“Do you not want to go home because…it’s too quiet there?” I finally asked.
The weariness on his face intensified, pulled on his shoulders, hollowed out his eyes. It was scary, seeing my strong, smart, refined doctor brought so low by grief and fatigue. He practically sank back over the mattress, leaning his elbows against his knees.
“Georgina and I…we were together throughout high school, brought a son into the world when we were just kids.” He stared down at his open hands. “I made stupid mistakes I just couldn’t seem to make up for. The more kids that came, the harder things became, the more we argued, the easier it was for me to bury myself in my work. To become more involved with you and your family.” Anthony sighed heavily. “I never faulted Georgina for divorcing me. I was a coward, a selfish coward.”
“But you still love her,” I said because I heard the wistfulness in his voice. “You still want to be with her and your boys.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s too late to make amends.”
“Bullshit.”
He shot me a chastising look, but it was half hearted. “Hey...”
I jabbed a finger into my palm. “You’re too good a person to be bogged down by regret. If you’re miserable where you are, change your circumstances. Move heaven and hell to get where you want to be. Prove to your family that you’re sorry and you’re willing to make them a priority again. All it takes is you having an honest conversation with Georgina.”
“It’s too late. She’s engaged to a better man. It won’t do any good.”
I punched his arm.
Anthony rocked a little from the impact. Clapping a hand over his arm, he whipped around to frown at me. “Jasmine Elizabeth Campbell—”
“Anthony Cornelius Stroud,” I countered, fisted hands on my hips. “Aside from my uncle, there’s no better man than you. You sacrificed so much for me, even before you got to know me and grew to love me like a daughter. You deserve to be happy.” I pointed at the elevator. “Go get your woman. Or try. How can you respect yourself if you don’t at least try?”
The doctor stared at me for a second, still holding the arm I’d punched. Then he started laughing. “You are, without a doubt, the fiercest girl I’ve ever met, Jazz.”
I scoffed. “Just wait until you meet Charlie’s girlfriend.”
Anthony blanched. “Charles has a girlfriend? When did this happen?”
“I’ll tell you all about it later.” I made a shooing motion with both hands. “Now, hurry!”
He leaned forward to plant a kiss on my forehead. Then he stood up, smiling nervously. “Wish me luck.”
“Tell her the truth and you won’t need luck.”
Nodding to himself, Anthony walked briskly away from me.
“Keys,” I said when he walked right past the coffee table.
He veered around without breaking his stride and scooped the keys off the table before continuing on his way. “Thank you.”
I grinned after him. But the minute I was alone, my smile faded. Sadness crept into the corners of my heart.
I really hoped Georgina forgave him. They’d been divorced for many years now but she had to know how much he still needed her.
I gave myself a little shake before opening up Angela’s journal again. I wanted to finish it before I set up a meeting with her to discuss everything I’d learned and suspected. Before I dived into the past, the elevator door opened again. Charlie launched himself out, arms swinging rigidly at his sides as he stormed over to my bed. Uncle Victor hurried after my brother with a few thick files under his arm and a worried crease between his eyes.
“I just met your friend,” Charlie said, throwing the words at me like insults.
“Charles,” our uncle said. “Don’t make this into a big deal.”
“Why not?” my brother demanded. “It is a big deal. Some guy is stalking Jasmine. It doesn’t just go against the contract he signed when he started working here. It’s against the law. We should report it to the captain.”
“What are you talking about?” I snapped, already annoyed by his attitude. Why did he have to blow everything out of proportion? I wasn’t a kid anymore!
“Ralph.” Charlie crossed his arms and frowned down at me. He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to.
Apparently, my overprotective brother had met the intern who had been bold enough to talk to me. It had only been one time, but I still remembered his throaty laugh, his kind smile, the constellation of freckles painted on his skin. Apparently, Ralph remembered me too, otherwise he wouldn’t have approached my brother and asked about me. That had to have been what happened. I couldn’t see my brooding, antisocial brother walking up to the new guy and introducing himself.
My mouth quirked as a weird laugh escaped me. This guy had been concerned enough to talk to Charlie. Most of the adults my uncle worked with were too scared of my brother to even hold his gaze, much less talk to him.
“Jasmine,” my brother snapped, popping my bubble.
I smoothed away the emotion from my face. “What?”
“Why did I have to find out from a complete stranger that you’ve been talking to…well, a complete stranger!” my brother sputtered angrily.
“I told you a while back that I talked to an intern. That’s how I learned about the contract every new hire has to sign, remember?”
“Yeah, but he seemed really interested in you, so obviously more happened than you let on.”
I matched my brother’s scowl. “He wanted to see my birdhouse. I gave him permission to be on the roof. That happened weeks ago. We haven’t so much as made eye contact since. If more had happened between me and that seriously cute guy, don’t you think I would’ve told you every graphic little detail?”
My brother stammered incoherently, his face turning
