can. But why don’t you let me get it this time?”

This time? Does he think there’s going to be another time?
she thought, her eyes widening.

“As friends, Kate. Let me buy this for you because you’re my friend,” he clarified.

He smiled again and she felt her frustration subside. He always seemed to have that effect on her. No matter how upset she was at him or how angry he made her, all it took was one smile and she always gave in.

“Fine,” she said with a huff. She waited impatiently for her drink, and once it was ready, she grabbed it off the counter and turned to leave.

“Hey, where are you going so fast?” He maneuvered himself in front of her. “Don’t you want to sit for a minute?” His dark eyes were focused on hers. “After all, it’s not every day I’m in New Hope.”

Her immediate thoughts were to say no and walk away, but the longer she looked at him, the more she found herself giving in.

“Just as friends,” he reassured again with a smile.

“Okay, but just for a few minutes. I have things to do today.” She tried to look serious, but Scott only seemed amused. He let out a loud laugh as he sat down at the closest table. She huffed loudly in response and flopped down in the chair next to him.

“I sent you an email yesterday,” he said casually.

“Yeah, I got it,” she spat.

“Oh-ho, being a little snappy, are we?” he asked, holding back a laugh.

“Yes, I am. And I think I have every right to be a little snappy.”

“And why is that?”

“Because, Scott, you can’t do that. You can’t text me while you’re on a date, saying that you miss me. And you shouldn’t be sending me emails saying that it was weird for
you
to see
me
with someone else. You were there with your girlfriend, Scott, your
girlfriend
.”

He held his hands up, surrendering. “Hang on. Technically, I wasn’t on the date when I sent you that text. I had already dropped her off.” Kate rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to retort when he continued. “And it
was
a little weird seeing you there with someone else.” He looked down at his cup and paused. “Who was that guy, anyway? Is he your boyfriend?”

She thrilled at hearing the term boyfriend in regard to Ethan but wasn’t about to have a conversation about it with Scott. “What are you doing here, Scott?” she asked instead.

“I was north of here, dropping something off for a client and thought I’d check out the town. Now,” he sat forward on his arms. “Is he your boyfriend?” he asked again.

“I’m not talking to you about this.” She sipped her drink.

“Why not?”

“Because you‘re not in my life anymore, and I don’t need to tell you everything.” She knew it sounded harsh, but she also knew it was the only way he’d drop the topic.

“Fair enough,” he said with a nod. “I noticed that Sophie and Logan are still together. That’s great. Are they going to get hitched any time soon?”

Her stomach twisted into knots before it dropped, heavy like an anvil. The four of them used to talk about getting married, living next door to each other, and watching their kids play. The memory brought back a wave of pain that Kate wasn’t prepared for.

“I’ve gotta go, Scott,” she whispered as she grabbed her coffee and stood up quickly.

Scott stood up just as fast and wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her there. Kate hesitated. His hands felt different from the last set that had held her. They felt familiar, yet frightening at the same time. Scott pulled her close to his chest and dropped his head.

It had been a long time since she’d been that close to him, feeling his warm arms encircle her. For a moment, she felt like she was back where she belonged. Her body remembered his touch and the way it felt to have him close.

“I’ve missed this, getting to hold you,” he said, his voice deep.

Hearing the words come out of his mouth made Kate’s stomach churn. Obviously her body was quickly remembering the other feelings he could cause. Like the pain, the aching throbbing pain that his words could inflict. Kate took advantage of the moment and pushed away from him. She kept her head down and didn’t say a word.

“Kate.” He paused. “Katie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to … look, I just want to try and be friends with you again. I miss you.”

She held her hand up, signaling for him to stop. “Just … not right now, okay? I’ll talk to you later.”

Before Scott had a chance to say anything else, Kate pushed through the door and hurried out onto the street. She tossed what was left of her latte in the trash and started to run. By the time she made it to her townhouse, she was out of breath. She slammed the door behind her and flung herself down onto her couch, burying her face in a pillow. Using what air she had left in her lungs, she screamed, hoping that all the emotions she felt would be expelled along with it.

She couldn’t believe he’d actually said he wanted to be friends with her. It was impossible, wasn’t it? She tried to wrap her brain around the idea, tried to look at it from every possible angle. She wasn’t sure how long she sat on her couch thinking, but by the time she was finished, she’d decided that she didn’t have to make a decision yet. It wasn’t as if Scott asked if they could be friends again tomorrow. He simply said he
wanted
to be friends again. Therefore, she didn’t need to tell Scott anything right now. She would simply continue on the path she was on and see where it led. And right now, her path led to Ethan.

Her body seemed to relax at the mere thought of Ethan. After the morning she had, all she wanted was to be with him—to lose herself in him and forget all about what happened with Scott. She glanced down at her watch again.
Eight hours and forty-five minutes, eight hours and forty-five minutes,
she thought with a smile. Her daydream of Ethan was interrupted when her cell rang.

“Hey, Soph,” she answered, then leaned back on the couch.

“Are you home right now?” her friend asked frantically.

“Yeah. Why, what’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you when I get there.”

Sophie hung up the phone before Kate could ask another question, and instantly there came a knock at the door.

“It’s me, open up,” Sophie yelled.

Kate stood up quickly and hurried to the door. “I’m coming!” she called out. Yanking the door open, she barely had time to step out of the way before Sophie barreled into the room. Her white-blond hair was pulled up in a messy knot and her eyes were wild.

“Do you know where Elle keeps her address book?” she yelled, scurrying down the hall.

“Umm, I’m not sure. Why? What do you need?” Kate followed after her.

“I need numbers! Specifically Graham’s, but if I can’t find his, anyone that knows him will do.”

Kate walked into Elle’s room to find her frantic friend digging through drawers. “Why do you need his number?”

Sophie wheeled around and looked at her like she’d suddenly sprouted two heads.

“Because I need to make plans.”

Kate knew exactly what plan she was referring to and could only laugh as she thought about what her friend must be arranging. “Soph, do you think you could be getting a little carried away with all of this?”

“No,” she said too quickly, before diving back into the drawers.

If there was one thing Kate had learned over the years, it was never to question Sophie—especially when she had a plan. She was never one to be deterred from a goal.

“Found it!” she squealed, waving her arms around.

“So, are you going to tell me what your plan is? Do I even want to know?”

“Yes, you want to know. And I’ll tell you when it gets closer. Elle is too good at reading you. She’ll know if something is up.” Her eyes twinkled in mischief.

Kate laughed. “Sounds fine with me. It’s safer if I don’t know; wouldn’t want something to slip out by accident.”

“Good,” she said with a smile. “So what’s the plan for tonight? Has he told you where you’re going?”

“No. But honestly I don’t care where he takes me. All I care is that we’ll be together.” Kate shrugged.

“Yes, it matters. How are you supposed to choose an acceptable outfit if you don’t know where you’re going?” Sophie asked, as if her statement was common knowledge.