One Heart to Give (Heart's Intent Book 1) (2 page)

Ren clenched his hand into a fist at his side and reminded himself Jessica didn’t understand. She didn’t realize he loved Dani in a way he could never love her. It was time to break up with her. Not at the dance, but definitely before graduation in a couple weeks. He’d tell Dani how much he loved her. It was time to man up and own his feelings.

***

Dani pushed her way into the girl’s restroom and sighed in relief when she found it empty. She needed a breather from the hot dance floor and Jessica’s glaring eyes. Every time she looked over at Ren, she would meet Jessica’s gaze. The girl had every right to hate her. Ren tended to drop everything if Dani needed him for any reason. That’s what friends did for each other. Dani didn’t want to make him stop either, and yes, she depended on him. He was the only one she let get even remotely close to her.

She loved him.

The dance had been perfect. For a small moment in time she could pretend they were more than friends. That she allowed him to be hers in every way she wanted him to be. It had all come to a screeching halt when Jessica stormed over to them at the end. The spell had been broken and she had to go back to being his best friend.

Dani headed over to the sink, turned it on, allowing the cool water to run over her fingers. She splashed a little on her heated cheeks. It felt amazing washing over her warm skin. She turned the water off, grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands, and then tossed it in a nearby trash can. It was time to go back to the dance and pretend everything was all right.

“I saw you come in here, and I think it’s time you and I have a little talk.”

Dani spun around and met Jessica’s gaze. She wanted to groan, but repressed it. At some point she should have known Jessica would confront her. She always did. Ren’s girlfriend would spout out her demands to leave him alone and then drive home the final point—
she
was his girlfriend, not Dani. As if Dani needed the reminder. Maybe she did on some level. She hated sharing him. It grated on her in so many ways. She made her choices though, and now had the pleasure of living with them. Dani grimaced as she swallowed down that bitter pill. Pleasure? It was far from it.

“I think you’ve said everything you need to say to me.” Dani turned away from her. “You say it so often I could repeat it verbatim.”

“No. I haven’t said all there is to say.” Jessica pushed Dani’s shoulder. “Look at me.”

Dani rolled her eyes and turned back to Jessica. What did she want now? Did she really feel the need to mark her territory again? And yeah, in Jessica’s mind Ren was hers to mark. He couldn’t be friends with Dani while he dated her. Yes, Dani loved him, but she never made a move on him. She kept things strictly platonic. That was the whole meaning of friendship after all. Anything else would muddy the waters, and she could lose what little she did have with him forever. It was why she insisted at the beginning they be just friends. Friendships lasted far longer than any other relationship.

“What do you want?” Dani folded her arms across her chest. “I would like to get back to the dance.”

“Why?” She raised an eyebrow. “So you can insinuate yourself further into Ren’s life?”

She wasn’t having this argument with Jessica. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that Ren and I are
friends
.” She glared at her. The more Jessica said the more pissed off she was becoming. She got it. Honestly she did, but she was sick of listening to it. Nothing she said to Jessica would make her feel better. “There is nothing other than that going on between us.”

“I have eyes, you know.” Jessica took a step closer. “I can see how you look at him. I know you want to be more than friends. I’m not going to stand here and let you come between us. I’m done with you and your neediness.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.” Dani sighed and shook her head. “I’m not going to stop being Ren’s friend to make you feel secure in your relationship.” She couldn’t imagine a life without Ren in it. He was the one person she could always depend on when everything seemed to be falling apart. Every one needed at least one person they could rely on. For Dani, it had always been Ren.

“Do you even know how he really feels about you?” Jessica sneered and took a step closer to Dani. There was barely any room between them as she angrily retorted, “Because let me tell you, he’s not as happy as he seems when having to constantly run whenever you need him.”

