Meg and Aiden had dated for two years, and she had only seen his parents a handful of times. His family preferred to make excuses for why they couldn’t spend time with Aiden and Meg rather than getting to know her. She imagined his mother probably breathed a huge sigh of relief when Aiden moved to New York to get away from Meg.

  When she looked up and caught Meg’s gaze, she seemed just as surprised. Her eyes immediately darted to Aiden, who didn’t see the exchange because he was crossing the room to Meg. She frowned at him. He never seemed to have caught on to the fact that his mother didn’t approve of their relationship.

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” he said.

  “Ditto,” she muttered as she tugged her coat free.

  He pulled it from her and hung it on the wall. The look he gave her was sympathetic curiosity. They might not be together anymore, but she knew that look. He always gave her that after she returned from visiting her parents. They had a way of draining her light, and Aiden had a way of seeing how dim she felt afterward.

  In the old days, he would have scooped her up and cuddled her in his lap, giving her reassurances while she vented and ranted and eventually cried. Then he’d order dinner in and they’d snuggle in a pile of blankets and watch television while her soul recuperated.

  Damn it, she needed that now. She needed him to hold her close and promise her that she would be okay. She needed him to whisper that she was enough and she would always be enough. But then she remembered that she wasn’t. If she had been enough for him, he never would have left her.

  Turning away from him and the reminder of the pain he’d caused, she focused on the only other person in the world who could mend her broken heart. She opened her arms as Jessica came running up to her.

  “Look at this,” Jessica said.

  Meg took the letter and had to hold her breath to stop herself from sobbing. She’d known that Mallory planned to adopt Jessica, but she didn’t know it was finalized. She wasn’t surprised they’d kept it a secret, and rightfully so. Jessica should have been the first to know.

  “This is amazing,” Meg said.

  Jessica’s smile fell a bit. “Are you upset?”

  Meg sniffed and shook her head hard. “I’m happy, kiddo. That’s so exciting.”

  The smile returned to Jess’s face. “I get to call her Mom now,” she whispered.

  Pulling her close, Meg hugged Jessica and kissed the top of her head. Of all the times she needed a little boost from the perpetually happy kid, this was it. Her Christmas had been as bad as expected, and she felt gutted from the little time she’d spent with her family. Holding Jessica close, she whispered, “And she’ll be the best mom in the whole world. You’re so lucky.”

  “What’s wrong, Meg?” Jessica asked.

  “Hey,” Aiden said, far more cheerfully than the moment called for, “did you open the present I brought for you?”

  Jessica hesitated but then rushed to where Aiden had set the wrapped boxes on the table. Meg shook her head at him. She didn’t want to talk about it but wasn’t surprised when he took her hand and pulled her toward the kitchen.

  “What happened?” he asked softly.

  “The usual.”

  “Megumi,” he stated firmly. “What happened?”

  She pointed to her head, to the stitches still holding her healing skin together. “I let it slip that you were the client I was with when this happened. My parents freaked out. My sister gloated. I got mad. We all blew up. And then I stormed out. So…the usual.”

  He creased his brow. “Why would they care if you were with me?”

  She scoffed. “Just…because. I was surprised to see your mom here.” She smiled when his eyes lit, not only because she’d managed to distract him but because it was nice to see him excited.

  “She and Kara are being civil. That’s a nice change.”

  Meg smiled. “Christmas miracle.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Not the only one. Look at us acting like friends.”

  She was startled by his observation, but once the shock faded, she felt warmth touch her heart. “Nice, huh?”

  “Very nice. I’m sorry you had a bad Christmas. I hope it gets better now that you’re here.”

  “It will.”

  Mallory eased the kitchen door open and poked her head in. “Aiden, would you go help Phil…do something in the other room please?”

  He hesitated before leaving through the door Mal held open for him. As soon as Mallory gave Meg a sad, understanding smile, Meg felt her depression returning.

  “I mentioned Aiden was back in town. My sister freaked.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “Well. My entire family blames him for me falling into such a deep depression that I couldn’t finish medical school.”

  Mal pressed her lips together. “You did fall into such a deep depression that you couldn’t finish medical school.”

  “Not because of Aiden.” She sighed when Mallory simply stared. “Not only because of Aiden. Depression is a little more complex than one bad relationship. Okay?”

  “I know that, Meg,” she whispered. “I was there, remember?”

  Meg held her breath. “You didn’t tell Aiden I was diagnosed with depression, did you?”

  “No,” Mallory stated firmly. “I would never share your private business, Meg. But maybe you should tell him.”

  “It’s none of his business.”

  She bit her lips. “Did you ever tell your parents about your diagnosis?”

  “It’s not theirs either,” Meg insisted.

  “Maybe they would be a bit more forgiving if they knew it wasn’t just a bad breakup that sent you spiraling.”

  Meg shook her head. Her family would never understand. They already thought she was a failure. Adding that she battled depression to her long list of faults would only make things worse. She knew Mallory didn’t agree with keeping secrets, but the only person who knew the depth of Meg’s struggles was her best friend. Mallory had been the one to notice the signs and helped Meg get treatment. The bond between them only grew stronger after that, whereas Meg’s bond with her family became more strained.

