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I was just about to clock out when Mercy stood and smiled. “Well, Noah Armstrong. It’s nice to see you.” Then Mercy squealed and rushed around the nursing station, throwing herself at him for a hug.
Noah was grinning like the cat who’d eaten the canary. He gave me a wild look and then laughed.
Mercy pulled back and started speaking quickly. “I’m glad things worked out. Of course, my best friend had to tell me all about it today. I’m so grateful that everything is going so well and that you’re taking good care of her.” Then she squealed again.
I rolled my eyes but laughed at her antics.
Mercy asked him a dozen questions about what he would do and what his plans were, which I found kind of interesting because I didn’t know his plans.
“Yeah, Armstrong, whatareyour plans?” a voice called from down the hall, taking all of us by surprise. When we turned, there was Clint. He marched toward us.
Noah moved away from me and Mercy, urging me behind him and walking straight toward Clint. “Hey, Clint. Nice of you to listen in on our conversation. What can I do for you, man?”
His tone was smooth. He was dealing with Clint in a calm, cool, and collected way, and I wondered if that was because of his military training.
Clint hesitated only slightly and then pointed toward some chairs. “What do you mean, I’m listening in? I was waiting for my doctor’s appointment over there.”
Noah nodded, looking unconvinced. “This seems like the definition of listening in on someone else’s conversation.”
Clint gave me and Mercy a scathing look. “Hey, what you all do or don’t do isn’t any of my concern. But wewereall friends.” He turned to me. “I was a good friend to you. When you moved back here, I heard all the rumors about you. I heard about your ex and how he abused you. Frankly, I can see why he did.”
Mercy gasped and put her hand over her mouth. I pursed my lips, though inside I was furious. Living with abuse in my marriage had taught me how to remain calm.
Noah clenched a hand into a fist, and then he turned and looked at me, cocking an eyebrow as if to ask if he should do it.
I stepped right up to Clint, staring into his cold brown eyes. “A friend would never say what you just said to me. A friend would never act like I owed them anything for being kind to me. Let me make something clear to you. I never want to talk to you again. And, just to confirm what I’m sure you’re concerned about … Noah is my boyfriend now.” I reached down and took Noah’s hand, pushing my way past Clint. “Come on, honey. Let’s go get pizza.”
“Of course you’re back with him. I knew you never got over him,” Clint called out.
I paused and looked back, wondering why Clint thought he was insulting me. “I guess I never did.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Noah
I sat across from Ella in a booth at the pizza place, but I wasn’t hungry. I was too busy fuming over the way Clint had treated Ella.
She finished her first slice of pizza and raised her eyebrows at me. “What’s wrong? We’re back at our favorite pizza place and eating our favorite pizza. It seems like everything’s good.”
I tried to shake it off. “Nothing.”
She took my hand. “I already told you, guys like Clint don’t bug me.”
“I know. I’m trying to not let them bug me.”
She stared into my eyes and then dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “You haven’t asked much about my marriage. What do you want to know about it?”
The part of my gut that had been twisted up inside realized she was right. I hadn’t wanted to push her about her marriage. Of course, I’d heard things, and then today when Clint brought everything up, it had bothered me. “Did he abuse you?”
Her eyes briefly squeezed shut.
“Look, we don’t have to talk about it.”
“We do.” She breathed in deeply, clearly steeling herself. “Let’s get back to the house first.”
We gathered up the rest of the pizza and threw away our trash. Then I walked her to the hospital, where we hopped into our cars and drove separately to her place.
So many thoughts rushed through my mind. Why was I reacting so poorly? Everything had gone perfectly with Clint. I hadn’t done anything rash. Sure, he’d been a jerk, but she had dealt with it like a champ. Why was I still so stirred up?
