Maze (The Ballerina Series #2) Read Free Page B

little time, though.”
    I
was confused. There had to be more to warrant her tears. “Okay.”
    She
lowered her head and then raised it to look at me again. A sheen of tears still
in her eyes. “It’s…my mom, and Shelly’s parents. They’re all coming to New York
tomorrow.”
    I
nodded still not understanding why this should upset her. She didn’t have to
explain to me who Shelly was. I knew Shelly. I was there the night she died.
Even though we really didn’t keep in touch during the almost five years I’d
been in Japan. My doing I think. I didn’t encourage her to contact me. But I
texted her every year on the day of Shelly’s death to let her know I still
thought of her and wanted to make sure she was okay. I knew what Shelly meant
to her.
    Ivy
seemed hesitant, maybe because she didn’t want to hurt my feelings. She wanted
to meet with her people alone. Was she ashamed of me or felt she had to hide me
from her family? My heart sorta missed a beat at the thought. But I’d do
anything for her. If she wanted to keep us a secret, then shit, for now I would
be.
    Steeling
myself for it, I wrapped my arm around her so she wouldn’t see the hurt in my
eyes. “That’s great. Do you…do you want to spend time with them alone? Want me
to stay behind?”
    Please say no.
    She
shook her head and her eyes opened wide at my question. “Why would I want to do
that? I told my mom we’re seeing each other again. She remembered you.”
    The
pain gripping my chest suddenly disappeared but I couldn’t smile. Something
still wasn’t right here. “Then what’s making you so sad?”
    “Maze…Shelly’s
mom. Bev, she’s been diagnosed with cancer. They’re coming here to see a
specialist before deciding on the type of surgery she should have.”
    “Oh,
babe. I’m so sorry.” I wrapped my arms around her tighter while she cried into
my chest. I knew she wasn’t just crying for Shelly’s mom as much as for her
daughter, Ivy’s best friend, who’d died so long ago.
    I
kissed her eyelids then her mouth, hugging her while I did. I just wanted to
comfort her, so I gave her what she needed. My love, my arms, my support. They
were all hers.
    She
pulled back. “I’m such a mess. I’d like to use the bathroom and take a shower.
I need to get into some clean clothes, too.”
    “Okay.”
I stepped back, but put my hands on her arms and nuzzled her neck for a minute.
“You go ahead and jump in the shower. How about I run down the street and grab
a couple of bagels for us? After we eat, we’ll head to your place for you to
change. Then I need to run to the hospital. Joe’s been moved out of ICU but I
want to check on him. You can come with me if you like. Or I’ll come back when
I’m done and we can decide what to do for the rest of the day. Whatever you
want.” Yeah. As long as we did it together.
    She
smiled. “I’d like that. I’ll come with you. By the way, do you have a plastic
bag around here I can wrap my foot in?”
    I
looked down at her cast and frowned, understanding the problem. She couldn’t
get it wet. “Hang on a sec.” I left the bathroom and headed for the kitchen.
    I
returned with a bag and wrapped her foot. “Need anything else?”
    She
shook her head. “Thanks. I’m good.”
    I
kissed her quickly and left the bathroom to give her some privacy. I put on the
jeans I’d worn to the fight last night, thinking I needed to stop by the
brownstone to get a change of clothes, too. I grabbed Ivy’s clothes from the
floor, and then opened the bathroom door.
    “Babe,
I’m just putting your clothes on the counter for you and grabbing my shirt.”
    “Thanks,”
she said from the shower.
    “I’ll
run and get us breakfast, then I’ll be right back.” I shut the door behind me
and headed for the living room.
    I
found the keys Uncle Tsang had left on the table the night before then I opened
the front door. As soon as I set foot in the hallway, I registered the person
in a chair at the end of the hall