She was lying. Ren wouldn’t talk badly about her. Would he? He always seemed happy to help her. He was the one who’d talked her into going to prom. It was his idea for them all to come together. Jessica was pissed because Ren danced with her. That was all this was about, and she wouldn’t let her get to her. “Ren is a big boy. He can make decisions for himself. He doesn’t need you to fight his battles for him.” If he was annoyed with Dani for any reason, he’d tell her himself. It’d never stopped him in the past. Ren was the most vocal person she knew.

Jessica lifted her hands and pushed Dani hard, taking her by surprise. Pain shot through her backside as it met the floor with a hard thump. She wanted to jump to her feet and punch Jessica’s perfect face, but it wouldn’t do any good. The girl wanted to fight. Dani wouldn’t humor her. Ren would be in the middle of it all, and Dani wanted to do what was best for her friend. Fighting with his girlfriend wasn’t going to make things easier on any of them. She took a deep breath and prepared to reason with the girl. “Go back to the dance.” Dani said calmly. “I don’t want to do this with you.”

“Too bad. It’s time we settled things once and for all. I’m tired of you getting in the middle of my relationship. School is almost over, and Ren and I have plans. They don’t include you.”

Dani knew what Ren’s plans were. Where he was going to college, what medical school he hoped to get into, and his need to help others. Jessica should know he would share that with her. “I don’t have time for your histrionics.” Dani got to her feet and brushed down her skirt. “I won’t mention any of this to Ren.” She walked past Jessica and headed to the exit.

“Not so fast.” Jessica grabbed her arm preventing her from leaving. “I’m not done. You don’t leave until I have my say.”

She gritted her teeth together. Jessica was so damn demanding. Dani couldn’t believe she called her the needy one. The girl insisted on getting her way far too often. This was the last time she gave in and conceded. “You always have something you have to say. What is it this time?” Dani raised an eyebrow mockingly. “Ren actually hates me? He only puts up with me out of a habit? I’ve heard it all from you. What makes this any different?”

Jessica raised her hand and slapped her. The sting spread across her cheek in tiny pinpricks. Dani rubbed her hand over her face and glared at the other girl. “I’m done with you. Don’t corner me again. If you leave me alone, I’ll do the same.”

“No. I’m not going to step aside and let you ruin my relationship with him. I’m tired of him always running to do something for you. Find your own boyfriend. Ren is mine.”

Dani stepped close to Jessica and stared into her eyes. “Ren is my friend. Get used to it. I will always be a part of his life.” Even when it hurt too much to be around him… It was the path she chose. “Now I’m going to go back to the dance and try to enjoy what’s left of it. I’ll do you a solid and not mention this to Ren because I’m not the vindictive bitch you seem to think I am.”

Dani turned to leave once again but stopped short when she heard Jessica say, “I’m pregnant.”

Dani closed her eyes as her words washed over her. They froze her heart. Any hope she’d thought she had with Ren evaporated. He would never abandon Jessica and his child. She turned toward Jessica. Tears were falling down her cheeks. She was fighting to hold onto Ren. It didn’t matter how Dani felt about the girl. She was going to have Ren’s baby. There was only one decision she could make.

“Does Ren know?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t told him yet.”

“Why are you telling me?” She should be having this conversation with Ren. “You should tell him.” What game was Jessica playing? There had to be a reason she was dropping this particular bomb on Dani.

“I want you to leave us alone. We don’t stand a chance with you constantly around us. We deserve to have the best possible start. Our child needs both parents to be completely devoted to it.”

She was right. Dani knew it. She was done fighting fate. Ren couldn’t even be her friend anymore. He wouldn’t be solely focused on his family if he was always hanging around with her. If she needed him, he’d come running. For his sake, and his child’s, she would have to disappear and allow him the chance to be happy.

She nodded. “You win. You have until graduation to tell Ren. If you don’t, I will.” Dani turned and left the room. The roles had reversed, and now she was the one fighting tears. She’d lost something significant to her, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. She left the dance and walked the entire way home. It gave her time to work out what had to be done. There wasn’t much of a choice left. She had to leave, and the sooner the better.

