by Julia Black
I shook my head and forced myself to keep moving, keep walking. Once inside my apartment, I threw the box down, not caring if there was anything that could break in there.
A sudden need to leave this fucking place hit me. I immediately fished my cell phone from my back jeans pocket, unlocked it, and searched for Peter’s number. My fingers moved fast, typing a short message, asking him about the party.
While I waited for the answer, I glanced around.
Fuck.
The apartment was a disaster with boxes everywhere. And I had to go to work tomorrow morning, and my classes started back on Monday. I couldn’t just leave for a party at eleven at night. I had to try and organize what I could of this mess in the next hour before I had to force myself to go to sleep.
Cursing, I grabbed a cold beer from the fridge. I drank half of it in one big gulp, then set out to work. Because what I needed right now wasn’t a random party. What I needed right now was to keep my mind busy, so I would stop thinking about the girl living next door.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kiera
“Who wants to go to the park?” I asked as I served one more pancake to Luana.
“Me!” she screamed, wiggling in her seat.
I laughed.
My weekdays were always crazy and, in between work, taking care of Luana, and my online classes, I barely slept five hours per night. I used my weekends, the ones I didn’t have to work, to recharge and catch up.
Yesterday, I had taken Luana to her first ballet class in the morning. She had been talking about it for over a year and, even though I had started ballet and jazz and tap when I was three, I thought she was too young for that. But her fascination for it didn’t go away, so I decided to try it out. I enrolled her in class once a week. Right now, we couldn’t afford more. However, seeing her big smile during class, and how happy she was talking about it non-stop the rest of the day, made me wish we had just a little bit more money and time so she could go more often like the other kids.
After ballet class, we stopped by Mercedes’ apartment for lunch—it was rare when we didn’t have lunch with her on Saturdays. She always made yummy homemade food and desserts that had me wishing I could find out the formula for good chocolate without calories.
Thankfully, I hadn’t seen Josh since Friday morning when he dismissed me as if I was an infectious bug. I couldn’t help but stare at his door each time I came in or out of my apartment, but I was glad I hadn’t bumped into him again.
Things were too awkward already. I could use not seeing him for another week. Or month. Or year.
Luana devoured her pancake in two seconds.
“Chew longer, baby, or you might choke.” I put one more pancake on her plate. “After this one, let’s brush our teeth, put on some clothes, and then we can go to the park.”
This early on a Sunday, the park would still be quiet—the way I liked it.
“We already have clothes on, silly mommy.” She gestured down to her pajamas.
I smiled and ruffled her beautiful curls. “Smarty pants.”
She giggled.
In the end, we didn’t get to the park as early as I had hoped. Luana had a tantrum over her shoes. She wanted to wear her only dress sandals to the park, while I told her she had to put on sneakers. Eventually, after much crying, I was able to “negotiate” with her and get her to wear her already beaten up sneakers.
It was almost ten in the morning when we finally left the apartment, and with so many families living in the Liberty Cover neighborhood, the park was always pretty full for a Sunday.
Luana stepped into the park and dropped my hand. Yelling, she ran to the playground where Lucas and Brianna were. A smile sprouted on my lips. With everything we had been through, she was still a happy child. It made me very relieved to see I was able to shield her from all the bad and the struggle in our lives.
I greeted some of the parents I had seen around as I walked around, stalking Luana as she went from toy to toy. She loved the slide and the jungle gym, though my heart was always in my throat each time she climbed that thing. I couldn’t help but see her falling to the ground. Even though it was made of soft rubber, it would still hurt.
What I never expected, was for her to fall from the seesaw.
She let out a huge wail that ripped my heart in half.
“Luana!” I cried, trying to grab her before she met the ground, but I wasn’t that close. I carefully turned her around and looked over her, searching for wounds.
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.
Fat tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her face while my mind and my heart raced.
“My arm,” she croaked. I sat down on the ground and gently scooped her up onto my lap.
I touched her left arm. “This one?” A red mark surged just under her elbow.
Whimpering, she nodded. “It hurts, mommy.”
Parents crowded around us.
“It looks broken.”
“You should take her to the emergency center, just a mile out of here.”
“Yeah, they will take an x-ray to make sure.”
I stood, pulling Luana to my arms. She wrapped her legs around my waist and her right arm around my neck.
“I’ll do that,” I said, turning from the park.
Someone offered helped, but I was so out of it, I didn’t answer.
I walked—practically raced—back to our building, then realized my car keys were upstairs.
“Shit.”
Through her sobs, Luana said, “Bad word, mommy.”
An amused chuckle strangled out of my throat. I set her down at the first step of the stairs and knelt down in front of her. “Stay here. I’ll be back in one minute. Okay?”
Sniffing, Luana nodded.
I raced up the stairs, climbing the steps two by two. I burst into my apartment, grabbed my purse and my car keys, and raced back down. Trying to be fast, I tripped on my own feet and almost fell down one landing, but I was able to hold on to the rail and regain my balance.
“Shit,” I said again. Then I was in front of my girl. “Here I am.” I scooped her up, took her to my car, and put her on her booster seat in the back. I strapped her seatbelt. “We’ll make the pain go away soon, okay?”
