Constructing Us (New Adult Romance) (21 page)

Chapter Forty

When
Matt walked into his place, he saw Tragan sitting on the couch with his phone in his hands.  “Tray?  You okay?”

“She hates me.
” Looking disgusted, he tossed his cell aside.  Carefully, Matt stepped closer.  For days Tragan wouldn’t talk about Andy, other than to say that they broke up.  “I’ve texted her a bunch of times just to make sure she’s all right, and she’s ignoring me,” Tragan mumbled.

Matt
took a seat on the chair opposite him. “Why wouldn’t she be okay? So you broke up with her?” he clarified.  (Honestly, he was surprised it wasn’t the other way around, by the sullen way Tragan had been acting).

Tragan nodded.  After a long pause, he said, “Yeah.  But
only for now--only so she would try this study in London.  It wasn’t meant to be forever.”

At first
Matt said nothing, only furrowed his brow at what sounded like flawed logic.  Then he admitted, “I don’t get it.”

In turn,
Tragan recapped what happened with Andy and shared his overall plan, which, frankly, sounded doomed.  “…so I figured I’d keep the lines of communication open between us, and that way, you know, I’d stay in her life.  Then we’d get back to where we are,” he finished.  Taking it all in, Matt slumped back in his chair and blew out a breath.  “What?  Just say it,” Tragan demanded, obviously not willing to wait for Matt to craft a diplomatic response.

“I
’m sorry, buddy, but…that is fucked up.”

Aggravated, Tragan plowed a hand into his hair.  “I know!  It’s all blowing up in my face.  She’s refusing to talk to me or even answer me.  How will I ever get Andy back if she cuts me off cold?”  With his elbow on his knee, he kept a tortured grip on his hair, as he grumbled, “Now she’s gonna go to London, and she’ll probably end up falling for some British guy
--named Nigel or some shit--and that’ll be that.”

“All right, well, first off,”
Matt began, sitting forward again.  “How do you know she’s going to London if you haven’t talked to her?”

“Ethan sent me a text about it,
” Tragan replied sourly. “What should I do?  This is all a fucking disaster.  I can’t lose Andy.”  His tone was emphatic, as if he still had a choice in the matter.  Matt didn’t want to be cruel and point out that he kind of already
had
lost her.  Yet…

C
oddling Tragan wouldn’t help him at a time like this.  If he wanted his girl back, he needed to take action.  So Matt decided to speak plainly, for his friend’s own good.  “Tray, if you can’t lose her, why the hell did you break up with her?”

“I told you--”

“But that’s fucked up,” Matt reiterated.

H
is eyes cast downward, Tragan explained, “I thought I could go through with it in the short term.  But then I couldn’t--I missed her too much.”

“Yeah, but if you let a girl go, she’s gone. 
There’s no breaking her heart ‘for now.’  That’s serious shit and, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but girls aren’t exactly the most forgiving people.”

Tragan didn’t bother arguing, but instead, sat up straighter
--almost in an aggressive stance.  He looked at Matt with determination.  Everything in Tragan’s posture and expression seemed to say:
Failure is not an option
.  “I’ve got to fix this.”

“Yeah, well, lame
-ass text messages aren’t going to fix it,” Matt pointed out bluntly.  “If you love Andy, you’d better stop her from going.”

“Even though--”

Swiftly, Matt cut off the question.  “Tray, forget the study.  I’m sure there’ll be other studies.  This is about saving your relationship.  And if you let her get on that plane, it’s done.”

~

“What time does Andy leave tomorrow?” Emma asked.

“
She has a two o’clock flight,” Kathryn replied, tucking her phone between her shoulder and ear as she walked down the corridor at St. Catherine’s hospital.  “I wish she’d wait until Monday so I could go with her.  But obviously I can’t miss the League’s fundraiser on Saturday; I’m the chairwoman of the event.”

“I know, Mom.
I’m sure Andy understands that.”

“She’s just insistent about going right away,” Kathryn expanded.  “But I’ll join her in a few days and stay over there for about a wee
k, helping her get settled and take her shopping.”

“B
y the way, I talked to Dad and he said he’ll fly over to see her soon, too.”

“Oh
, good!” Kathryn said, relieved, as she turned the corner past the maternity ward and toward the elevators.  “Your father can really spoil her and show her the town.  This will be good for her; I’m so happy she reconsidered about the research study.  You know, she has to try everything she can,” Kathryn insisted, more thinking aloud than trying to persuade Emma on the point.  “Between Ethan being there, and your father and I visiting, Andy will feel at home over there in no time.”