  They would never understand. She knew that as well as she knew that if she told Aiden how far she fell after he left, he’d feel guilty. It wasn’t his fault. She’d been ill. She’d needed help. She’d gotten it. End of story. Nobody else needed to know.

  “I’m starving,” Meg said, intentionally changing the subject. “When do we eat?”

  Chapter 8

  Aiden was probably pushing his luck, but he couldn’t help himself. His first shift at the hospital had been amazing. Not only did he not treat a single malnourished or obviously abused child, but he’d even had time to rest. The ER in Stonehill was nothing like New York, where the patients outnumbered the doctors ten to one most of the time. Aiden was able to actually treat a patient before he was needed again. It was amazing.

  That on the heels of what he would call an incredibly successful Christmas made him feel like he was invincible. So invincible, in fact, that he decided to drop into Meg’s office and invite her out for a celebratory lunch. He was sure she’d join him. They’d texted a few times, had a few phone calls, and he was feeling really good about the progress they’d made. She wouldn’t turn him down. He was certain.

  He smiled at the O’Connell Realty receptionist who picked up the phone and called Meg before he even asked.

  “Go on back,” she said.

  He gave her his most winning smile, but she didn’t seem impressed. She raised her brows and focused on her computer screen. Aiden almost laughed. He certainly had a reputation with her coworkers, and not a good one. “Good afternoon, Miss Tanaka,” he said.

  She leaned back and furrowed her brow. “Did we have an appointment?”

  “No.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “I don’t want to eat lunch alone. That would dampen the amazing mood I’m in. Tell me you’re free.”

  Suspicion touched her eyes, but then she chuckled. That was a look he hadn’t gotten from her for a long time, and it lifted his spirits even more.

  Sitting across from her, he said, “Are you free for lunch?”

  “Maybe. Where are you going?”

  “Wherever you want.”

  “Are you buying?”

  He put his hand to his heart. “Oh. You are a tough negotiator. No wonder I got such a good deal on that house. Yeah. I’m buying. Come on.”

  “Sweet,” she sang out as she jumped up. “Let’s go to the café.”

  He scrunched his nose. “Jenna always looks at me like she’s going to spit in my food.”

  Meg laughed as she put her coat on. “That’s because I told her to.”

  “I’m not kidding.”

  “Neither am I.” She smiled at him, and his heart lifted. “How about that Italian place on the square?”

  “The café is fine.” He followed her from the office and opened the passenger door for her. Though they rode to the restaurant in silence, it was comfortable, lacking the stress they’d shared just a week or so before. Gauging her easy attitude, he dared to put his hand to the small of her back as he opened the door to guide her in. She didn’t call him on it. In fact, he thought he saw her grin a little. They slid into a booth, and he sat back. “Tell me about your Christmas.”

  She shook her head, and he was taken aback by the sadness in her eyes.

  “Hey,” he pressed, suddenly concerned. “You have to talk to me about this, Meg. What happened?”

  “I do not have to talk to you about it. I talked to Mallory, and I’m fine.”

  “Okay. I need you to talk to me about it. What happened?”

  She hesitated and then shrugged. “The usual ‘Meg’s a loser’ talk.”

  “You’re not a loser.”

  “Well, I’m not a doctor.”

  Aiden waited for the sarcastic smirk on her face to fall. “You’re an amazing real estate agent. You’re smart and funny. Kind of cute sometimes too.”

  She grinned a little. “Shut up.”

  Reaching across the table, he took her hand. “I’m sorry you didn’t have a good holiday. But you have to remember that this is your life. Not theirs. You have to do what makes you happy.”

  She nodded but didn’t seem convinced. When Jenna approached the table, they ordered drinks and then took a minute to review the menu. By the time Jenna returned with two teas, they were ready to place their lunch orders.

  “Are you happy?” Aiden asked when Jenna left their table. “With your job, I mean?”

  “I love my job.”

  “So what they think doesn’t matter. I know it sucks that they don’t support you. But at the end of the day, Meg, it doesn’t matter what they want. Your life is not theirs. Your happiness is not theirs. It’s yours.”

  “I know that, Aiden. But it still sucks to know they are so disappointed in me.”

  “I’m not disappointed in you. In fact, I’m proud as hell of you.”

  She creased her brow.

  “When we were together, you were not the person you are now. The woman you are today is fun and relaxed and real. You used to be so stressed out and terrified of failure that you could barely breathe. I could be wrong, but I’m guessing this change in you is because you gave up trying to be the person your parents wanted you to be.”

  She frowned. “You’re not wrong. As soon as I gave up trying to live up to their expectations, I felt like I could breathe for the first time. But I also lost my family.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I did. Aiden, I can’t be the person they want me to be, and they can’t accept that I don’t want to be. My father thinks it’s a deliberate insult to him. He thinks I dropped out of medical school to embarrass him.”

  “And what do your mom and Aya think?”

  She snorted. “Aya loves it because she’s the perfect daughter now. Who knows what Mom thinks. She just wants me to keep my head down and not make waves.”