“Okay, mommy.”
I kissed her forehead then hurried to take my place in the car.
Six minutes later, I was carrying her through the sliding doors of the emergency center.
The receptionist behind the tall desk stood. “How can I help you?”
“I think she broke her arm,” I said. I sat Luana down on a chair and kissed her forehead again. “I have to talk to this lady. I’ll be right here, okay?”
She wiped a tear with her right arm and nodded.
My heart swelled with pride. She was being such a big girl.
I checked in with the receptionist, showed her our insurance card, and she assured me Luana would be seen soon.
I snuggled on a chair with my baby girl, trying to sooth some of her pain, wishing I had hurt my arm instead of her.
Ten minutes later, Luana was called and the nurse took us directly to the x-ray technician. I explained to Luana how they would take a picture of her bones and she looked amused at that. She even stopped crying long enough to stand still for said picture.
“Yup, it’s broken,” the technician said. “The nurse will take her to a room. The doctor will come in and see her, to check if there’s anything else hurt or any other problem, then we’ll put a cast on it.”
“Thanks,” I said, before exiting the room and being guided through the winding hallways of the emergency center.
Finally, the nurse showed us to an examination room. The nurse showed me some pain medicine and asked if it was okay to give it to Luana.
I fought a desperate eye roll. “Of course it’s okay.”
She quickly gave the medicine to my daughter and I prayed it had immediate effect.
“The doctor has a student with him today,” the nurs
e said. “Is it okay if the student comes in the room too?”
I shrugged. “Sure, I don’t mind.”
“Great.” She smiled at me. “They will be in soon.” I thanked her and she closed the door.
I sat on one of the chairs and pulled Luana to my lap. “Does it still hurt a lot, baby?”
With her face buried in my neck, she nodded, brushing her nose on my skin. I hugged her tight, careful not to upset her broken arm.
My heart raced, and I cursed the doctor and his mother for every second that passed and he didn’t come in to check on my daughter.
Five minutes later, a knock sounded on the wooden door. It opened and a man with gray hair stepped inside the room.
“Hello. I’m Dr. Marshall. And this,” he gestured to the younger man who followed him in the room, “is a medical student, Josh Wolfe.”
I gaped at him and he gaped at me.
I swear I tried not to but it was impossible not noticing how good he looked in black slacks, gray button up shirt, and an open doctor’s white jacket. He looked serious, competent, powerful.
“Josh!” Luana said, jerking straight in my lap. But her smile faded half a second later. “Ow.” Tears filled her eyes again.
Dr. Marshall chuckled. “I take it you know each other.”
“Y-yes,” Josh said. He cleared his throat and a professional mask covered his face. “Miss Kiera and her daughter Luana are my neighbors.”
“Ah, I see.” The doctor turned his eyes to Luana. “Let’s take a look at that arm, shall we?”
The doctor helped Luana to the table and examined her. He touched her arm, and gently twisted it, then he showed us the x-ray, so we could see exactly where the bone had snapped. Next, he told us her arm would be bandaged today, because of swelling, and in five days time, I should bring her back to put on a cast.
“Can I have a pink cast?” she asked, already sounding better.
The doctor chuckled. “Of course.” He nodded at me. “I’ll leave Mr. Wolfe to finish up here. Have a good day.”
And with that, the doctor was gone. I was so stunned, I didn’t get to say thanks.
Josh ran a hand over his hair then turned to my daughter, still all professional. “So, Luana … were you trying to take off from the seesaw?”
She smiled at him. “No!”
He gently took her arm in his hands. “I will bandage your arm now, is that okay?”
She glanced at me with big eyes, as if asking me if that was okay. I nodded at her, then she looked up at Josh again and nodded too.
One corner of Josh’s lips turned up. “You’re being very brave, you know.”
I frowned. He didn’t need to suck it up to her. All he had to do was bandage her arm and let us go.
Luana leaned forward and half-whispered, “I was braver than mommy. She was freaking out.”
Josh let out a chuckle, and I rolled my eyes. Of course I freaked out. My baby had just fallen from the seesaw and hurt her arm. If I had been paying more attention, or been closer, maybe she wouldn’t have been hurt.
And we wouldn’t have bumped into Josh once again.
I tried not saying anything, I tried being as professional as he was being and pretend he was just any guy, and I didn’t care about anything he did, but the words just burst from my throat.
“So … a medical student, hm?”
Josh spared me a quick glance while wrapping the bandage around Luana’s arm. “Yeah. Started third year this week.”
“That’s great,” I said, just because that was what everyone said.
Josh finished the bandage. “All done.” He bent down until he was eye level with Luana and said, “Remember what the doctor said about taking care of your arm, okay?” With a smile, Luana nodded. “And tell your mom when you’re in pain. She’ll give you something for it, okay?”
Luana nodded again.
I stood from the chair. “So … we just come back in five days.”
Josh turned his gaze to me. “Yeah. That will be Friday. Hm. If you can bring her between noon and seven. I’ll be here and can do it myself.”
