The Quiet Between

Chapter Twenty-One Sloane

Chapter Twenty-One

Sloane

“Hey,” a familiar voice said beside me as I was buying a sandwich for lunch. “Figured I’d find you here.”

I turned to see Caleb smiling. “You were looking for me?”

“Yeah. Been meaning to talk for a while. Want to sit together?”

I looked at him, already guessing what this was about.

“Sure,” I said, eyeing the takeout box of pasta in his hands that he’d bought from another kiosk.

I grabbed the paper-wrapped sandwich the vendor handed me. Caleb turned, his eyes still on mine, and I followed him.

We crossed the cafeteria and found an empty table tucked away in the back. Taking our seats across from each other, I felt the weight of what was coming.

“How’s everything with you?” he asked gently.

“I’m good, thank you,” I replied, a little too formally.

Caleb chuckled. “Come on, Sloane. I need more than that. I’m worried about you, you know.”

I sighed. Talking about myself still wasn’t easy, but this was part of the healing process as well—learning to open up to the people I trusted. And I did trust Caleb. I always had.

“If you mean the therapy,” I said slowly, “it’s been going well. Just... sometimes I still get hit with regret for not starting sooner.”

“Just focus on everything from here on, Sloane, not the past. It’s what matters.”

I nodded, opening up the wrap of my sandwich.

“Cameron moved out of your house,” he said, his tone careful. “He’s moved back to Mom’s.”

“Yes,” I said. “He didn’t want to be alone in the apartment, he said. And besides, Harper would be with him two nights a week and every other weekend at Anita’s anyway.”

“And are you okay being alone at home?”

That question made me pause.

That first night was brutal. Sleep wouldn’t come. Fear and panic twisted in my chest, making me restless and wide awake. I found myself tiptoeing into Harper’s room, curling up beside her in her small bed, desperate for some comfort.

The night Harper stayed with him at Anita’s, and I was alone at home, was even worse. The silence pressed down on me, thick and suffocating. The walls seemed to close in. I called him—to hear his voice, the sound of his breathing—until exhaustion finally pulled me under.

Slowly, bit by bit, I started learning how to live without him.

The calls got shorter. Less frequent.

And then, just a few days ago, I did it.

I fell asleep on my own.

It was strange because I’d slept alone without him before. But ever since my breakdown, I’d clung to him more than ever. He was the one who kept me going, and I’d started leaning on that far too much. That’s when I realized I couldn’t keep living like this.

I loved him so much it bordered on madness, and it made me constantly terrified of losing him. And that kind of love wasn’t what I needed right now.

What I needed was peace.

Stability.

And I had to learn how to find that on my own.

Maybe I needed to get out more, be around other people, try to see what existed beyond the bubble of the little life I’d been living.

Not to date other men—I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.

Cameron’s betrayal still hurt deeply. The pain hadn’t faded. I couldn’t start something new with that still hanging over me. And the thought of getting close to another man terrified me, just like it always had.

After the accident, no one was able to reach me.

Except Cameron.

He was the only one who ever made me feel anything. The only one I ever truly fell for.

But I needed to stop holding up walls.

To learn how to be free.

To move without the weight of constant worry pressing on my chest.

Caleb was watching me, and I realized I still hadn’t answered his question.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, though even I didn’t sound convinced. “I have to be.”

“I believe you can,” Caleb said, his gaze soft on me. “I’m here for you.”

“Thank you,” I said slowly.

We sat in silence for a moment before I broke the quiet. “Can we talk about something else now?”

A slow grin tugged at his lips. “Like what? The weather?”

“Okay,” I said with a nod.

“It’s freezing today,” he said. “Makes no damn sense.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that really what you want to talk about?”

“What else?” His grin widened.

“Tell me about the ER,” I said.

He frowned. “You sure? It’s all blood and gore, you know.”

“Okay, you’re right.” I gave it a moment’s thought, painfully realizing that I was utterly terrible at making small talk. “How about you tell me what’s going on with you?”

One thick brow lifted. “Nothing’s going on with me.”

“Then maybe you should do something about that,” I said. “Like... go on a date or something.”

“Nah.” He shook his head slowly. “Don’t have time right now.”

“You do have time,” I countered. “You just don’t want to make it.”

He stared at me for a moment. “So the new and improved Sloane’s a meddler now?” he said, amusement in his voice. “I honestly don’t know what to do with this version of you.”

“I’m trying to make conversation here,” I said with a scowl. “Clearly, I’m terrible at it.”

He laughed. “Can’t argue with that, I must say.”

“So, I guess it’s better to talk about the weather then.”

He laughed, louder this time.

And then he said, “But for the record, I like this new version of you. For one, you don’t have that constant frown anymore, like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Me? I hadn’t realized that.

He watched me, reading my thoughts. “Yeah, and you don’t even realize it, apparently.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I stayed quiet.

We didn’t say much after that, which only proved I was terrible at casual conversation, and Caleb wasn’t exactly the chatty type either. Still, sitting with him in that comfortable silence felt good.

I liked it. Even though Caleb and I had worked at the same hospital for years, I rarely sat with him without Cameron around.

Come to think of it, never actually.

There was always either Cameron or Lina with me during lunch.

God, I was really closed off, wasn’t I?

The idea that I needed to look beyond the bubble of my small life kept coming back. I had to get out more.

I couldn’t ask Caleb, though. He’s Cameron’s brother. That would be weird.

Even though I knew that hanging out with him would be fun, I just needed to go outside of my comfort zone.

After Caleb and I parted ways, I stopped by Lina’s kiosk. She was focused on something on her phone.

I leaned over the counter and whispered, “I think I need to get out more.” She looked up, surprised.

“What?”

“I need to hang out with people more. Let myself loosen up once in a while.”

