It had been a quiet day so far. Nothing but a few checkups, no deliveries, and the rest of the afternoon free.

My cell buzzed in the top pocket of my white coat, and I drew it out, gritted my teeth, then swept my thumb over it, canceling yet another call from Erika. She’d been trying to contact me nonstop over the past two days, no doubt to talk to me about what had happened between her and Jason.

“Stop.” It was for myself, not for her. I meandered through the cafeteria and to the vending machine in the corner. I wasn’t particularly hungry, just going through the fucking motions to keep myself sane.

Jason and Erika. Erika and Jason.

Why would she do this? Why would she go back to him? Why would she sleep with him?

And what cruel twist of fate was it, that she’d fallen pregnant with his child after everything?

Stop.

How could I when it made me so goddamn angry? She had to understand that she deserved better than that asshole. But if she were pregnant now, after the way she’d felt about having a child, how she’d described it to me, there wasn’t a chance she’d leave Jason. She’d want what was best for her baby.

Fucking stop.

I inserted coins, punched a few buttons, and retrieved an iced tea and a bag of chips. I walked out of the cafeteria and back down the hall, heading for the solitude and irritation of the—

A figure stepped into my path, and I pulled up short. A mixture of emotions—fuck it, since when did I have emotions—flushed through me. Anger, warmth, concern, desire. I reined them in and kept myself perfectly still. Any movement might bring one of them on.

“Noah,” Erika said, and licked her lips.

The same lips I’d licked, kissed, touched, cherished. Cherished?

“Noah, we need to talk.”

“No, we don’t,” I replied, stiffly.

“Please.” She squared her shoulders and gave me that steely, strong gaze. The same one she’d used on me as a teenager back in Syracuse, and the one she’d leveled me with when I’d been reluctant to buy Christmas decorations with her.

“This way,” I said and walked her down the hall and into the office at the end of it. I shut the door behind her, then walked around to my side of the desk and placed the iced tea and chips on it. I didn’t sit down.

Neither did she.

Erika hovered just inside the door, as beautiful as ever. She’d kept her hair loose, and she practically fucking glowed from within. Soft pink cheeks, and no circles under her eyes—clear as well, bright as if she’d realized her goals and dreams were attainable.

“I’m sorry I ignored you,” she said. “I was confused. I was scared. I was cowardly.”

“It doesn’t matter now.” How could it? “I’m past that. I know you are too.”

“What does that even mean?” Erika asked, her pale brow wrinkling up, perfect creases to match her perfect pretense. “Noah?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Erika. I know. I know everything.”

If anything, she grew paler. The creases deeper. “What? How?”

“Your brother told me the truth,” I snapped. “I don’t want to get angry, Erika. I don’t like getting angry, so it’s best you just leave now.”

“But if you know, then you know I’m—you—I’m—” It was one of the first times I’d seen her stumble over her words. She cleared her throat, blushing. Christ, why did she have to be beautiful, even when she blushed? “You know I’m—”

“Pregnant?” I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. Pregnant with another man’s baby. Destined for someone else. I’d given her everything, including my fucking heart, what was left of it, and she’d chosen this path instead. “Yeah, no shit. That’s why I want you to leave, Erika. I refuse to yell at a pregnant woman.”

“Oh,” she said, stiffening. “Well, how noble of you. How sweet. You won’t yell at a pregnant woman. So fucking chivalrous.”

“Don’t start with me,” I grunted. “I’m not in the mood, Erika. I don’t know what you thought you’d achieve by coming here today. It’s pretty clear I’m not interested in what you have to say. Unless, of course, you thought my ignoring your calls was an invitation to make this situation even more uncomfortable in real life.”

“So that’s it, then?” Erika lifted her palms. “That’s all you’re going to say to me? That’s all you’re going to contribute?” Tears welled in her eyes, spilled over. “That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s fucking it.” I kept my temper at bay. Didn’t shout, didn’t freak out. Seriously, what had she expected? “What did you think you’d achieve by coming here? That I’d kiss your ass and accept whatever apology you had? Just do us both a favor and leave. Leave and don’t come back, Erika.”

“Noah—”

“Don’t contact me again. Don’t even think of it.” I walked past her, ignoring the shaking of her shoulders, the wetness on her cheeks, and the subsequent ache in my heart. I wrenched the office door open and cast an arm out. “You made your damn bed, Erika, now lie in it.” What else could she possibly want from me? Forgiveness?

Technically, there was nothing to forgive. She’d made a choice and gone with it. Whatever ill attempt this was to assuage her guilt, well, that was on her. I had no interest in helping her sleep at night.

Erika walked past me, her shoulders heaving. She gave me one last bleary-eyed look of defiance. “So that’s it? This is what you’ve decided?”

“It’s not about my decisions, Erika, it’s about yours.” I gripped the doorknob so hard it rattled against my palm. “Live your life. Be happy. Just don’t ever contact me again. Don’t even think about it.”

I shut the door on her then. Didn’t slam it, just shut it. I walked to my desk, more stumbled than walked, and grabbed at my chair, dug into the fabric, tore at it. I lifted a fist and rammed it into the wall so hard that the corkboard dropped to the floor.

It didn’t help. Nothing would help.

I fumbled my cell out of my pocket and unlocked the screen, shot off one last desperate text, hating it, hating everything.

“We need to talk,” it said.