"Yeah. Doesn't she normally work in the afternoons?"
"I don't know her schedule. She could've switched with someone."
"Maybe. I just find it odd she had to talk to Alexis like that."
"Like what?"
"Like right that second. Whatever she had to talk about must've been urgent. Has she said anything to you?"
"Lauren?"
"Yeah."
"I never see her."
"But you work at the same hospital. You must run into her sometimes."
"She doesn't come to the clinic."
"You might've seen her in the cafeteria."
"Star, why are you asking all these questions about Lauren? Did she say something to you?"
"No. I just found it odd that she made Alexis leave work so they could talk."
"I'm sure it's nothing. Lauren likes to create drama. Something must've happened to her and she blew it out of proportion and made Alexis think it was an emergency. Did you ask Alexis about it?"
"Yeah and she said Lauren was fine."
"See? False alarm. Lauren used to do that to me all the time. Star, I really need to go or I'll never get out of here."
"Okay. I'll see you later tonight."
He still didn't tell me about Lauren. He said he never sees her but according to Lauren they saw each other at the hospital yesterday. They were together during his dad's procedure. How could he not tell me that? Why is he hiding it?
The more I think about this, the worse I feel. I thought I could trust Corbin. But maybe I can't.
Chapter Nineteen
Corbin
"Star?" I walk in the apartment a little after five and hear Lucky barking from his kennel. If he's in there it means Star isn't home. I go to the kitchen and see a note saying she had to walk the neighbor's dog. I'm surprised she didn't take Lucky with her. He usually tags along on her dog walks.
"I'm coming," I say to Lucky who's crying and whimpering to be let out. When I undo the door to his kennel he bursts out and almost knocks me over.
"Hey, buddy." I rub his head and his tail wags as he jumps on me.
He takes off for his water bowl while I go in the bedroom to change. I'm exhausted and would like to just skip dinner and go to bed but I need to wait for Star to get home to see what she wants to do. I also want to see if she's still mad at me. She turned away from me in bed last night, probably because she didn't like me working late. I'm not sure she bought my excuse. I said I was doing paperwork, which was true, but it wasn't for work. I was writing that recommendation for Lauren. I wanted to get it over with so I stayed until it was done, then dropped it in the mail.
Lucky bounds into the room, barking at me, wanting to be pet.
"Let me finish changing," I tell him.
I pull on a t-shirt and gym shorts, then take my work clothes to the hamper. Star's jeans are on the floor of the closet so I pick them up and add them to the dirty clothes.
"Okay, Lucky, let's go." I start to leave but notice something on the floor. A business card. I pick it up and see it's from a law firm downtown specializing in personal injury cases.
"You've gotta be kidding me," I say, not believing what I'm seeing.
There's no way she'd do this. It's been over two months since the accident. And we're a couple. She loves me. She wouldn't sue me. Turning the card over I see a message written, Looking forward to working with you!
What the hell? Star hired a lawyer? She wouldn't do that. But then why does she have his card? She obviously met with the guy, but why? Is she seriously going to sue me? I can't imagine her doing that. It's so unlike her. And I can't believe she'd do it behind my back.
Lucky is barking and jumping around like he needs to go out. I hide the card in my dresser and go out to the hall closet to get his leash.
When we get downstairs I see Star coming in from the street. She doesn't have a dog with her. So she lied about that? And lied about meeting with a lawyer? Why is she lying to me?
"Hey," she says when she sees me. She's not smiling or greeting me with a hug, like she normally does. "You just get home?"
"Yeah. Lucky had to go out." I keep hold of his leash as he tries to get to Star. She comes over and pets him, avoiding eye contact with me. She's clearly hiding something, but what? Is it a lawsuit? Is she really planning to sue me?
"I can take him," she says, rubbing his ears.
"I don't mind," I tell her, surprised she's not suggesting we take him together. "I thought you were walking a dog."
"I did. I returned him and then went to talk to Alexis about my schedule for this week."
"You came from outside. You weren't in the coffee shop."
"I was. I just left out the front door because someone was blocking the door to the building." She tilts her head. "Why are you asking so many questions?"
"I'm not. I just saw you without a dog and...never mind. It doesn't matter." I lean down and pet Lucky. "I'm going to take him down the block."
"Okay. I'll need some time to get dinner going. I haven't figured out what we're having."
"Forget it. I'm not hungry."
"You're not?"
"No. I'm really tired from work. I'm just going to go to bed." I go around her. "C'mon, Lucky."
He pulls on the leash, trying to go back to Star. He can't figure out why we're not walking him together like we normally do. I can't either. It's like Star doesn't want to be around me. Is it because she feels guilty about meeting with that lawyer?
Why would she sue me? Her injuries have healed. She's not in pain. She keeps telling me she feels fine. And she knows if she asked, I'd give her money. She doesn't have to sue me to get it. So why is she doing this?
I walk Lucky down the street and as we're passing the deli, Lauren walks out.
She does a double-take when she sees me. Why is she acting surprised to see me? She knows I live a block away.
"Hello, Corbin," she says, hurrying around me.
"Lauren, wait."
She sighs. "What?"