“You hang out with me sometimes,” she said, still looking confused.

“Yes, but only with you. I need more people in my life.”

She stood up and leaned over the counter from the other side.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Harper’s with Cameron tonight. Let’s go out.”

I was about to step into one of my patients’ rooms when I saw Cameron walking toward me.

“Hey,” he said, smiling.

“Hey.”

“Are you coming home with me?” he asked.

Sometimes he still drove me home, and also on the days we had therapy as our schedules lined up.

Perhaps I needed to address that issue as well.

I shook my head. “I’m going out with Lina. And her friends.”

Cameron’s eyebrows lifted. “Her friends, too?”

“Yeah.” I felt a little sheepish. I always used to say no when Lina invited me out with her group. I only ever wanted to hang out with her. “I think it’s time for a change.”

There was surprise in his eyes, but also something tender. He was genuinely happy for me. “That’s a big step for you.”

“Yes,” I said, glancing down. “I think it’s time I had some fun.”

“I agree,” he said softly. “I’m really happy for you.”

My cheeks warmed. It felt like, in some way, I was admitting that the way I’d been living all these years wasn’t working, and now I was finally trying to change.

“I can pick you up and drive you home if you want.” He offered, his smile stretched wider. “Just call me if you need me.”

I needed to think about that more carefully. Because the truth was, I still spent more time with him than with anyone else. It didn’t really feel like we were separated, not when he was still so present in my life.

“I’ll let you know,” I said. “But don’t wait up for me.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Have you had lunch yet?” I asked, remembering how often he skipped meals. I’d checked his surgery schedule earlier, and it was packed. I wasn’t even sure how he had time to be here, let alone stand around talking to me.

“Not yet,” he said. “Don’t have the time. I’ve only got about seven minutes to spare.”

“Then why are you here talking to me?” I asked, genuinely confused. “You should go grab something to eat.”

“Later,” he said, already starting to turn, probably rushing to his next surgery. Then he paused and looked back. “I just needed to see you.”

Something softened in his expression, like he wanted to say more but stopped himself.

He turned fully. “Gotta go, Sloane. Have fun tonight.”

It was a nice Japanese restaurant, and I sat at the end of the table with Lina and three of her friends: Christina, Jane, and Amber.

I didn’t know them, but Lina was quite close to them.

I trusted Lina wouldn’t invite someone she didn’t trust. Still, I could feel how stiff my shoulders were from trying to act normal.

I was grateful Lina had seated me beside her.

Her presence gave me just enough comfort to stay put.

It was strange, really. I worked in a hospital, surrounded by people every day, but somehow this felt entirely different. Sitting here, trying to follow casual conversations with strangers, made me feel like I was on shaky ground.

They talked about shows I hadn’t watched, places I’d never been, people I didn’t know.

All of them kept trying to loop me in by offering quick explanations, asking for my opinion, and gently nudging me into the rhythm of their chatter.

I appreciated it, even if all I could manage was a slight nod or a quiet smile.

I didn’t know how to be relaxed. Not yet. But I was trying.

“So, Sloane,” Amber began. She was the chattiest of the four, and I could tell she was trying to include me. I braced myself. “Tell me about yourself. I want to know more about you.”

I tensed, and I could feel Lina tense beside me, too.

For a moment, I wondered if I’d made a mistake, that maybe I wasn’t ready for this.

But I took a breath and pushed through. I was trying, trying to move past fear, the insecurities, the instinct to shut down.

Because I wanted to get better, and that had to start somewhere.

“I’m a doctor. Internal medicine,” I said after clearing my throat. I could feel Lina’s gaze on me, like she was waiting to see if I’d say something sharp or look for a way out of the conversation.

“I have a daughter. She’s almost six now. And...” I swallowed. “I just got divorced.”

I glanced at Lina. She looked surprised, like she hadn’t expected me to say it out loud.

I gave her a smile that probably looked more like a grimace, trying to tell her silently that I’d reached my limit.

More questions about myself would only make my head spin.

And Lina—this was why she was my best friend—understood right away.

She didn’t press. Instead, she smoothly shifted the conversation, rescuing me without making a scene.

“She’s gorgeous and she’s a doctor,” Lina said with a grin. “Honestly, I get jealous sometimes. But she’s too nice to hate, so I let it slide.”

“Lina said you’ve been friends for a long time?” Jane asked, the softest among them.

“Since we were fifteen,” I answered.

That’s when it hit me. Lina had been my friend for what felt like forever, and yet she didn’t really know me.

Not the whole picture. She didn’t know what things were like at home or what happened with Xander.

I’d kept it from her. From everyone. I trusted her, and still, I never told her.

Even now, she didn’t know. And she didn’t know the whole story with Cameron either.

Why the hell was she continuing to be friends with me, fully knowing I always kept her at arm’s length? I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

After that, I made an effort to join the conversation—even just a little. As long as the topic wasn’t about me, I could manage.

We finally left the restaurant around nine. While I stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the Uber, Lina walked up to me and asked, “Was that okay? Are you having a good time?”

I looked at her, and a wave of emotion hit me hard. My eyes started to sting.

I stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. She froze, probably shocked. I never hugged her. Ever.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice shaking. “For being my friend. For putting up with my nonsense without a single complaint. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m keeping you for life.”

I felt the tension in her body slowly melt, and then she hugged me back.

“Good,” she whispered. “Because I’m not going anywhere. You’ve got people in your corner, Sloane. You just have to keep reminding yourself of that.”

I nodded and let her go. My Uber had just pulled up, and I gave her a small wave as I climbed into the car.

When I got home, I noticed a yellow sticky note pressed to the living room window. I peeled it off the glass.

It was from Cameron.

Noticed the window wouldn’t close yesterday. Fixed it.

I’m here. Still.

For as long as you’ll let me.