“
Hey, I don’t want her to feel too at home,” Emma protested.  “I want her to come back!”

“Well, of course.”

“Where are you now?  I hear chiming noises in the background.”

“St. Catherine’s.
I have an appointment with the florist in the third floor meeting room.  That’s where we’re holding the auction,” Kathryn said, referring to the annual Ladies’ League fundraiser.  “I wanted to give you a quick call, though, and let you know that I might be a little late tonight.  I’ll be over closer to seven than six.”

“Sure, that’s fine,” Emma agreed.  “Game night with Grandma is all Jake’s been talking about.”

As she released a displeased sigh, Kathryn reminded her, “I thought we agreed on ‘Mimi’, not ‘Grandma.’”

“I know, sorry!  Jake’s still stuck on ‘grandma.’  I’ll work on him.”

There was a brief blip on the line.  “Emma?  Are you still there?”

“That’s weird.  Tragan’s calling me.”

Kathryn froze in her tracks, her hand poised on the door handle to the meeting room.  “
Tragan?
Why on earth would he call you?”

“I don’t know.  Hang on, I’ll find out--”

“No wait!” Kathryn yelped, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.  “Don’t answer it!”

“But what if it’s about Andy?” Emma said, concerned.

“No, he broke up with Andy.  They’re finished.  There’s no reason for him to be calling us,” Kathryn insisted, becoming distressed.

“Well, he’s not calling
us
,” Emma said dryly.

“I’m serious, Emma.  I don’t want him in contact with Andy--especially when she’s about to board a plan
e tomorrow!”  Nervously, Kathryn’s heart began to flutter.

“Mom, calm down--”

“He did the right thing by letting her go.  Now, dear God, if he tries to ensnare her again…” Kathryn warned.

“He did the
right thing
?” Emma echoed incredulously.  “Breaking Andy’s heart?  Making her cry for a week?”

“You know what I mean.” 

“No, I really don’t.  Maybe now he’s trying to make amends or at least apologize,” Emma added hopefully.  “Though I’m not sure why he’d bother contacting
me
.”

“No, no, I don’t want that!” Kathryn said firmly.  “I thought he understood.  If he cares about Andy at all--oh, for heaven’s sake, I made that perfectly clear.”

There was a meaningful pause before Emma said, “Mom…what did you do?”

Kathryn tried to cover quickly.  “What?  Nothing.”

“Did you say something to him?”

“What do you mean?  Don’t start blaming me for their breakup,” Kathryn said, evading the question.  

Apparently the evasion was less than successful because Emma pressed on, “Did you have anything to do with it?  What did you say to him?”

“It was all for the best anyway, Emma.  With a new boyfriend in the picture, Andy would never agree to go to
London.”

At that, Emma groaned disapprovingly, and then apparently saw fit to chastise her mother.  “Mom…Andy’s so sad now, how could you interfere like that?”

Determined to remain composed, Kathryn tried to absorb her mounting frustration.  Why couldn’t Emma of all people understand?  She was a mother herself, after all.  Wouldn’t she look out for her sons’ best interests, no matter how hard it was sometimes?  Even if doing so precluded instant gratification?  That’s what parenting
was
.  “Don’t lecture me, Emma,” she said coolly, not prepared to battle her elder daughter on this subject.  “Not that I have to justify myself to you, but I merely pointed out to Tragan that if he truly cared about Andy’s well-being, he should let her go temporarily.”

“Temporarily?” Emma interrupted, sounding cynical when she repeated the word.

“He obviously agreed with me,” Kathryn stated.  “Please, Andy staying in Boston for this
construction
worker would be a disaster.  Now, maybe if she was still with Brad…”

“Oh, not that again.  I thought you’d dropped that,” Emma said, annoyed.

Kathryn shot her eyes to the ceiling; she was severely tired of defending herself.  “
All
I’m saying is that Brad would have gotten Andy to go.  As a doctor, he would make sure that she pursued every possible option.”

“Yeah, well, Andy can’t stay in a relationship for the free medical advice.  Can’t you see how much happier she was with Tragan than she was with Brad?”

A prickling swirl of guilt tormented Kathryn’s chest.  She knew she had to get off the phone; she couldn’t bear to talk about this anymore.  “Fine, I’m done discussing it,” she said.  “I’ll see you and the boys around seven.”

