Doctor Kim

Chapter 34

Tripod was off the bed in a heartbeat, darting around Jay's legs in that joyful dance only dogs do when excited to see new people. Traitor, I wanted to yell to my dog. Polly had my back. She glared at Jay, and as he cautiously approached the bed, she hissed.

Today, I was most definitely a cat person.

I eyed Jay while he set the unopened can on my nightstand like it was a peace offering.

"No," I growled.

Tripod froze, sensing the tension, and hightailed it back to my bed.

"I just need two minutes." His voice was quiet and pleading.

"Well, whatever you need," I patronized. I stared at my ex-boyfriend, wondering why the hell my mother let him up. I'd told her he'd stopped by this morning and our conversation had been tense.

He glanced around my room, and though he'd been here countless times, he looked at the space like it was new. Perhaps it was. I'd removed all traces of him after my birthday. I didn't need to see his face or the reminder of how much he looked like his dad.

"I'm sorry." He turned in his spot, looking at me directly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. That day I screwed up, it was supposed to be a group of us, but everyone bailed—including you—except Stacy. So, I'd had a couple of beers, and we got into the hot tub because—"

"I don't want to know," I snapped.

He straightened and ran his fingers through his hair. His mannerisms were just like his dad. "I didn't fuck her. It didn't get that far."

"I don't want to know." I couldn't be clearer than I'd been already. The angriest part of me wondered if sex hadn't happened because Minji had caught them. "And I don't want your apology. Just go."

Unlike last time, he looked lost, and very much like the boy I'd loved once. But my heart didn't work like it used to.

"Okay. I didn't come here to make it worse. I was trying to fix it."

Had he lost his damn mind? "Fix it? You can't fix this."

"That came out wrong," he answered quickly. "I'm trying to fix me. I've been an asshole to everyone, but most of all, to you." He put his hands on his hips and sighed. "I got to the point where it was so bad, I didn't even notice how awful I was anymore."

Something had changed in him, like his eyes were wide open again. "What happened?"

"When she got home from work, my dad and I had a beer together."

My dad, he'd said. Not Minji. I waited for Jay to elaborate, but he didn't. "Must have been one magical fucking beer."

Jay shifted in his stance, visibly agitated. Like last time, he didn't want to be having this conversation. How had his dad gotten him to attempt it a second time?

"Look, I spent most of my first year here being mad at her, so we never really talked. After a while, we just moved past it. I told myself I didn't want her apology, but I was . . . wrong. I didn't know I needed it until she actually said it today."

Everything went still. The moment in the hospital room had been the first time he'd truly heard his dad's apology.

He took a sudden step toward the bed, and Polly let out a low, guttural warning. If it had been in human speak, it would have been a threat to rip his face to shreds.

"Okay, Polly. Chill." He turned his focus back to me. "Like I said, I fucked up. You might not want my apology now, but I need to say it in case you do someday. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve what I did or how I treated you, and I'm sorry."