Chapter Twenty-Eight
What am I doing here? Rose asked herself for the millionth time as she parked outside of the rehab facility and looked at herself in the rearview mirror.
While she could blame it on the need to discuss canceling vendors or even asking for Steven’s assistance in alerting his side of the family, the truth was Max had asked her to come. He’d called the night before to check on her and had ended the conversation with a simple request that Rose find it in her heart to visit Steven.
“I’m not asking you to forgive him or to take him back,” Max had said. “Only to see for yourself how far he’s come.”
And so she had. She just hadn’t quite mustered up the courage to get out of the car and walk into the building.
“No matter what he says,” she told her reflection, “it doesn’t change anything.”
The doubt in her eyes did nothing to help her resolve. She debated putting the car back in gear and hightailing it out of there, but she’d come that far. She might as well see it through.
Steeling herself for an unhappy reunion, she forced her body from the car and dragged her feet to the rehab entrance. It took more effort than she cared to admit to open the door and step inside.
The receptionist’s face lit up when she saw Rose. “He’ll be thrilled you’re here!”
Did Max tell the whole place I was coming?Ugh, what they must think of her, deserting her fiancé in his condition. She shook her head. You’re overreacting. The more likely explanation was that the woman had recognized her from her visits when Steven was there before.
She followed the receptionist down the hall. When they reached Steven’s room, she moved aside to let Rose pass.
But her feet were frozen to the floor. Her heart pounded in her ears. She’d made a terrible mistake in going there.
Just as she turned to leave, a familiar voice rang out. “Rose? Is that you?”
“Go on,” the receptionist urged. “He’s been expecting you.”
With a sigh, Rose shuffled into the room and closed the door behind her. She held onto the doorknob longer than necessary as she warred with a fight-or-flight reaction. Finally, she peeled her hand away and slowly turned to face him.
She didn’t know what she expected to see, but the sight of him sitting up in bed with a smile wasn’t it. Part of her wondered if she had dreamed the whole breakup.
“It’s good to see you,” he said with a slight edge to his voice. It was all the confirmation she needed that the meeting was awkward and uncomfortable for both of them.
“You too.” Her feet glided toward him of their own accord, like a magnetic force was pulling them together. Or a moth to a destructive flame.
If she wasn’t careful, she was going to get burned… again. He didn’t give her a chance to react before he reached for her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Warning bells went off in her head as the warmth that spread up her arm was too much, and she pulled away. There was no missing the disappointment in his eyes.
She cleared her throat. “How’ve you been?”
“Better, actually.” He patted the space beside him, but she shook her head. Things were different between them, and she needed to maintain physical distance if she had any hope of preserving her sanity.
“That’s good.”
“Yeah,” he continued as if he couldn’t bear the awkward silence any more than she could. “Dr. Myers is supposed to come by today and talk to my doctors here.” A wry smile pulled on his lips. “I might be released by the end of the week.”
She blinked. “That soon?”
His face fell. “I’m not sure I’d call it ‘soon’ after being stuck here for a couple of weeks, but I’ve improved immensely.” His hazel eyes flicked to hers before he returned to pointedly staring at a loose thread on his blanket. “So I’ll be leaving with full support from my medical team.”
“This time,” she said without thinking.
He pressed his lips together. “Yes, this time.”
His chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath, and she braced herself for a subject change.
“How are the wedding cancellations going?”
Warmth crept up her neck and into her cheeks, and she bowed her head to hide it. Ever since the night Lanie had stopped by, she’d avoided anything wedding related. Carissa had been blowing up Rose’s phone, likely having heard the wedding was off through the town’s gossip mill. But she didn’t want him to know about her hesitation. It might give him the wrong idea. Should I lie and say I’ve already canceled everything?
“I’m sorry I can’t help with that,” Steven said, his voice sincere enough to make her look at him. “And I’m sorry that it’s… necessary.”
So he didn’t know. Good. It was better that way. No need to get his hopes up that she had changed her mind.
A heaviness settled in her body. On the one hand, she was relieved he seemed to have accepted her decision. It would make their visit more pleasant if she didn’t have to worry about defending her choice. But on the other hand, a part of her felt cheated. After all they’d been through, he wasn’t even going to fight for her.
I’m not some damsel in distress. I don’t need a man to want to be with me.
