Page 39 of Journey To Sunrise

“I don’t want him to think I’m just some weakling, when I’m just beginning to get strong again.”

“Honey, he’ll just think that you care. Something tells me, you admitting you’re scared for him will mean more than you can ever know.”

“I do care. Maybe too much.”

“Chloe, I saw a man ride in on a white horse to rescue you. I’d say he cares a hell of a lot too.”

I sucked in a deep breath. Trenda couldn’t be right. “I’m sick, Tee. Sick in the head. He can’t want me.”

“You don’t sound sick to me. You sound like a hell of a lot like the little sister I’ve always known and loved. Go kick some fireman ass!”

I barked out a laugh. “God, I love you, Trenda.”

“I love you too, Baby Girl.”

* * *

Zarek

All I thought about for the next twelve days was that last kiss. Chloe was keeping me at arm’s length, and I hated it. I didn’t understand it. Was it because I’d admitted I had feelings for her? Here I was in the waiting room again, and it seemed apropos since I’d been in a holding pattern.

Cut it out, Post. Give the woman some room. She has enough on her damn plate without you hounding her.

I picked up a magazine and then realized it was about golf and threw it back down on the coffee table. For God’s sake, didn’t they have something about cars or something good? I pulled out my phone. It was déjà vu all over again. The damn Avery family was going to be the death of me.

I had forty-five minutes until Chloe was due out of her appointment. I’d give Zoe a call, since yesterday she threatened to fly out to Dallas. I got up and left the waiting room and walked out into the hallway.

“You’re an asshole,” Zoe said when she answered the phone.

“It’s nice talking to you too,” I responded.

“I bought a ticket. I’ll be there tomorrow.”

I knew her too well. She was lying. Zoe would have just shown up. There was no way she would have told me her plans.

“Back off, Zoe. Give her more time. She’s getting better.”

“Bullshit. She hasn’t called any of us. She hasn’t even returned a text.”

That surprised me. She’d been in Dallas for over five weeks. I would’ve thought she would’ve contacted her family by now.

“Seriously, Zoe, you have to believe me, she’s doing better. She even cooked.”

I could almost hear her thinking. “What did she cook? Mac ‘n cheese? Because if all she did was boil water and squeeze cheese out of a packet that isn’t progress.”

“She made spaghetti, but before you bitch, she actually browned hamburger and cut up onions and celery and seasoned the meat to go into the sauce.”

“No way.” I heard the awe in Zoe’s voice. I didn’t tell her that Chloe had been supervised by a fifteen-year-old girl.

“She did.”

“Was there cheese?”

“Cheese garlic bread. It was burnt,” I admitted.

Zoe laughed. “That’s amazing. How did you get her to do that?”

I didn’t want to tell her about the therapist and the meds. That was Chloe’s story to tell.