I laugh. "You're asking me on a date? After we've already had sex?"
"I know it's not the conventional way to start a relationship but we didn't meet in a conventional way, so thinking of it that way it's really not that strange. What do you say?"
I smile. "Yes. I'll go out with you."'
"What about my other question?"
"What?"
"Will you stay here? Live with me?"
"Hmm." I chew on my lip. "Can I have your bedroom?"
"Only if I get to stay here too."
"Deal."
He kisses me and my stomach growls.
"Sorry." I look down at my stomach. "Way to ruin the mood."
He laughs. "Let's go get some dinner."
Later that night, as I'm lying in bed with Corbin sleeping soundly at my side, I think this can't possibly be real. Nothing good ever happens to me and now I'm dating a doctor and living in this luxurious apartment. And I'm happy. Really happy.
Maybe my luck is finally changing for the better.
Chapter Seventeen
Two Months Later
Corbin
"I'll take that one," I tell the guy at the flower stand just down from my building. I buy Star flowers at least once a week. I mix up what kind I get. Today it's a seasonal mix of spring flowers in pinks and purples.
Star and I have been together for two months now and every day we fall more in love. I told her I love her soon after we slept together for the first time. That day will always be one of my favorite days of all time. When I held her in my arms and we drifted off to sleep to the sound of the gentle rain falling against the window, I felt a peace like I'd never felt before. Like I was finally where I was meant to be. Holding this beautiful girl who I'd grown to love for her cheerful spirit, caring heart, and relentless optimism.
Most people would say it was too soon to fall in love. I would've agreed with them before meeting Star. It took months of being with Lauren before I felt like I loved her, and even then, I questioned it, not sure it was really love. With Star, I knew. There was no question about it. And yes, it was fast. Faster than I thought was possible. But when I met her my heart fell for her before I even knew it was happening.
When I realized what I was feeling I wanted to tell her right away but thought I should wait. But then one night while we were making dinner, those three little words slipped past my lips before I could stop myself. Her eyes widened and she jumped in my arms and said it back. It was another moment I'll always remember and one that still brings a smile to my face.
Star's unlike anyone I've ever met and if I hadn't hit her with my car that day I never would've known what I missing. I wouldn't have known that such a perfect match for me existed. Someone who, to the outside world, doesn't seem like a match for me at all.
My parents think I've lost my mind. My father isn't even speaking to me. He won't return my phone calls. He doesn't answer the door when I go to his house. I want a relationship with him again but it won't happen if he refuses to accept Star.
As for Star's parents, they couldn't be happier we're together. We went to visit them last weekend. Star didn't want to go but I insisted on meeting her parents. She's embarrassed by them because they're still married and living together while dating other people. But they told Star they'd soon be filing the paperwork for their divorce, which she was relieved to hear. And they were relieved to know she has a steady job and won't be moving back in their house. Star still works at the coffee shop and also dog walks for people in the building.
"Sterling," someone calls out from behind me.
I turn around and see Kent's smiling face. "Hey, man. Where you been? Haven't seen you around."
He nods. "Been traveling. Had to speak at some conferences. I'm finally home for the week."
He follows beside me as I continue down the street, heading back to the apartment.
"Flowers, huh?" He smiles. "You and Lauren back together?"
I look at him. "Has it been that long since I've talked to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've been dating Star for two months."
"The girl you hit with your car?"
"Yeah. She's fully recovered now. We're living together."
"No shit?" His eyes widen. "That was fast."
"When it's right you just know."
"So what happened to Lauren? I'm sure she's not happy you found someone else. Has she been giving you a hard time?"
"She was, but I think she's finally giving up. She moved the rest of her stuff out a couple weeks ago. I haven't heard from her since."
"You sure that's a good sign?" he asks with a grin. "Not hearing from her? Maybe she's planning something."
"Like what? She knows it's over between us. Her residency ends soon and then she'll be moving. She's hoping to get a job in New York. Once she's gone, I doubt I'll hear from her again."
"So you and Star? It's going well?"
"Better than I ever could've imagined. I've never felt like this before. I never thought a relationship could be this good. Every day I can't wait to get home to her."
"That's great. I'm happy for you."
We stop at the door to our building and go inside.
"I'm going to stop and check the mail," he says. "Have a good night."
"You too." I get on the elevator and when it opens to my apartment, I'm greeted by the aroma of garlic and tomato sauce. Another great thing about Star? She loves to cook. She didn't when I met her but then she tried some recipes and now she's hooked.
"Corbin, is that you?" I hear her say.
"No, it's the guy you've been seeing from the first floor," I kid.
I hear her laughing. "Hold on. I have sauce on my hands."
Dropping my keys in the bowl I look up and see Lucky racing toward me at full speed, tongue out, tail wagging.
"Hey, boy." I reach down and rub his head. He jumps around like he hasn't seen me in weeks and lets out a bark. "Go get your ball."
He turns and runs off to get it. I laugh and continue to the kitchen.
