“Good morning, April.” Hank wore the biggest smile I’d seen in weeks when he walked through the door. He was always professional and had a smile, but it hadn’t reached his beautiful eyes in far too long.

I knew the pain he felt all too well and often wondered if I had looked as changed to others as he had looked to me. After his longest relationship had ended, he looked as if he shrank a couple of inches and his hair had lost the shine and bounce he’d been most proud of.

He worked out, but it was more about keeping the weight off his favorite foods would’ve packed on—especially after the breakup he went through. When he walked back in that morning after we came back from Brody’s wedding, he stood taller, his hair could’ve been in a commercial, and it didn’t look as if he needed to suck it in around the middle anymore. I smiled.

I was jealous of his hair again, but I was happy my friend was on the road to recovery. I needed to find out his secret. It had been six months since Tim and I broke up, but it had only been six weeks since Hank’s relationship ended.

“Good morning, Hank. Thank you again so much for going with me to the wedding.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure. Seeing those two in love really helped me to realize that’s what I want out of life. I wasn’t getting that before, and I should be grateful to have a fresh start to find it again.” He sat on the edge of the desk. “What about you?”

“What about her?” Tim’s voice boomed behind me. I hadn’t seen him since I left him passed out in the hotel room. He wasn’t on the plane as he should’ve been.

“I enjoyed their wedding, too. It was beautiful, and I’m so happy for Brody.”

“Yeah.” Tim scoffed as he stormed through and slammed his office door.

Hank leaned over and held my hand. “I don’t know how you come back here every day, but you know where my office is if you need me.”

I placed my hand on his. “Thank you. He’s lucky I love this place.”

“You keep thinking that way.” He squeezed my hand before he stood up. “He always was the lucky one. So was my ex.” He stood a little taller and puffed out his chest as he realized something. “I’m handsome, kind, know how to have a good time, and I’m a doctor for crying out loud. I am the complete package. Seth is so going to wake up and regret leaving me one day.”

I smiled as he turned on his heel and left with an extra bounce in his step. I had little doubt Hank’s ex-boyfriend would be the one regretting the split. I looked toward Tim’s office door and groaned. I needed some signatures to approve new vendors, but I didn’t want to deal with his foul mood. I knew the drunken sweet talk would’ve been over when he sobered up.

I grabbed the contracts and stood. The quicker I got it over with, the quicker I could go on about my day. I knocked on the door and pushed it open. Tim was working his coffeepot, but it wasn’t setting on the tray right. He took the empty pot and threw it against the opposite wall, shattering it into pieces.

I hated seeing him like that, but I walked in and set the contracts down as if I didn’t witness anything. “I need signatures.”

“I’m busy.” He grabbed his coffee cup and placed it under the drip that was starting to come out.

“So am I. You can have these signed before your cup is filled.”

He sighed and sat down. “What are these?”

“New vendors and I want your signature for approval.”

“Why are you bothering me with this shit? Sign it yourself.”

“No.” I picked up his pen and held it out to him.

“Why do we need new vendors?”

“Because supplies for this place are expensive. If I can save a few bucks by ordering from someone else, I will.” I shoved the pen at him again. “Sign them.”

“You sign it. You own half the company.”

“We agreed when I bought Brody’s half we would always get approval from each other for changes.”

“I don’t care about these changes. You’re the one who has to deal with ordering from multiple places. I’d just order from one. Fuck it.”

“And you’d be in the red every month.”

He turned the coffeemaker off when his mug was filled and set it on the contracts. “I’ll look at them later.”

I threw his pen on his desk. “You don’t have to be an asshole about everything. You don’t have to suck the life out of me at every fucking turn. Sign them. Don’t sign them. I don’t give a fuck.” I reached the door before he spoke, but didn’t open it.

“Thank you for seeing that I got back to the hotel.”

I didn’t turn around. “You remember that?”

“Not much, but the manager at the hotel told me when I checked out. Apparently, I was quite loud as you were trying to get me into the room. He almost came out to kick me out, but you dragged me inside.”

I turned and placed my back on the door. “Well, I was just glad Brody let me know you needed help.”

“I wondered how you found me.” He took a drink of his coffee and set it down on the other side of his desk before picking up his pen and signing the contracts I wanted him to sign. “Here.”

I walked over and reached for them as he held them out. “Thank you.”

He wouldn’t let go of them and looked at me. “Next time I need help like that, make sure I’m on the fucking plane.” He let go.

“Next time you’re drunk like that, go fuck yourself.”

* * *

It was more of the same bickering for the past couple of weeks with Tim. I was thankful for the weekend and the quiet. I needed the time away from him. We mostly kept to ourselves, but ever since the wedding, he would search me out and fight with me. I wasn’t sure why, but I was sure sick of it.

I put the groceries away that I purchased that morning and sat down to catch up on my DVR when my cell phone rang. I smiled when I saw it was my mom.

“Hey, Ma.”

“Hi, baby. I haven’t heard from you for a few days, so I thought I’d check in. How are things?”

