Chapter 7

Nora's POV

The next day, I went to check out of the hospital alone.

My body was still weak, just barely recovered. My face was bloodless. I clung to the wall and dragged myself forward one step at a time.

At the billing window, I saw Ryan. He had an arm around Phoebe, carefully lowering her onto a bench in the hallway.

He looked up, and his eyes met mine.

"Nora?"

I looked at Phoebe, so fragile she apparently couldn't manage on her own, and then at myself, fighting just to stay on my feet, and my heart skipped.

"Hi," Phoebe said. She got up when she saw me coming, eyes timid, as if I might swallow her whole the moment she let her guard down.

"You don't have to keep playing the victim. I get it. I won't hold it against you anymore."

"I know you're past thirty now, under all kinds of stress. Hormones out of balance, moods all over the place. It's only natural you'd lash out at me without meaning to. I'm still young, and Ryan keeps me so well protected, so I can't really understand what you're going through."

"Once I look at it that way, I feel at peace."

My hands curled into fists.

If my body hadn't been so wrecked, I'd have decked her.

But Ryan, as if he hadn't heard a word of it, smiled. "That's wonderful. I'm so glad you've made peace with it. Stress is terrible for your condition."

Phoebe nodded, beaming.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me these past few days, Ryan."

It hit me like a fist. The room spun. I braced everything I had against my own body just to keep from going down.

"Nora, Phoebe, you two chat. I'll go settle the bill." Ryan headed off toward the window.

"You see, Nora?" Phoebe nodded toward his hurrying figure.

"My depression flared up yesterday, and Ryan drove through the storm again to take care of me all night long."

My heart twisted.

So that was the office emergency.

I lowered my head. I'd given up hope already. Why keep hurting myself, keep lying to myself?

"You didn't really think eight years made your love bulletproof, did you? Don't make me laugh."

"Eight years is a fragile thing. Look, one little move from me and the whole thing collapsed. Doesn't that just prove the two of you were never meant to be?"

"Step aside, Nora. What Ryan needs is a wife who's young and pretty, who knows how to be sweet, who's gentle and easy."

Her words sent a tremor through me. I dragged in breath after breath, fighting with everything I had not to lose it right there.

"When the internet came for me, they dug up the company too. The executives told Ryan to protect its name, to just cut me loose. He refused. He'd rather make an enemy of the whole world than give me up."

"Including you."

A roaring filled my ears. That phrase kept echoing through my skull. He'd rather make an enemy of the whole world. Including you.

The last shred of my self-control was torn away. Like something gone mad, I raised my arm and shoved her, hard.

Phoebe screamed, crumpled to the floor, and went limp.

A crowd gathered. Ryan came shoving through it and saw the bloodless Phoebe, and me, eyes blazing with rage.

Whispers rippled around me.

"I saw it. She hit her first."

"Must be some kind of grudge. Knocked her right out."

Ryan scrambled to scoop Phoebe up into his arms.

"Nora, she's sick. She has depression. Couldn't you show a little more patience?"

His voice was as gentle as ever, even with the blame in it.

Before I could speak, he went on. "I know there are some misunderstandings between us. I'll explain everything to you, in time."

"Just give me a little time."

My lips parted.

"No—"

The word wasn't even out before Ryan, Phoebe in his arms, pushed through the crowd and was gone.

"There's no need," I said to his retreating back, to no one but myself.

"Ryan. Thank you."

"Thank you for taking eight years of my life to finally show me who you really are."

"Ryan, from this moment on, you and I are nothing to each other."

After that, I went back to the apartment that held all our good memories, packed a few things, and turned and walked away.

The moment the plane lifted off, I knew it was over.

Ryan. From here on, our paths would never cross again.