Page 107 of The Plus One Professional
“Our names?” I lifted my eyes to hers. “This isyourmoney.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not. It’sourmoney. The kids and I would not have made it through the past six years without you. You have put your life on hold. You’ve sacrificedsomuch. You gave upeverythingfor us. And now you don’t have to be a plus one or choose between your contractor’s insurance and Carly’s cheer.”
“How did you…” I hadn’t told Sara that I used the money I’d saved for my bond for cheer.
“I’m sick, CJ, but I’m not stupid. I’ve seen all the things you’ve done for us, even when you thought I didn’t. And as much as I appreciated it, I hated it. I should have been the one taking care of us. Taking care of you.” Tears began to pour down her face.
I stood and hugged her. As I held her, the reality of where we were dawned on me again. I didn’t care how much money there was sitting in a bank account. I’d give up every dime to make her healthy. Nothing else mattered.
“Okay, but what’s going on? Why the MRI?” I asked as I stepped back from her.
“Oh.” She wiped her cheeks and then waved her hand dismissively. “Sorry, I should have led with that. It’s just all the tests Dr. Miller has been putting off because they weren’t covered by insurance. I told him, go for it; do them all. It’s all covered now.”
Relief washed over me as Lewis, an X-ray tech we’d gotten to know when Peter was sick, came in.
“Hey!” He smiled when he saw me.
“Hi.”
His lips curled in a friendly grin as he ignored the fact that Sara was crying. It was clearly something he was used to walking in on patients doing. “We’re ready for you, Sara.”
“I’ll be out with the kids,” I told her as I started to walk out.
Sara stood and threw her arms around my neck. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I held her tight and for the first time in a long time, I thought that everything might just be okay.
45
BAILEY
Trevor satacross from me in the waiting room, shaking his head silently. I could count on one hand the number of times I’d witnessed him being rendered speechless. I’d just given him the full rundown on me and Cole. I told him everything. Well, almost everything, not sparing a single detail. Well, I mean, I’d skimmed past what he’d referred to as the ‘good stuff,’ but as for the rest of it, I’d gone full disclosure.
After talking to Billie, I was even more confused than ever, and I needed an outside perspective. Thankfully, Trevor loved to give his opinion on all things, but especially relationship advice. I was eagerly awaiting his response when Ben, Olivia’s husband, walked into the room. Trevor and I both stood expectantly. “It was a false alarm, but because she’s having multiples and her age, they want to keep her here overnight.”
It was still strange to me that, at thirty-six, Olivia’s pregnancy was considered geriatric. Which meant that if I did decide to have children, mine would be, too.
“Is she up for company?” Trevor asked.
“She’s sleeping now.”
Trevor nodded. “I’ll come back in the morning.”
“Me too.” I reached down and grabbed my purse before hugging Ben. “Tell her we love her.”
“Will do.”
Trevor and I said our goodbyes to Ben, then headed to the elevators. As soon as we got on, Trevor turned to me.
“Look, I know it’s none of my business… Wait, what am I saying? It’s exactly my business.” He smiled, and I was once again struck by just how good-looking the man was. How he was still single when he ran a matchmaking business, I had no clue. “In the immortal words of Julia Roberts, you’re making a big mistake. Big. Huge.”
“Okay.” I’d told Trevor as a sounding board, but since he was quoting the queen herself, Julia, he was taking this very seriously. I tried to defend myself. “It freaked me out when I got drunk over him. And he is technically a rebound who is more than ten years younger than me.”
Trevor waved his hand dismissively as we stepped off the elevator onto the first floor. “Semantics. None of that matters when you have a man who looks at you like he does, who treats you the way he does, and who can make yourkitty purr,and I’m not talking about Lady Whiskerdown.”
“Yeah, I caught that.” I grinned at him and felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment that I’d made the same joke when I was drunk. I wish I had no memory of it, like the Taylor Swift performance and striptease.
“Look, you’re right about one thing; you wasted twenty-two years on a man who was not worthy of you. Do not let your pride, or ego, or whatever is stopping you waste another daynotbeing with a man whoisworthy of you.”