I purposely avoided my mom when I fought with Tim because I hadn’t told her we broke up yet. I didn’t say anything at first because I had hoped we’d get back together. If one of my brothers had broken it off with a girl and told my family what happened, the family held it against the woman so she never felt comfortable and they ended up splitting again. I didn’t want that to happen to us.

It wasn’t that those women didn’t deserve the treatment. They did. My family was very devoted and loyal to each other. If someone was hurt, we were all hurt. And Tim had hurt me deeply.

The longer it went on the harder it was to come clean and tell them. Besides, if I told my brothers what happened, they would’ve kicked his ass. He would’ve deserved it, but I still didn’t want anything to happen to him or them if he pressed charges.

“Are you still there?”

“Yeah, sorry. I just got back from the store.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“So, how are things?”

“Good. Things are good. How are you and Dad?”

“We’re just fine. Your brothers are fine, too.”

“I figured they would be.”

“Oh, your cousin Cynthia is getting married. Isn’t that exciting?”

So the truth came out for the call. Someone else who wasn’t me was getting married. “That’s nice. Is it the same guy who was at her college graduation?”

“Yeah, same nice kid.”

The doorbell rang and I closed my eyes, thankful for the interruption. “I gotta get that, Ma. I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay, sweetie. I love you.”

“Love you, too. Bye.”

I hung up and walked to the door. I opened the door to Hank smiling with Chinese food in his hands. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Uh, did we have plans?” I stepped aside and let him in.

“No, but I had a lunch date, so I thought I’d tell you about it over dinner.”

“Oh, yeah? Do tell.” I followed him to the kitchen and tossed my cell phone onto the island when we got there.

He pointed to my phone. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Nope. Just my mom letting me know I’m not the one getting married in the family again. Your date?”

“It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great.” He set containers out onto the counter and sat at the barstool.

“Do you think you’ll see him again?” I went to the cabinet for a couple of glasses to get water for us.

“We left it open, but I don’t know. I don’t have any of the will-he-or-won’t-he-call-me butterflies. I couldn’t care less, really.”

“Oh, well, at least you’re back out there. That’s a good thing.” I set the water down.

“Right, which is why I’m here right now. You need to be out there, too.”

“No, I’m not ready for that.” My mouth went dry and I picked up my glass of water when I sat next to him.

“Not ready? I’m not asking you to marry anyone. Go out. Eat dinner. Have sex.”

I had just taken a drink when he said that, so most of it went down the wrong pipe. I sat up straight and coughed. Hank and I were very close and he knew things most people didn’t, but it still didn’t mean I talked to him about my sex life.

“We both know you’re not a virgin. People have needs. It’s okay. I’m a doctor. We can talk about this.”

“You’re a psychiatrist.”

“It’s all the more reason to talk to me about it. I don’t judge people. I’ve been trained not to.”

“It isn’t that I think you’ll judge me. I’m not a freak or anything. I’m private about these things.”

“I’m not asking you to give me details.” He looked to the ceiling as he chewed. “Okay, maybe if he was hot enough I would, but only for the things he’s got going on.” He looked at me and motioned to my body with his fork. “You’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met, but this isn’t doing anything for me.”

“Too bad because you’re so charming.” I grabbed my plate and water and took it to the living room.

Hank followed. “Come on. Talk to me. I could’ve stayed home tonight to clean out and organize things, but I came over here to talk to you.”

“We can talk, but not about sex.”

He sat next to me, almost on my lap, and pushed his shoulder against mine. “What’s going on with you and Tim? This week has been intense. A couple of times I thought I was going to walk in on you two having sex on your desk.”

“I can assure you that will never happen again.” I took a bite. “I don’t know what his problem is. Ever since we got back from the wedding, he’s been difficult to be around. Things weren’t great before, but we managed.”

Hank leaned forward for his water and readjusted himself to sit a little farther away when he sat back. “In what way?” His voice shifted from friendly to professional. It made me a little nervous.

“I don’t know. He’s arguing more. Where he used to email me a list of demands, he comes out of his office twenty times a day to tell me things need to be worked on. I know what needs to be done. I’ve been there for over five years. I don’t need a babysitter.”

“This all started after the wedding?’

“Yeah, he’s pissed I didn’t get him on that plane. Maybe I should’ve.”

“Excuse me if I’m wrong, but he is an adult. He can make sure he gets himself on a plane, and if he can’t, then maybe he needs some therapy. Actually, regardless of getting on a plane or not, he does need therapy.”

I didn’t tell him about the coffeepot Tim smashed, but I agreed. Getting him to go would be a different story. “Yeah, but he can’t have mine. It would be a conflict of interest.”

Hank looked taken aback and a little hurt when his brows pinched together. “You’re in therapy?”

“Well, yeah. I’m having a session right now.” I smiled and took another bite.

“You’ll tell me if things get out of control?”

“Don’t I always?”

“No, April. You don’t.”

He was right. I always protected Tim. I knew him better than anyone. No one else needed to know. If he ever snapped out of it and became the Tim I fell in love with again, he would be mortified to know what he’d done. I wouldn’t do that to him. I couldn’t.