I love having a dog. We got Lucky a few days after we saw him at the shelter. We went back to see him and couldn't leave without taking him home. He's been a handful, like all puppies are, but Star's been taking him to dog obedience classes and even taught him a few tricks.
"Hey, gorgeous," I say, coming up behind Star at the sink.
She flips to face me, greeting me with a huge smile and a kiss.
"For you." I hand her the flowers.
Her face brightens, her eyes wide. "Corbin, they're beautiful." She hugs me. "I love you."
"I love you too."
She lets me go. "How was your day?"
"Good. No big emergencies. I had a teenage girl who broke her nose and was crying because she said her boyfriend would break up with her with a crooked nose."
"Did you tell her she's better off without him?" Star asks as she puts the flowers in a vase.
"I did, but it didn't seem to help."
Star turns back to me, her arms around my waist. "Would you break up with me if I broke my nose?"
"Never. You were covered in bruises when I met you and I still thought you were the most beautiful girl ever."
"I looked horrible after the accident. How could you possibly think I looked good?"
Lucky comes racing up to us, barking.
Star leans down to him. "What's wrong?"
I pet his head. "Where's your ball?"
Lucky hears me say 'ball' and barks again, nudging me with his nose.
"What's he doing?" I ask.
"His ball probably got stuck behind something. He'll keep barking until you find it."
"Let's go find your ball," I say to Lucky. He gets excited and starts jumping around.
"Dinner's almost done," Star says.
"Okay, I'll go change."
Walking past the couch I see Lucky's ball wedged under it. I pull it out and toss it to Lucky. He grabs it and follows me to the bedroom, sitting down on
the floor and chewing on it.
He makes me laugh. He's been a good addition to the family. He brings so much life and energy to the place. I used to dread coming home. It was either too quiet and lonely, or if Lauren was here, I felt tense, prepared for an argument to erupt. Now I come home and I'm greeted by Star's loving arms and Lucky's overexcited dog kisses and tail wagging the minute I walk in the door.
Things couldn't get much better than this.
My phone rings as I'm changing into a t-shirt. I pick it up and see it's my dad. He hasn't called me since I told him about Star and me. The call ended with him yelling at me to come to my senses and go back to Lauren. I'm sure his feelings haven't changed so I set the phone down, deciding not to answer.
"Who was that?" Star appears, pointing to my phone.
"My dad." I toss my work clothes in the hamper.
"You're not going to talk to him?"
"No." I meet her at the door. "Is dinner ready?"
"A few more minutes. Corbin, you should talk to your dad."
"Why? He's just going to yell at me for being with you. I'm not going to listen to it. I no longer need him to validate my decisions."
She places her hands on my chest and looks up at me. "Would you please just talk to him? Maybe he's changed his mind about us."
"He hasn't. I guarantee it." I try to go around her, but she holds onto my shirt, keeping me there.
"Please. Just see what he wants. What if it's something important?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know." She takes my phone from my pocket and hands it to me. "Call him. And then we'll have dinner." She walks out. "Come on, Lucky."
He jumps up, the ball in his mouth, and follows her down the hall.
Sighing, I look at my phone. I don't want to call him but I do because Star asked me to. It shows how much I love her. I'd do anything for her.
"Hey, Dad," I say when he answers. "I see that you called."
"Yes." He clears his throat. "I just wanted to let you know I'll be having a procedure done tomorrow. I'll be staying overnight at the hospital."
"Procedure? What procedure?"
My father's in excellent health so I'm surprised he's having something done. And now I'm worried because he wouldn't be telling me this unless it were serious.
"They found a partial blockage in an artery," he says. "They'll be putting a stent in and they want to run some tests while I'm there."
"Tests on your heart?"
"Yes. I'm sure everything will turn out to be fine but I just wanted you to know."
"Yeah, I'm glad you did. What hospital? Mine?"
"Yes. I'll arrive at the cardiac unit at seven tomorrow morning. Anyway, I just wanted you to know. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
"Dad, wait."
"What is it?"
"I want to be there. I'll be there when you arrive and stay as long as you need me."
"Corbin, that's not necessary. Helen will be there, and as you know, it's not a risky procedure."
"And as we both know, there's risk to any and all procedures. I'll be there."
"Very well. Then I'll see you tomorrow." He ends the call.
I go back to the kitchen where Star is stirring the sauce on the stove.
"Did you talk to him?" she asks.
"Yeah." I go up to her and hug her, squeezing her tight. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Making me call him."
"Why? What happened?"
"He's having a heart procedure done tomorrow. I never would've known if I hadn't called him back."
She pulls away. "A heart procedure? That sounds serious."
"He's having a stent put in. It's fairly routine but it sounds like he may have some other heart issues. They're keeping him in the hospital to run some tests."
"You're going, right?"
"Yeah, I'll get there early and I might stay there after work to be with him, if that's okay."
"Of course it is. Stay as long as you need."
"I'd invite you to come with but it might be—"
"Corbin, don't worry about it. I don't need to go. I understand."