While the truth of those words reverberated through her, a tiny voice inside questioned whether her disappointment was about needing him to fight or wishing he wanted her enough to do so.
“Rose?” he prompted. “Are you still with me?”
“Uh, yes, sorry,” she stammered. “I have a few things to take care of, but I’ve almost canceled everything.” The lie almost caught in her throat, but she forced it out.
“That’s news to me,” a voice said from behind her. When she turned, her stomach dropped to the floor as she saw Lanie leaning against the doorframe.
Rose shot Lanie a pleading look. “I haven’t had an opportunity to tell you.”
“And it’s probably going to be news to the catering staff at The Muddy Oar,” Lanie continued, her tone cool. “They asked me to request that you call them the next time I see you. Seems they’ve been having a time getting in touch with you.”
Rose’s mouth went dry. Her gaze vacillated between Steven and Lanie as she thought fast. Things had been going so well, but if he found out she hadn’t canceled their wedding, it might give him false hope.
“They’re next on my list.” Play along, Rose silently begged Lanie.
Steven’s face fell the slightest bit, confirming to Rose that he’d held some hope they could mend things. But his sister’s eyes glinted with suspicion.
“I see.” Though from her tone, it sounded like Lanie didn’t believe her at all. “Anyway, I stopped by to drop off some homemade cookies.” She pushed past Rose and set them on Steven’s bedside table before kissing his forehead.
“Thanks, sis,” Steven said with a stiff smile. “Would you mind giving us a minute?”
Before Lanie could respond, Rose said, “No, that’s okay. I need to go anyway.” She spun on her heel and practically ran to the door.
She didn’t stop moving until she was in the parking lot, the blinding sun blazing down on her head. But she would take the humidity. Anything was less stifling than being in that room.
“Rose, wait!”
Despite every bone in her body telling her not to, Rose turned and faced Lanie. “Why did you do that? Why would you give him false hope?”
“Is it false?” Lanie cocked her head. “In spite of your insistence to Steven, you haven’t canceled anything, have you? Instead, you’ve been dodging calls from both your vendors and Carissa.”
There was no point in denying it. If Lanie had spoken to Carissa, then she knew everything.
When Rose didn’t respond, Lanie took a deep breath. “I won’t pretend to know why. But I can’t help hoping that once you hear what I have to say, you’ll definitively decide not to cancel the wedding and give him another chance.”
Not likely.Rose crossed her arms with a frown but didn’t interrupt.
“You know Steven entered rehab of his own accord. But what you don’t know is he also offered the partnership to Michael.”
Black dots swam before Rose’s eyes, and she grabbed onto her car to steady herself. “He what?”
“Now don’t get too excited.” Lanie hurried on. “Michael received a job offer in DC, and he has to pass the bar before he can accept either opportunity.”
While Lanie continued talking, Rose barely heard her. Not only had Steven gone into rehab, but he’d also chosen to find a partner. Something told her if Michael didn’t work out, Steven would find someone else. He was listening and learning like she’d always hoped he would.
Is it enough, though?She couldn’t ignore that it had taken her breaking up with him and calling off the wedding to finally get to that point. If I give him another chance, how far will I have to go the next time he refuses to listen to me?
“This latest incident shook him,” Lanie was saying when Rose tuned back in. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, losing you was also a wake-up call.” She gave a weak smile. “But the reality that his health issues might actually kill him was ultimately the kick in the pants he needed.”
“I’m glad something did.” Rose tried to keep her tone neutral. She needed time to consider her next move—and whether she could trust Steven again. “And I appreciate you telling me.”
“But it doesn’t change anything?” Lanie’s face fell.
“I need more time,” Rose said.
With a reluctant nod, Lanie threw her arms around Rose and pulled her into a tight hug. “I understand.” She stepped back and gave a sad smile. “I’d say if you need to talk, I’m here, but I’m not sure I can play the unbiased third party.”
“Nor would I ask you to,” Rose said.
They hugged once more, and Lanie moved aside and let Rose into her car. She waved goodbye before heading back into the building.
As Rose left the parking lot, her mind raced. Steven had made many strides in fixing things, and the fact that he hadn’t told her all of them meant he wasn’t doing it for her. Or at least, he wasn’t doing it only for her. And that has to mean something, right? But whether it was enough for her to give him another chance, she didn’t know.