“Oh, okay,” I said, frowning. Though I was already thinking I could wake up earlier Friday and bring her in the morning, so we wouldn’t bump into Josh again. “Come on, baby.” I held Luana’s waist and helped her jump down the table. “Let’s go home.”
I caught her hand in mine and pulled her toward the door.
Luana didn’t move. Instead she smiled up at Landon. “Do you live alone?”
“Luana!” I hissed.
A knot appeared between Josh’s brows. “Yes, I live alone.”
“Do you know how to cook?”
“Luana!” I exclaimed again.
“Not really.”
Luana pouted. “Then you’re probably not eating well.” She paused. “You know, my mommy always cooks Sunday nights and her cooking is really yummy. You could come have dinner with us.”
My mouth fell open. Josh frowned some more.
Shit, this kid. Always trying to solve all the problems in the world. Starting with feeding our lonely, hot neighbor.
Like the time she found an abandoned cat at the park and insisted we had to bring it milk every morning before I took her to daycare. Until one day the cat was gone. Or when we found a baby bird with a broken wing just outside our building. She brought it in and took care of it, with my help and a veterinarian’s, until it was strong enough to fly out on its own. And the time I took us by a McDonald’s drive thru and, on the way back, we stopped at a red sign, right where a homeless man was asking for food. She insisted we gave our meals to him and came home to eat cereal.
“I’m sure Josh doesn’t want to co—”
“I might,” he said, interrupting me. I gaped at him again—it seemed all I did was stare at him in shock. He was looking at Luana, not at me. “I can’t guarantee, because sometimes I have to work until later, but I might come.”
She smiled wide. “Cool!”
I knew what he was doing. Letting her down easy. He said he might come, but then he mentioned having to work until later. So, when dinner time came and Josh didn’t show up, I could just tell her he was working late, like he had mentioned before. She would be upset for about thirty seconds, then she would move on as if nothing had happened.
“All right.” I tugged on her good arm. “Let’s go home.”
“Bye Josh!” Luana yelled as we exited the room.
Mortified by it all, I practically raced down the hallways toward the exit, dragging my kid behind me.
In the car, I gripped the steering wheel and rested my forehead on my hands.
“Are you okay, mommy?”
I quickly straightened and glanced at her over my shoulder, forcing a smile just for her. “Sure, baby, I’m great.”
CHAPTER SIX
Josh
I stared at the door for a long time.
What the fuck was I doing?
When Luana had invited me to dinner, I hadn’t thought about accepting. I didn’t have to work late, I was just letting her down easy. Besides, I had seen Kiera’s shock when her daughter popped the question. In fact, I noticed everything about her from the moment I stepped into that room.
I noticed her shock at the same time I noticed she looked beautiful in skinny jeans, a dark blue graphic tee, and flats. She had no make up on and her hair fell down her back like a dark golden cascade. I noticed her tension and worry over her daughter. I saw how she wished she could scoop Luana’s pain away with her hand and throw it away. And once more, I noticed her shock toward the end of our encounter.
I had been shocked, too. I hadn’t expected to see them at the emergency center, and then there they were, waltzing in, taking more space and interfering a little more in my life. It wasn’t enough to see Kiera around the building here and there. No, she had to bring her little daughter to my workplace.
What the fuck?
Giggling came from behind the closed door and, despite myself, I smiled.
Then I noticed what I was doing, and slammed my lips close.
Fuck, I shouldn’t be here. I turned to leave, determined to just go home and pop something in the microwave and be done with my night. My stomach growled in protest, and I made the mistake of inhaling deeply. A delicious spice aroma reached my nostrils and, without thinking, I whirled back to the door and knocked.
The giggling stopped and the door opened, revealing a disheveled and smiling Kiera.
“Josh?” She lost her smile. “What are you d—”
“Josh!” Luana yelled. She came running to the door and smiled at me. Man, those big, bright blue eyes, just like her mother’s … This little one was so beautiful and her honest smile was so contagious. She reminded me of another little girl I had met many years ago. “Come in!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.
Kiera stood by the door, staring at us with her mouth hanging open again. For the third or fourth time today.
I shrugged at her—apologetic or dismissively? I didn’t know—as I let Luana take me to the TV area, where a small pink table and two pink chairs served as coffee table in between two loveseats.
I quickly looked around. Their apartment was an exact copy of mine, though theirs had more color and a feminine touch, with small decorations, and paintings on the walls, and toys spread on the floor.
I heard the door clicking closed and the loud exhale coming from Kiera. She stopped just behind one of the loveseats and watched Luana and me.
“Mommy and I were just playing tickles,” Luana said. “She always loses. I barely touch her and she’s already laughing.”
I glanced to Kiera and she shook her head. With a humph, she pivoted on her feet and went to the kitchen. I couldn’t help but stare at how that yoga pants emphasized her round ass. When she opened the door, it took all my strength not to stare at her breasts and her thin waist—I blamed her tight tank top.
Still not sure what I was doing here, I sat on the couch.
“I’ll be right back,” Luana said, before disappearing into one of the bedrooms.