I hug her again. "God, I love you."
"I love you too."
We have dinner and watch TV but I can't stop thinking about my dad. He sounded worried, and he never sounds worried, which means he's afraid they're going to find more problems with his heart. Just the fact that he called me tells me he's really concerned.
The next morning, I arrive in his room and find Helen, my stepmom, there but not my dad.
"Helen." I give her a quick hug. We're not close but we get along okay.
"Hello, Corbin." She gives me a worried smile. "They took your father away to run some tests on him before the procedure."
"When did he find out about this?"
"A couple weeks ago."
"I wish he'd told me."
"He wanted to, but you know your father. He's very stubborn."
"He's still upset about Lauren," I say.
"We're both upset about that. We understand you two had issues but your father and I think those issues could be worked out if you put some effort toward them. Perhaps saw a couple's counselor."
I shake my head. "That wouldn't have helped. Lauren and I had more than a few issues. We didn't share the same values. We didn't want the same things. All we did was fight. I'm much happier now that we're no longer together and I'm sure Lauren is too."
Helen sits on the chair by the bed, setting her purse in her lap. "You two were going to get married. I don't understand how things changed so quickly."
"We weren't getting married. We'd never even talked about it. Helen, I know you and Dad want me to be with Lauren but it's just not going to happen. It's over."
Helen looks behind me, smiling. "Lauren, dear, come in."
I grit my teeth. I should've known they'd tell her about this. They still consider her part of the family.
"Hello, Lauren," I say, turning to her.
"Corbin." She smiles and walks up to me, giving me a brief hug. "I'm sorry to hear about your father."
"I'm sure he'll be fine. It's a routine procedure. You don't need to stay."
"Corbin, she wants to be here," Helen says, giving Lauren a hug. "It's good seeing you again, dear."
"You too, Mrs. Sterling."
She smiles. "Lauren, you know you can call me Helen. We're like family."
I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
"How is your mother?" Helen asks Lauren.
"She's doing well. Still working on getting back the deposit for the party."
"Such a shame," Helen says, glancing at me. "Tell her we'll be happy to contribute to any cancellation fees."
"I will. Thank you." Lauren turns to me. "So Corbin, how have you been?"
"Good. And you?"
"Busy as always. I've applied for several positions in New York and should hear back this week regarding interviews. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that." She looks at Helen. "Would you give us a minute?"
"Of course." She grabs her purse from the chair and walks out of the room.
"What is it?" I ask Lauren, already feeling on edge just being around her. I never noticed how anxious she makes me until I met Star and realized that anxious feeling wasn't normal. With Star I feel calm and relaxed.
"One of the hospitals I applied at requires I submit a peer recommendation. I would like you to write it."
"Lauren, I don't think that's appropriate. Ask someone else. There are plenty of people who could write it for you."
"They don't know me like you do. They wouldn't know what to write. You've known me since we were children. Certainly you could come up with something to say."
"I really think you should find someone else. Someone you didn't used to date. Someone you know professionally."
"Corbin, don't be ridiculous. Our relationship has nothing to do with this. I'm asking you to write it because you'll do a far better job than anyone else I know."
/> That's one of the few compliments she's ever given me but she's only saying it to get what she wants.
"And doing this for me," she continues, "could get me the job. I'm sure that would please you." She smiles. "To get rid of me?"
"Lauren, don't start. We're not going to argue in my father's hospital room. He'll be back here any minute."
"I'm not arguing with you. I'm simply asking for a favor. Do this one thing for me and I'll never ask again."
I sigh. "Fine. Send me the details and I'll get it done."
"Thank you." She hugs me but I don't hug her back, my arms stiff at my sides.
"Corbin," my father says as they wheel him in. "Glad you could make it."
Lauren pulls away from me but stands right beside me, as if we're still a couple.
"Hello, Dr. Sterling." She smiles at him. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, thank you." He glances at me, then back at Lauren. "Nice to see you two together again."
Lauren smiles even wider.
I step away from her. "Lauren was just leaving." I give her a look to go. "She's late for rounds."
"I can spare a few minutes," she says, ignoring my request.
Helen walks in. "The nurse said it could be another hour."
"Then why the hell am I here so early?" my father scoffs.
"Dad, just relax," I tell him. "You know they're not always on time. You want me to get you a paper?"
My father begins every day by reading the newspaper. First the local paper, then The Wall Street Journal.
"I've already read them," he says. "Couldn't sleep. I was up all night."
"How about some TV?" I pick up the remote. "The financial news?"
"No. I want quiet." He's cranky, which is how he gets when he's worried.
"Perhaps we should sit down," Lauren says, and when I look at her, I see she's swaying a little and her eyelids are flickering.
"Lauren?"
She sways some more, then her knees buckle. I race up and catch her before she collapses.
"Lauren!" Helen hurries over to her.
"I'm fine," she says, blinking several times and taking deep breaths as she tries to stand up. I'm still holding onto her and she grips my arm as she steadies herself.
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