  “That’s the exact opposite of what you should do.”

  She looked at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Are you ever going to go back to medical school?”

  “Hell no.”

  “So you need to explain that, Meg. You need to tell him this is who you are. You are his daughter. And he has to accept that you aren’t going to be what he wants you to be. He has to accept that you are you.”

  “Fat chance,” she muttered. “But thank you. Really. Thank you for trying to help. How was your Christmas?”

  “Really good, actually. Mom and Kara didn’t kill each other, so I consider that a win.”

  Meg smiled. “I’m glad. So you and Phil are one step closer to uniting the Martinson-Canton-Howard clan.”

  “I think so.”

  “Congratulations.” She toasted him with her tea, and he happily clinked his glass to hers.

  “Thank you.”

  “Megumi?”

  They both looked at who had called her name. Aiden might have forgotten her sister’s name, but he hadn’t forgotten her face. She stood, staring, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

  “What are you doing with him?” she demanded.

  Meg laughed a strained and borderline maniacal laugh. Aiden knew this confrontation was not going to end well.

  Meg stared at her sister with disbelief. Who the hell did she think she was? Oh, no. Meg knew exactly who she thought she was. Setting her glass down, she said, “Excuse me,” to Aiden and slid from the booth. Standing eye-to-eye with Aya, she glared. “Let’s take this outside.”

  Aya snorted. “Like a Western.”

  “Like nobody needs to hear what I have to say to you.”

  “Meg.” Aiden’s voice was a soft but firm warning. He used that tone on the rare occasion that she’d lose her temper with him. It was his way of trying to ease her back before she jumped into a pit of her own boiling anger.

  She lifted her hand to quiet him.

  “Stay out of this, asshole,” Aya said to him.

  “Hey,” Meg snapped. “You don’t talk to my clients that way. Oh,” she said sarcastically when Aya widened her eyes with surprise. “You probably didn’t realize this, but I don’t just play real estate agent. I actually get clients and buy and sell houses.”

  The confusion on Aya’s face didn’t ease. “This guy ruined your life.”

  “No. This guy saved my life.”

  “By breaking your heart so bad you had to drop out of school?”

  Meg shook her head. “How many times do I have to tell you that had nothing to do with Aiden?”

  “Oh, you just so happened to throw away your future around the same time he dumped you?”

  “Ladies,” Jenna said. “How are we doing?”

  Meg pressed her lips together. “Sorry, Jen. We’re leaving.” As she grabbed her coat and bag, she gave Aiden an apologetic half smile. Ignoring the stares of other diners, she marched toward the door with Aya at her side. The moment they were outside, she turned. “I cannot believe you just made a scene like that.”

  “Me?” Aya shrieked.

  “You have no right confronting me about my life choices.”

  “I’m your sister.”

  “Which apparently means jack shit to you, Aya. You deliberately chose to use a different real estate agent just to spite me. Don’t even try to deny it.” Tears poked at the back of her eyes, and she had to clench her teeth together to stop them from forming. “You did that to hurt me.”

  Aya creased her forehead. “I did not.”

  “Oh, right. You just wanted a professional.”

  Straightening her back and jutting her chin out in that way she did, Aya glared but then shook her head. “That has nothing to do with you having lunch with that jerk. What are you doing, Meg? He broke your heart.”

  “That was a long time ago.”

  “He hurt you,” Aya said softly.

  “You hurt me all the time,” Meg stated.

  Aya blinked, clearly surprised. “What?”

  “You absolutely love that our parents think I’m a failure. You absolutely love pointing out how you think you’re so much smarter and better you are. You’re not, Aya. Do you know why you’re not? Because you’re miserable.”

  “I am not.”

  “Really… Do you remember how you wanted to be a painter? You wanted to take art lessons, but you weren’t allowed. Remember?”

  “I was a kid. I grew out of that.”

  “No, you let Dad push you into a mold you didn’t want to be in. You used to watch that annoying Bob Ross show for hours and try to teach yourself. Remember? You wanted that so much that you tried to teach yourself because Dad wouldn’t let you take lessons. I remember because you used to ask me to help you, and I was so proud of you for doing what you wanted, despite what he said. But then you gave up. All you did was study to get into the college he said you needed to get into to have the career he said you had to have.”

  Aya seemed a bit stung by Meg’s assessment, but she shook it off. “And look where I am now. I’m a lead scientist. I’m highly respected in my field. People look up to me.”

  “I’m highly respected in my field too. My coworkers adore me. I have really good friends now. They love and protect me. You think you’re the first one to come to my defense where Aiden is concerned, Aya? I didn’t drop out of medical school because Aiden left. I woke up because Aiden left. He was the only thing that made medical school bearable. I was able to convince myself that I was doing it for us—for Aiden and me—and not for Dad. I could pretend that I wanted to be a doctor because that’s what Aiden wanted. Once he was gone and I was staring down a future I didn’t want, I realized I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to do it.”

  Aya stared hard at her sister. “You broke their hearts.”

  “I didn’t want that, but maybe they should have let me decide my future for myself.”

 

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