"What are you doing here? I thought you were living downtown."
"I live with my parents now." She adjusts her purse on her shoulder. "I really need to be going."
"Yeah. Go ahead." I watch as she leaves. "Oh! Lauren!"
She turns back. "What is it?"
"I sent in your recommendation."
"Thank you," she quickly says, then continues walking.
She's acting strange. She didn't insult me. Didn't insult Star. Didn't tell me how disgusted she is by Lucky. Maybe she really was in a hurry, although it seemed more like she was avoiding me.
The deli door swings open and Lars walks out. He sees me and gives me his usual laid back smile. "Hey, man, what's up?"
"Just walking the dog." I tug on Lucky's leash as he tries to jump on Lars.
"Hey, boy." Lars leans down and pets Lucky's head. "I wish I could get a dog."
"Why don't you?"
"I'm never home to walk it. And dogs cost too much." He motions to the deli. "I've been picking up extra shifts and it's still not enough to pay the bills." He scratches Lucky's ears. "Good dog."
Lucky lifts his head up to Lars, his tail wagging.
"I think you just made a new friend," I say.
"You ever need a dog sitter, just let me know."
"Star takes care of him. She walks him during her breaks at the coffee shop."
"She was just here."
Lucky drops to the ground and rolls on his back, wanting his belly rubbed.
Lars laughs. "The ears weren't good enough?"
"Star was here?" I ask.
He looks up at me. "What?"
"Did you say Star was here?"
"Yeah." He rubs Lucky's belly. "Like a few minutes ago."
She told me she was at the coffee shop. She lied.
"Why was she here?"
"I don't know. She didn't stay long. Didn't even order anything."
"She just walked in and left?"
"She was talking to Laur
en. Sounded like they were fighting."
"About what?"
"Who knows? Chicks are always fighting about something." He stands up. "I better get back in there. My break's almost up. See ya later, man." He goes back inside the deli.
I finish walking Lucky, then go upstairs to the apartment. Star is talking to someone on the phone but quickly ends the conversation when she hears me walking in.
"We'll talk later. Bye!"
"Who was that?" I ask.
"Haley. Why?"
"I was just wondering. You didn't have to end your call."
"She had to get going." Star leans down to Lucky, petting him and ignoring me like she did earlier. "Hey, Lucky. How was your walk?"
"We ran into Lars."
"Oh, yeah?" she asks, her eyes on Lucky.
"He said he just saw you at the deli. But didn't you say you were at the coffee shop?"
She stands up straight, causing Lucky to jump on her, begging for attention.
"Lucky, no," she says in a stern voice. "No jumping. Sit, Lucky."
He sits, but his eyes are still begging her to pet him.
"Star, were you at the deli or not?"
"Yeah." She goes in the kitchen and opens the fridge. "I was thinking of getting something there for dinner but then I changed my mind."
"What changed your mind?"
She sighs and closes the fridge. "Lauren. I saw her when I walked in. I tend to lose my appetite when she's around."
At least she's telling me the truth this time. But why didn't she tell me before? Why would that be a secret?
"Did you talk to her?" I ask.
"She talked to ME. I was hoping to avoid her. As soon as I saw her I was going to leave but then she came up to me and started talking."
"What did she want?"
Star shrugs. "Doesn't matter." She opens the fridge again.
I take the fridge door and close it, my eyes on Star. "Tell me what she said."
"You tell me first." She folds her arms over her chest.
"You saw us on the street just now?"
"No. What do you mean? You talked to Lauren just now?"
"When I was walking Lucky. She was coming out of the deli. She was in a hurry so she said hi and left. Lars said you two were fighting."
She rolls her eyes. "Tell Lars to mind his own business."
"Were you? Fighting with her?"
"We weren't fighting." Star goes around me to the living room.
I follow her. "Then what happened?"
Star looks away from me, her shoulders tense. "She told me she had lunch with you."
"When?"
"What do you mean when?" she huffs. "Has this happened more than once?"
"No. Star, I don't know what she's talking about. I didn't have lunch with her."
"She said you did. Today at the hospital."
"We didn't have lunch. She sat down at my table just as I was leaving. She asked how my dad was doing and then I went back to work."
Star looks at me. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, for one, I've barely seen you since I got home. And two, there was nothing to tell. I saw her and then left. I didn't have lunch with her."
Star glares at me. "So you have nothing else to tell me about Lauren?"
"No. Why do I feel like I'm being accused of something?"
Star walks away, then turns back to me. "Lauren told me about the recommendation."
Shit. I should've known Lauren would do that. She's always trying to start trouble. I should've just told Star the truth.
"Okay, yes, I wrote the recommendation, but it was just so she could get a job. I think you and I both agree it'd be good to get Lauren out of Boston. If she gets this job she'll be moving to New York. We'll never have to see her again."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I knew it'd upset you knowing I was doing something for Lauren."
"So you thought keeping it a secret, lying to me, was a better plan?"
I walk over to her. "Star, I wasn't trying to hide this from you. I should've just told you. I didn't because I didn't want to argue about something that wasn't a big deal."
"But now it IS a big deal. Because you lied to me. For Lauren."