It wasn’t until she disconnected that Kathryn realized she was trembling slightly.  The conversation with Emma had unnerved her terribly.  Seeing Andy upset over Tragan didn’t bring Kathryn any joy, but now…

It seemed like an oppressive cloud of guilt was hovering over her head, haunting her. 

Steeling her resolve, Kathryn straightened her posture a bit and tried to redirect her thoughts.  She just had to trust her own judgment and push forward.  Trite as that sounded, what else could a mother do? 

Now she stepped inside the meeting room, finding it empty except for the long banquet tables that had been pushed out along the periphery, and a five-tiered silver serving cart that had presumably been left from the last gathering here.  Good, the florist hadn’t arrived yet.  Kathryn would have time to go to the vending machine just around the corner.  As inevitably flavorless as instant coffee was, right now it might help settle her nerves.

Chapter Forty-one

After debating whether or not to return Tragan’s call, Emma picked up her phone and dialed back. When he’d called earlier, he hadn’t left much of a message, so she wasn’t sure what he was after exactly.  She had to assume that he wanted her to pass on a message to Andy or for Emma to help him get in touch with Andy.  Honestly, if it weren’t for the disconcerting talk she’d had with her mom that afternoon, Emma probably wouldn’t have responded to Tragan at all.  But now, in light of their mother’s interference, Emma supposed she felt compelled to see if there was anything that could be done to lessen Andy’s sadness, if not eliminate it altogether.

By the third ring, she was second-guessing her decision to get involved at all--when abruptly, someone answered.  “Hello?” said a deep male voice on the other end. 

“Tragan?”

“No, this is Tray’s friend, Matt,” the guy replied.  “But I know he really wants to talk to you.  Can you just hang on--”

Annoyed and frustrated--not really at Tragan’s friend picking up his phone, but at the situation she found herself in, at all this drama--Emma rolled her eyes and muttered, “Oh, God.  This is so immature.”

“What do you mean?” Matt asked, somewhat startling her.  She hadn’t expected him to reply to her half-under-the-breath remark. 

“Nothing,” Emma said.  “Actually, you know what?  Just forget that I called.”

“Wait!  Tray’s just in the shower, but I’ll yell for him.  I know he doesn’t want to miss your call.”

“I don’t even know why I’m calling him back,” Emma said bluntly.  In the corner of her mind, she knew she was taking her anger out on the wrong person.  “He hurt my sister so badly; I don’t know what he could possibly have to say.”

“Okay,” Matt said, speaking evenly, calmly.
  “Look, I don’t want to get involved here, but…believe me, Tray’s a mess over this thing with Andy.”

Emma scoffed.  “Well, he
caused
it.”

“Yeah, but--it’s not
black and white, that’s all.”

“
Hmm, one day my little sister’s happy, and the next she’s crying.  That’s pretty black and white to me.”

“Look, just hear the guy out,” Matt offered, sounding reasonable.  And oddly--incongruously, to say the least--E
mma found herself noticing that Matt had a very sexy voice.  What the hell?  The thought had jumped into her mind so abruptly that she shook her head in surprise.

“You know what?
I’m going to let Tragan and Andy sort this out themselves after all,” Emma told Matt.  “If Tragan thinks he made a mistake, then he can fix it.  He’s a grown man.  I mean, at least I
think
you’re grown men.  How old are you guys again?” Emma asked--hearing the out-of-character condescension in her tone, and feeling her heart beating faster.

With a short, incredulous-sounding laugh, Matt responded: “How old are
you
?”

“I’m twenty-seven.”

“So we’re practically the same age,” he maintained.  If Emma recalled correctly, Andy had said that Tragan was twenty-three.  If his friend was twenty-three, too…well, four years was a big gap.  Or, didn’t he think so?  “I’ll get Tray,” Matt said now, and his voice was smooth and deep and seemed to awaken something in her--a kind of awareness of men that she’d long forgotten.  Inexplicably, she began to feel self-conscious. 

As s
oon as Emma realized that her cheeks were flushed and her pulse was racing, she knew it was time to end the call.  She obviously wasn’t thinking clearly at all.  “You can just tell Tragan that I returned his call,” she said and disconnected before Matt could persuade her to stay on the line for even one second longer.

~

“I just don’t
get
it, Manny.  One day Brad’s texting me to come over, and suddenly, what?  He’s done with me?”

“
I hear you, Sophia.  Hey, I’ve known Brad Trewell since med school and I still can’t figure the guy out.”

