Except, Peyton is exactly who I want to see. I hand Katelyn the bag and trudge my way over to Peyton. I lean down and kiss her on the cheek, letting my lips linger there for a minute. “Can we talk in private?”
She shakes her head and shies away from me. I stay there a beat longer, hiding my rejection. As soon as I right myself, Zimmerman sticks his hand toward me. “Westbury, it’s good to see you again.”
“You too. What brings you to California?”
He shows me his leg as if it’s supposed to mean something to me. I shake my head, not understanding.
“He’s doing PT at Xander’s club,” Peyton says.
“And what about you? Are you working with Xander?”
Peyton sticks her leg out, which is clearly in a cast, but her arm seems to be in a brace. “Does it look like I can do anything? Do you see me sitting in this chair?”
The hostility rolls off her in droves. I’m tempted to pick her up and carry her back into the house so we can have a conversation, but I have a feeling she’ll kick me in the head with her leg if I even try to touch her.
Instead, I crouch down, so we’re eye level. I look into her baby blues, which she’s trying desperately to hide from me. “Hey, I really want to talk to you, Peyton, without everyone lurking.”
“Fine,” she says. Peyton stretches her arms up, indicating I need to pick her up. I carry her into the house and down the hall to her bedroom where I set her down on her bed. As much as I want to sit next to her, I don’t, but I do get on my knees and slide between her legs. She had unshed tears in her eyes, breaking my heart.
My hand rests on her waist, loving the way she feels. “Peyton, I’m so sorry about what I did in the hospital. Dessie’s pregnant and I--”
“Chose her.”
“I chose the baby.”
“That might not even be yours,” she says. I rock back and look at her. Peyton’s face is cold and defiant.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because for as long as you’ve been with her, Noah, she’s been doing everything she can to keep you away from me.”
“How do you mean?”
“Why are you here?” she asks, evading the question.
“I don’t know, honestly. I knew I had to come and see you. She’s pressuring me to into getting married and I needed to talk to you.”
“And you want me to what? Tell you not to marry her? Tell you to enjoy your life with her?” she sneers.
“I want my best friend back,” I snap at her.
“I don’t care what you want, Noah. You showed me exactly what you wanted when you left me right after professing your love for me. That’s not love, Noah. I may not have ever been in love, outside of loving you that is, but I know you don’t do something like that to people you claim to be in love with. You give them an opportunity to support you and be by your side. You don’t leave.”
“I’m sorry, Peyton.”
“So am I, Noah. Now if you’d take me back outside, Kyle is waiting for me.”
As much as it pains me, I do as she asks. Once she’s settled in her chair, I quietly leave, not saying goodbye to anyone.
27
Peyton
“Today’s the day. Are you excited?” Dr. Colby asks as she comes into the room. I’m sitting on the exam room bed with the help of my dad, with my broken leg propped up on a pillow, waiting for the tech to come in with the handy dandy saw to remove the contraption from my leg. According to the doc, I’m ahead of schedule by weeks.
Excited would be the understatement. I’m nervous, anxious and afraid of how my body is going to respond later when I’m at PT. I want to walk. Crawl. Jump up and down. I want to feel human again. Showering by myself will be a blessing in disguise. I know not only for me but my mom as well. It’s awkward as hell having to get undressed in front of her, to have her wash my body parts. I can’t imagine how she feels, but she does it without question.
“You have no idea.” Dad, Mom and the doc all laugh. If it weren’t for my parents being diligent with my care, I’d probably still be in the hospital. Once I made it through the first night, my parents were shocked to find out I wasn’t properly cared for. I get it to some extent. The surgeon probably thought having bulky casts in the way would prevent people from being able to touch me, but on the other hand, he had zero faith in me and he should’ve. He’s the doctor. It’s his job.