***

Ren never got the chance to tell Dani he loved her. She ran away before graduation. He’d been blindsided by her choice, and beyond pissed off. What had he ever done to her to deserve such little regard? He searched for her. She’d hidden herself too well. If she really didn’t want him in her life any longer, he’d respect her wishes. Ren always did what Dani wanted. Probably always would. They’d set that pattern up early on in their relationship. “Friends forever,” she’d said. How wrong she’d been; how pitiful he was. He’d been a fool to believe they could have anything…

“Damn you, Dani,” he shouted. Tears fell from his eyes. How was he supposed to let her go? She’d been a part of his life for as long as he could remember. Now he was alone. A piece of him would always be missing without her in his life. What if he never loved again? He doubted he truly could. He only had one heart to give—and Dani owned it. She left him with a hole in his chest and nothing to fill the void.

Jessica had become more attentive. He’d allowed her to somewhat fill what was missing, even though a part of him screamed in protest. What else was he to do? There wasn’t much choice left to him. Dani had taken all of them away. He wanted to hate her for it, and maybe he even did on a small level. One day maybe they would see each other again, and he’d be able to ask her why. Until then he was left with so many questions, and absolutely no answers.

He always came back to one thing. Why. Why had she left? He should have known something was wrong. She’d been so weird at prom—after they danced. He’d meant to ask her what was bothering her, but she’d disappeared before it ended. Brian had been no help, when he’d asked him about Dani. No one had seen her or noticed when she’d left. The next day she’d been gone. All her foster parents were able to tell him was she had decided to leave for college early.

So much for confessing he’d love her forever.

He was a damned idiot. The biggest and most moronic fool alive—how could he have believed he could have it all? Some things were not meant to be. Sadly he couldn’t do anything to change the feelings rolling through his heart. He’d always love her, nothing, and no one would ever change that. His heart would be hers, and anyone else who came into his life wouldn’t compare.

No, this couldn’t be the end. He wouldn’t accept that. Someday, he promised himself, if he found Dani again he’d make sure she stayed around long enough to realize what she meant to him. What they’d lost by her actions. It was the only thing he could hold onto. When he saw her again, and he fully believed he would, there would be nothing to stand in his way—even Dani herself.

“One day, Dani, love.” He stared up at the sky. “I will find you, and if we’re both lucky enough we will find a way to be together.” Ren rubbed his chest trying to erase the ache that filled his heart. “Nothing will be the same until that day, but I promise we can make it right if we fight hard enough.”

She was worth fighting for. The best things in life were. It might just take longer than he’d like to make his promise a reality. As time went by, he’d do everything in his power to hold on to hope. It was the only thing he had left. If he lost it, then all would be lost. There would never be a Dani and Ren. There would be nothingness.

“I’ll do my best,” he whispered. “But I’m far from perfect.”

And there was Jessica. She wanted more than he’d been willing to give. It was a temptation he was finding harder and harder to resist. In time he was afraid he’d give in. Life had a funny way of throwing a wrench in even the best laid plans. There was no telling what his future had in store for him, but he had hopes, dreams, and wishes he hoped to one day see fulfilled. Dani was one part of that bigger picture. If he couldn’t have her, at least he could have the rest. He’d work hard and achieve what he could. Maybe, somewhere along the way, he’d discover that he could live without her.

He snorted. “Not likely.”

But he’d attempt to. Oh he’d try; he had no choice after all.

Chapter One

“Excuse me, Ms. Brosen,” Claire said as she knocked on the door. “You have a call on line one. It sounds important.”

Dani sighed and set down the motion she was reading over. She didn’t have time for interruptions. Her partner, Matthew Price, had been a no-show at the office. The case they were working on was both high profile and potentially career making. It could make or break their practice. He knew how important the motion was. He was late. It both irritated and worried her. Matt was usually reliable.

She lifted the receiver and placed it against her ear, and then pressed the button for line one. “Daniella Brosen, how can I help you?”