Automatically, Kathryn turned her head as the muffled voices grew closer--and clearer.  Rounding the bend
near the vending machines, apparently discussing Brad, were a pudgy doctor with dark tan skin and a lounging kind of stance, and an attractive brunette nurse in her mid-twenties.

“Tell me about it
…” the nurse grumbled now, making a pouty face.

“Here I’m the guy’s
friend,
and I never even knew you two were hooking up!” Manny exclaimed, sounding a bit put out.

Sophia gave a quick, eager tug on the sleeve of Manny’s white lab coat.  “Did he say anything to you?  Because, I’m like, what the hell?  He was all over me for months.  Then it’s like, all of a sudden he’s not interested?”

Manny appeared to be affecting a sympathetic pose, as he shrugged and stabbed blindly for the right answer.  “What can I tell you?  I mean, I love the guy, but sometimes Brad can be a grade-A, first-class prick.  I’m supposed to play racquetball with him tomorrow morning and I’m barely looking forward to it,” he commiserated casually.

Kathryn’s stomach roiled as she lingered in front of the vending machine, taking in every disturbing word. 
Months?
Was that what the girl had said?  How could she be involved with Brad for months?  That would mean--

“I just wish I understood why he blew me off like that!” Sophia continued.  “
A few weeks ago, his girlfriend dropped out of that study and the two of them
finally
broke up.  I was starting to think I’d never get rid of that girl!  And then Brad starts blowing me off out of nowhere.  It makes no sense!” 

Kathryn felt all her muscles stiffen as she remained composed in the face of a disgusting, unavoidable truth.  So then she
hadn’t
misheard or misunderstood a moment ago.  Apparently, Brad
had
been seeing this woman at the same time he was dating Andy.  Anger rose up in Kathryn’s chest, as Sophia vented more salacious details.

“H
ow do you go from having sex in the on-call room and hooking up at his place to just ignoring me?” she ranted.  “These days, Brad’s polite to me in the hallways as if we’re barely acquaintances!”

Supportively--or maybe opportunistically--
Manny tapped her shoulder.  “I can’t stand the thought of a beautiful girl getting down over a guy like Brad.  C’mon, let’s see that smile.  Good, that’s it.  Listen, how about a drink later?”

Ignoring his invitation, Sophia
tugged on his sleeve again as she implored, “Manny, tell me the truth.  Is he seeing someone else?”

“Hey,
clearly the guy keeps me in the dark about his love life,” Manny maintained, holding his palms up.  

“
But have you heard anything?”

“Well…
”

“Tell me,” she urged.

“You know I don’t like to start trouble, but…”  Carefully, Manny paused and looked over his shoulder, before blabbing, “Heard he might be chatting up Xlya in Orthopedics.”

“
Xyla?
”

Just then
an announcement sounded over the loud speaker.  “Dr. Suárez to O.R.-Three.  Dr. Suárez to O.R.-Three.”  Almost simultaneously, Manny checked his pager, which was partially hidden by his belly.  “That’s me.  I’ve got to go,” he told her.  “But hey, don’t look so sad.  Some Ortho nurse has got nothing on you.”  At that, Sophia offered a small, begrudging smile.  “Really--you can’t give up on men,” Manny continued, backing up a few steps, still facing her as he walked away.  “Let me know about that drink, okay?”

As he disappeared from view, Kathryn snapped her face away quickly
, so that Sophia wouldn’t catch her watching.  Just as she reached down to retrieve her full cup of coffee from the machine, she heard Sophia flounce off in a huff.

Normally the aroma of coffee calmed Kathryn’s nerves.  Now it only furthered her sudden queasiness.  God, was it possible that Brad had actually been cheating on Andy for months before they broke up?  Why on earth would he do that?  Andy was sweet and beautiful, Kathryn thought with maternal pride--and a certain amount of burgeoning fury.  Did Brad actually prefer a woman like this nurse, Sophia? 
A girl who was so low-class, she apparently thought nothing of broadcasting her sex life in the hallway of her work place?

Almost in a trance, Kathryn retraced her steps to
the meeting room, unsettled and baffled.  And soon consumed with anger.  She couldn’t bring herself to believe that Brad’s demeanor with Andy had been a lie.  He’d always been so charming and attentive--he
had
to have cared about her.  Who was that good of an actor?  And to what end? 

Thinking more about it,
Kathryn held to her belief that yes, Brad cared about Andy…but only as much as a philanderer
could
care. 
My God
, she thought in amazement, before switching to acidic self-reproach: Had she ever really known Brad Trewell at all?