"Yes, and I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I'm not doing Lauren any more favors, and like I said, if she gets this job, she'll be out of our lives." I step up to Star and put my arms around her. "Can we move on now?"
Star looks down. "She wants you back."
"Lauren? Star, no. She doesn't want me back. She's moved on."
"If she'd moved on, she wouldn't have come up to me to tell me she had lunch with you. And she wouldn't have told me about you writing the recommendation for her."
"When did she tell you about the recommendation?"
"At the deli the other day." Her eyes go to mine. "She's trying to break us up. Make me think you want her back. And you're not making me feel better when you do stuff for her behind my back."
"That's not what I was doing. I didn't think it was worth telling you. I'm sorry, okay? Can we just get past this?"
She backs out of my arms and walks away. "I'm going to take a bath. There's leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry."
She leaves and goes down the hall to the guest bathroom instead of the one in our room. She better not be planning to sleep in the guest room tonight.
I'm not letting Lauren do this. She's not breaking Star and me apart. She's obviously trying to but it's not going to work. I'm tempted to talk to Lauren about it but that will just make her think her little plan is working. I'll just have to ignore her and hope she gets the job in New York. Her residency ends in a few weeks. After that, she could move and be out of my life for good.
Star's in the tub for almost an hour. I'm about to go in there and check on her but stop when I hear her talking to someone.
"I don't know," she says. "I haven't decided. I have to talk to him. He came by the coffee shop and we talked about options but I didn't commit to anything yet." There's silence and then, "No, I haven't told Corbin. If I decide to go ahead with it I'll tell him."
It sounds like she's talking about the lawsuit. What else could it be? The lawyer must've come by the coffee shop to meet with her.
Why would she do this? I don't understand. And if she's even considering doing this, why is she still with me? Maybe she's planning to break up with me. Maybe that's why she's avoiding me and won't look me in the eye.
"Yeah, okay," I hear her say. "I'll let you know. For now I just need to fill out some paperwork if I decide to do it. I want to. I'm just not sure if it's the right time." There's more silence and then, "Okay, bye."
I hear water splashing around as she gets up from the tub. I'm not sure what to do. Do I confront her about this or wait and see if she confesses? I want to just ask her about it. If she hasn't decided to do this yet, maybe I could talk her out of it.
A few minutes later she leaves the bathroom and goes in our room. I'm in the living room with Lucky. I give Star a minute to get dressed, then go in the bedroom, deciding I just need to confront her. I can't be around her and not say something. And if she really is doing this behind my back it means I can't trust her and our relationship is over.
"Hey." I step up behind her as she's getting something from the dresser.
She turns around. "Yeah?"
"Can we talk?"
"About what?"
"I need to ask you something."
"Go ahead and ask."
"Let's go sit down." I take her hand and walk toward the bed but she pulls back.
"Corbin, I don't want to do this right now."
"I need to get this out in the open. I can't keep going on without saying anything."
She yanks her hand back. "Is this about Lauren? Is there more you didn't tell me?"
"No! Do you really think I'd cheat on you?" I shake my head, walking away from her. "If you really think I'd do that, then I don't know why you're with me."
"And I do
n't know why you'd keep secrets from me, especially about Lauren. But you did."
I sigh. "Because I didn't think it was worth telling you. I wrote that recommendation to help her get a job so she'd move away and be out of our lives. I get that I should've just told you and I'm sorry I didn't." I pause, lifting my eyes to hers. "What about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"No. Why?"
"You're not keeping anything from me?"
"What are you getting at? Just say it."
I walk to the dresser and open the drawer. I pull out the lawyer's card and bring it over to her. "This."
She takes the card and looks at it. "What's this?"
"You tell ME. It fell out of your jeans. I found it in the closet."
She looks closer at it. "Oh. Yeah. It's from that guy."
"What guy?"
"This guy came in the coffee shop and was asking about the accident. As soon as I realized he was a lawyer I told him to go away. He shoved his card at me and then left."
"Why'd you keep it? Why didn't you just throw the card away?"
She cocks her head. "Why are you asking me this?"
"I just think it's odd you didn't throw it away."
"What are you implying?" she asks, holding the card up to me. "That I'm going to call up this guy and sue you?"
I don't answer, but she knows that's what I was thinking.
"I can't believe you would think that!" she says, raising her voice. "You seriously think I would sue you?"
"Star, you have to admit it looks suspicious when I find a card for a lawyer who specializes in personal injury cases."
She rips the card up in several pieces, letting them fall to the floor. "There. Happy now?"
She storms off to the bathroom and slams the door.
I walk over and try the door but it's locked. "Star, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. I just found the card and didn't know what to think."
"Here's an idea," she yells through the bathroom door. "You see the card and think nothing of it because you love your girlfriend and trust her and know her well enough to know she'd never do something like that."
"I DID think that but then when I got home you were acting strange and I didn't know why. I thought maybe it had something to do with that card."
The bathroom door swings open and she stands in the door frame, her arms folded across her chest. "I wasn't acting strange. You're just saying that to try to explain why you accused me of suing you."
Lucky Star Page 18