“This is Lana Kelly. I’m calling from Envill East.”

“Yes?” Why was someone from the hospital calling her? They didn’t deal with Malpractice cases…

“Matthew Price was brought in. You’re listed as his emergency contact. Could you come to the hospital?”

Panic seized her heart. Matthew was her only friend and if something had happened to him… How would she go on without him? He’d been her rock for so long. This couldn’t be happening. She’d finally managed to feel safe and content with her lot in life. Without Matt, it might fall apart all over again. She reminded herself to breathe. It’d do no good to suspect the worst before she had all the information. The hard question needed to be asked, even if she was afraid of the answer.

“Is he…”

Lana interrupted her, “He’s fine—or well—as okay as he’s going to be for now. The doctor can explain more when you get here.”

Dani gulped. She could handle this. She dealt with more complicated problems in court. Her friend needed her and she would go to him. The case could wait. It was minor in comparison. She wasn’t about to lose another friend. Leaving her best friend behind in high school had devastated her. An image of him floated through her mind, and she brushed it away. Thinking about him would only make things worse. She couldn’t let her old doubts fill her now. Matt’s condition was an immediate concern. The things she couldn’t change had to stay firmly where they belonged…in the past.

She shook her head clear and focused on the call. “I’ll be there shortly.”

“Come in through the emergency room. They can direct you where to go. Mr. Price isn’t in a room yet.”

“Who should I ask for?” She hated to go into a situation with little to no details. The least she could do was figure out who to direct her questions to. This woman wasn’t being forthcoming at all. Dani was on the brink of becoming pissed off.

“Ask to be taken to Mr. Price. When the doctor has time, he’ll come by and speak with you,” she replied briskly.

Dani reluctantly agreed and set the phone back down on the receiver. She stood and realized she forgot to ask who Matt’s doctor was. She would have to remember to do so when she arrived at the hospital. Information was power, something she learned the hard way in law school. The more she had, the better equipped she was to handle a situation. If she was going to take care of Matt, she had to learn everything she could about his circumstances.

“Claire, hold all my calls and reschedule any appointments for either Matt or myself for next week.” She paused and revised her statement, “Wait, for Matt don’t reschedule at all. Cancel them and let them know we will call them back when we are able to reschedule.”

She lifted her head to meet Dani’s gaze. “Is everything all right?”

“I’m not sure.” Dani bit her lip. A rush of anxiety filled her. “Something happened to Matt. I don’t have the facts yet. When I know more, I will let you know. I’m heading to the hospital now.”

Claire nodded. “I will handle the office. Please tell Matt…” She frowned and shook her head, appearing to rethink her words. “Call me when you get a handle on the situation.”

Dani didn’t have time to figure out what that little slip meant. Claire seemed to be even more anxious than she was. What was going on between Claire and Matt? When she had the chance she’d have to ask him. It could be her imagination.

It took her twenty achingly long minutes to get to the hospital. She ran into the emergency room after she parked her car. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill freely. She fought them. They were a sign of weakness and she refused to give into them. Matt would be fine. He
would
. If she kept telling herself that she might actually believe it.

“I got a call from a…” What was that woman’s name? Damn it, she forgot. The woman hadn’t been helpful, and she had a name that wasn’t easy to remember too. “It started with an L. Lisa… Laura…” She was usually much better with details. Dani waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. Matthew Price was brought in. I’m his emergency contact.”

The nurse handling admittance in the emergency room typed away at her computer. She was probably used to frantic people in search of their loved ones. She didn’t appear fazed at Dani’s inability to remember the other woman’s name.

She stood up and gestured. “Follow me. I will take you to Mr. Price.”

Dani trailed behind her until they reached a set of double doors. The nurse lifted her identification card and held it against an electronic panel. The doors slid open to let them on the other side. Dani followed her down a few halls and into an exam room. Loud steady beeps from monitors filled the entire area. Matt lay upon the bed, still and silent. What was visible of his body appeared to be an immense bruise of various shades of purple and blue. His eyes and the entire top of his head were covered with white gauze, and his left arm was splinted and wrapped.

