difficulties, in any regard, I expect to hear about them sooner rather than later,” the CEO remarked to Matt, with a message that was obviously more for Kate and Tate. The group of men left and the room fell silent.
Kate and Tate remained seated at the table. Tate was looking at the pair of them intently and Kate strongly refused to look at either man. “Do you two know each other?” Tate asked.
“No,” Kate responded firmly, before he could even turn to see her response to the question. When he did turn towards her, her back was straight, her head was high and she was entirely focused on Tate, dismissing Matt completely.
Tate stood from his chair and for the first time since he’d arrived, Matt took a long look at the man he was representing. Tate Reed was tall, similar in height to Matt’s six feet three inches. Where Matt had dark, thick hair and the constant appearance of shadow along his jaw, Tate was dark blond and clean-shaven. Tate was well built; if paired against each other they would both probably be able to do a significant amount of damage before a victor was declared. Tate’s green eyes appeared to similarly be evaluating Matt before he turned his attention back to Kate.
“I wish I could believe you, Katherine.” Tate spoke, and the comment was directed only to her.
“Mr. McKayne, here is my card. I can be available to meet you when you are ready to discuss the medical facts of the case.” He passed Matt the card and then shook his hand with obvious strength and power in his grip.
When the two broke apart, he turned to Kate. “Katherine, try not to make things any worse for me than you already have.”
Tate left the room and Matt turned to look at Kate, who was staring intently at the door Tate had just walked through. Her gray eyes looked stricken and he felt equally struck. He recognized that look in her eyes—it was one that reflected her feelings of pain and love.
“Katie,” he said softly a few moments later, his inherent need to comfort her taking precedence over the jealousy was that simmering inside him.
She flinched and turned to meet his eyes, not bothering to hide her fury. “Do not call me Katie. It’s Kate or, better yet, Dr. Spence.”
“Not Katherine?” He couldn’t resist it, his compassion turning to jealousy and anger.
She stood from her chair and glared down at him. “I meant what I said to Tate. I don’t know you and I don’t want to know you. I don’t know what you were thinking when you came here today, but I don’t need you or your help.”
“I am not sure you have a choice in that. The hospital has hired me to defend you and Dr. Reed, who, in case you haven’t noticed, doesn’t care what happens to you, Katie,” he delivered coldly from his chair, waiting to see if he hit his mark.
He watched her response. Her gray eyes widened, initially looking hurt, then narrowed. She straightened her back and drew her shoulders down to focus on him and he felt instant unease.
“Like I said, it’s Kate, and I guess that makes two of you. The difference being that I care what happens to Tate and you can go to hell.” She turned and walked out of the conference room, seemingly controlled, apart from the slamming of the door behind her.
Too late, Katie, or Kate, he thought, I’m already there.
SHE WANTED TO run. Run to escape the confines of the hospital and her professional reputation. Run until she was so exhausted that there was no chance of being able to think about the lawsuit, Tate, or Matt. Run as far and as hard as she could until the only pain she could feel was the burning in her lungs and the tightness in her chest and not the emptiness in her heart. As she entered the hospital hallway the only other thought in her head was how to get out of the building as quickly as possible without having to talk, see, or take care of anyone else. She needed to be alone, needed to gain control of her thoughts before she risked sharing them with anyone.
“Kate!” She looked up to see her best friend, Chloe Darcy, leaning against the hallway wall, waiting for her. Chloe had been her best friend since the first day of medical school when the two women had sat next to each other, and they had been constants in each other’s lives since. Chloe had chosen emergency medicine and was almost as busy as Kate. The fact that the two women still found time for each other was a tribute to the strength of their relationship. When Kate reached Chloe she felt her friend’s assessment. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” she replied, turning her head in dissent, her eyes shut against the scene that had just unfolded.
“Okay. Is there anything I can do to make it better?” Chloe offered, not pushing Kate, as usual. Kate couldn’t help but smile at her best friend. Chloe was the most beautiful person Kate had ever known, both inside and out. When they had met in medical school Kate had been an emotional disaster and most of her classmates had not made the effort to befriend her, but not Chloe. She had sat by her side daily, never prying, never pushing, just being there for the little things, until Kate had realized that she had found a true friend.
With a sense of horror Kate felt her resolve begin to crumble. Kindness at that very moment had been enough to push her over the edge. Chloe read her friend perfectly.
“Kate, let’s get you out of here before you ruin your macho surgical reputation.” She felt her friend’s strong grip on her arm as she led her down the hall. Moments later they were in the women’s change room, away from at least half of the prying eyes that filled the hospital.
“Kate, I know how private you are but sometimes it does help to talk about things.” Chloe spoke quietly, her voice intentionally no louder than necessary.
Kate stared back at Chloe and knew she could tell her anything. She wanted to pour out every thought and feeling inside her in the hope that the purge would rid her of the maelstrom of emotion tormenting her. But how could you explain to someone something you couldn’t bring yourself to face? “I can’t, Chloe, I just can’t.”
It was the truth. She couldn’t explain what had happened, how she was feeling, what she was going to do, what she should do, and she couldn’t talk about Matt and Tate without completely breaking what little of herself she felt she was still holding together.
Chloe stepped back and Kate could tell she wanted say something and was choosing her words carefully. “Kate, you are one of the strongest women I know and there is nothing you cannot do or overcome. You just need to remind yourself of that more often.”
Perfection, thought Kate. Chloe was always perfect in her words and in her support and her friendship. At that moment Chloe felt like the only secure thing in her life and more than she deserved. “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.” She smiled weakly at the understatement.
“Keep that in mind, Kate. You can’t keep living your life holding everything on the inside and hidden from those who love and care about you.” It was the closest Chloe had ever come to confronting her and she recognized the truth and sentiment behind her friend’s words.
“I know.” Her acknowledgement surprised even herself. It was another truth to add to the avalanche rolling through her mind and threatening to bury her. “But I can’t, not here and not tonight.”
“I know, Kate. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for you to see him
