Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Good. I’m pregnant,” Carrie says, and I can hear the happiness in her tone. “When I told the EMTs, they wanted me checked for precaution. I’m seven weeks, and everything is fine. I just need a ride.”
“We’ll be there,” I tell her. “What about car seats for the girls?”
“Nick took his work truck, and I’m in the car. You can bring our van. They have a car seat and a booster seat in it.”
“We’re on our way. Nashville General?” I ask her.
“Yes. Thank you both. I promise I’m fine. Ubers don’t come as far out of town as we live, unless it costs an arm and a leg,” she replies.
“No. It’s not a problem for us to come and pick you up. We’ll get the girls loaded up and head that way.”
“Thank you,” Carrie says again before ending the call.
Taking Eden’s phone from her, I place it on the counter and pull her into my arms. “She’s okay,” I say, hugging her tight.
“I know, but she’s all I have,” she says, and I want to tell her that’s not true. She has my friends and me, but now is not the time to debate that.
“What do I need to do with these?” I point to the cupcakes.
“They’ll be fine. The girls need to get their shoes on.”
“Okay, let’s do that so that you see with your own eyes that Carrie is all right,” I tell her.
“Thank you, Foster. I-I’m glad you’re here.”
“Nowhere else I want to be, baby,” I tell her honestly.
We get the girls loaded up, and twenty minutes later, after a mini–Taylor Swift concert from the back seat, I’m pulling the minivan into the parking lot of the Nashville General Emergency Room.
The girls don’t know what’s going on, and that’s a good thing. With each of their small hands in mine, we follow Eden into the ER. She talks to the clerk and finds out where Carrie is, while the girls and I wait in the waiting room with their tablets.
“We can go back. Just two, but I convinced them to let me and both girls go. I’m sorry,” Eden says.
“Babe, it’s fine. You go and set eyes on her. I’ll be right here when you need me.”
“Thank you, Foster.” She rises on her toes and kisses me quickly, before leading the girls to where a woman in scrubs waits for them.
After twenty minutes have gone by, I’m tired of feeling like a fish in a fishbowl, so I walk to the small room that houses a couple of high-top tables and some vending machines. I’m perusing my options when I hear my name being called.
“Foster?”
Turning, my mouth drops open when I see Violet standing there. “Violet?” She’s standing by the back wall with a coffee in her hands. “What are you doing here?”
“I work here.” She smiles. “How have you been?”
“You work here? In Nashville?”
“Yeah. I’ve been here about two years now,” she says. “I thought about looking you up, but so much time had passed. How have you been?” she asks again.
I stare at her, waiting to be swept away by emotion, but all I feel is… fondness. There’s no pain, no insistent regret. Nothing. Just me and the woman I used to date, who I once thought was my world, but I was wrong.
I don’t feel anything for her.
Eden is the woman my heart beats for, and I’m reminded of Knox’s words. He told me that Violet wasn’t the one because I didn’t feel it deep enough. He said I would have stopped at nothing to keep her in my life, and he’s right.
I do feel those things.
I feel them for Eden.
We catch up for a few, just exchange awkward pleasantries, before I wish her well, and go back to my seat to wait for the true love of my life.
Chapter Eighteen
Eden
* * *
Carrie is fine, just as she said. The girls are with her while we wait for her discharge papers, and I need to go find Foster to give him an update. Stepping into the waiting room, I scan the room, but I don’t see him.
“Are you lookin’ for that handsome man you came in here with?” an older lady sitting in the far corner asks.
“I am.” I smile at her.
“He went that way.” She nods toward the hallway that reads Concessions.
“Thank you.” I smile at her and head that way.
As soon as I step into the hallway, I hear his voice, stopping me in my tracks.
“Violet?” he asks. “What are you doing here?”
My heart plummets straight to my feet, like it’s forgotten how to beat properly. The air leaves my lungs all at once, stolen, and for a second, I swear the world tilts. I pray that he doesn’t turn around. I don’t think I could survive seeing his face right now. I don’t want to see him look at her the way he used to look at me.