A Million Tears (Wish 2)

22 - A sign

Thanks for listening to the song.  It sets the mood.

Brenna saw Noah's text and ignored it. She couldn't forget the look on his face, as he left. He shook his head like he was sorry. Well, she was sorry too. She should never have exposed her heart to a man who couldn't get over his past.

After they discharged Mia, Brenna drove to her parents' house. She couldn't spend the day alone in her apartment and needed to keep busy.

Mia had fallen asleep so Brenna wandered out to the garage. Brian smiled as she approached him. When she walked closer, he frowned.

"What's wrong, Bren?"

"I, um." She shook her head.

"Does this have anything to do with a young doctor?" She nodded. "Just friends?"

"I don't think we're anything at all. Things got weird last night before he left."

"Bea told me the first time Sage brought Aidan home, she had insisted they weren't serious. Bea could tell Aidan was in love with her. Your brother was persistent."

"Dad, I can't make Noah have a relationship if he doesn't want one."

"Why wouldn't he? He's not a kid."

She didn't answer right away. Most of the reasons, she knew in confidence. "Let's just say his past has made him leary of opening up his heart."

He sighed. "Divorced?"

"What? No! He's never been married."

"Sweetheart, tell him how you feel. Be persistent."

She shook her head. Her father didn't know Noah Gentry. Divorce was nothing compared to the heartbreak he had endured.

Somehow she made it through her day on Monday. She hadn't heard from Noah again, so she assumed he had just given up. She didn't want to see him, it would be too painful.

As if her misery couldn't get worse Molly called to yell at her.

"You lied to me with your 'we're just friends' bullshit! It's all over the hospital he's in a relationship!"

"Well, I hope the lucky girl is happy, because it isn't me. Rumors are never true! I don't even think we're friends anymore!" Brenna burst into tears. "I loved him so much." She gulped. "I can't talk."

Brenna hung up the phone and sobbed. She knew he hadn't found someone since Saturday, but he would eventually. Then he would replace her as his friend.

She heard knocking on her inner door and ignored it. "Brenna, let me in, please." Her neighbor must have opened the door for him.

She heard him turn the knob. Damn! She was so distracted she hadn't locked her door. Then Noah was beside her. "What's wrong?"

What's wrong? You broke my heart! "I'm just being a baby."

"That's my role. I cry. You comfort me. Why are you crying?"

"I just talked to Molly, or she just yelled at me. She's angry over a relationship we're not even having."

"Now you do sound like me. Come here." When he held her, she cried more. "I know you've been friends for a long time."

She pulled back and looked into his face. "I'm going to miss this." The tears were back in full force.

"Miss what?"

"The feeling of being in your arms." She put her head back on his chest.

"I'm not going anywhere." She sobbed. "Brenna, tell me what's going on in your pretty head." She stepped back and shook her head. "Come over here and I'll tell you about the past two days."

He confused her. He said he wanted to talk, but now he wanted to tell her about work.

He sat on the sofa and put the pillow on his lap. He patted the pillow "It's your turn."

She stretched out, and he put his hand on her chest avoiding her breasts. He was comforting her like she had him. His other hand ran through her hair making her love him more, and she felt more tears leaking out of her eyes.

"I had a patient yesterday, an old man. He told me about his late wife. He said he knew the moment he saw her. I thought of you walking on the beach. Before work, I had seen your sister."

"I know. I spent the day with her."

He sighed. "I came by last night. You were at home?" She nodded. "We talked about siblings and she told me there was nothing she wouldn't forgive. Maybe Declan forgave me and what if he sent a sign?"

"A sign?"

"You."

"Me?" She looked up at him.

He nodded. "Twice you came into my life and the first time I let you run away and this time. Well, this time I keep running. I'm tired of running."

"What are you saying?"

"I had a patient today. She was distraught, because she was having a miscarriage." Brenna felt sad for the stranger, but Noah confused her, too. "Her husband loved her so much he was more worried about her than anything else. I want that. I want to face the hard stuff together. You make me better."

"You aren't ending it?" He shook his head and smiled. "When you left the party, I was certain you were running for the last time."

He shook his head. "What gave you that idea?"

"You said sorry when you shook your head. You had so much regret."

"I was sorry. I was sorry to be leaving you. I was sorry I got emotional. I was sorry I made you put up with me and my moods."

"Your moods are part of you. If you weren't sensitive and caring, you would never feel so much."

"The only thing I've been feeling is I want to be your boyfriend if you'll have me. When you weren't responding to me, I thought I had lost you. It felt as bad as my memories."

"Really? You want me?"

He rolled his eyes. "I always want you but I want to love you."

"Love?" The word was barely audible.

He smiled. "This is new to me, but I don't think what I'm feeling can be anything else."

She sat up and threw her arms around him. When he kissed her, it was different. Maybe because of the love. She said, "I have loved you since before I agreed to the benefits part. I would never have agreed otherwise."

"I should have known, but I've made a lot of mistakes from the very start. There's a rumor going around the hospital I'm in a relationship. Is it true?"

She poked him. "Duh, you have been for months. You just ignored it."

"Not anymore. I'm starving. I haven't eaten much in two days."

"For food?" She winked.

"Yes, but for you too. I can wait for that. We have all night."

"All night?" She looked at him trying to read his face.

"Yeah, I also found out I don't like sleeping alone anymore."

Brenna laughed. "I can help you there when you're on days, but when you work nights, you're on your own."

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