“What happened?” Dani turned to the nurse. It hurt to look at him. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

The nurse shook her head. Her mouth was set into a firm line. “I’m not at liberty to say. I’ll let the doctor know you’ve arrived.”

She hated not having answers. It was a simple question. The nurse should be able to tell her what happened to him. She might not be able to disclose his exact condition, but surely she knew how he came to be injured in the first place. Dani reined in her frustration. It wouldn’t do any good to interrogate the nurse. The answers would be given to her as soon as the doctor came to see her. Until then, she would remain patient.

“Will Matt regain consciousness?” Dani could feel tears threatening to fall again. “He looks so…is he in pain?”

“He is sedated and has been given something for the pain. He’s comfortable.” The nurse shook her head again. “I can’t give you any more details. I promise I’ll let the doctor know you’re here. He can explain it in more detail and tell you what we need from you.”

Dani grabbed a chair and pulled it up to his bedside. She lifted his uninjured hand into hers and held it against her cheek. “Please have the doctor come in as soon as possible. I need to know what is wrong with my friend.”

The nurse nodded and left the room.

“What’s going on Matt?” She rubbed his hand with hers. She wanted to hug him tight against her and not let go. “What mess did you get yourself into?”

Matt had been her friend since the early days of college. They even went to the same law school together. After leaving her hometown of Hope Beach, and a foster family she’d been happy to forget, Matt had been a breath of life she’d not realized she needed. She’d been so lonely until she met him. He’d been her rock, the center she’d been craving to keep her balanced. Dani had grown up in a series of foster homes and never had a stable home life. Her last set of foster parents were not the loving sort, and she’d been ready to run as soon as she graduated. Only one person would have kept her in town, and he’d found someone else to build a family with.

It was her fault. She’d loved him and gave him her heart the moment she laid eyes on him. He was kind, generous, and oh so handsome. He was her first friend and the only man she would ever love. But he wasn’t hers. Not anymore, and never in the way she’d dreamed of. It was her fault. If she hadn’t been afraid to lose him… In the end she lost him anyway. She thought if she had him as a friend it would be enough.

Until he fell in love with someone else…

Dani hadn’t factored that part in. How could she remain friends with him and get in the way of his relationship. It was clear the other woman in his life didn’t like or trust her. A part of Dani didn’t blame her. It had to have been obvious how much she loved Ren. If their roles had been in reverse, she’d have acted the same way. So, for him, she left. She never looked back and wished him all the happiness in the world. He was nothing but a memory now, albeit a painful one.

Matt was her present. A friend she didn’t fear losing her heart to. It had been given away to someone she never planned on seeing again. Matt had a much more stable and special place in her life. “Please be all right,” she whispered. She loved Matt, but not as a woman loved a man. He was the one person she cared about, and she would move Heaven and Earth to make sure he would pull through the hell he now found himself in. Matt was all that mattered. Sometimes she wished she still had a heart to give him. Loving Matt could be so easy if she didn’t still love another man.

The man who would always be in her heart, the one she’d love until the day she died. Dani believed soul mate’s existed. There were different kinds for different reasons. She met the love of her life when she was a teenager. In a different time or place maybe they would have had a chance. Circumstances and her bad decisions separated them forever. She was lonely until she met Matt. He was another version of her soul mate. The true best friend she could lean on. She loved him in a different way, but never in the romantic sense.

“So the nurse tells me you’re Mr. Price’s emergency contact.”

A voice filled the room. It was as familiar as breathing. She would have known it anywhere. It haunted her dreams and sneaked into her thoughts when she least expected it. For a brief moment she thought she might be hearing things. Had she conjured up his voice because she’d been thinking of him earlier? No, that was silly. There was no way he could actually be behind her. Dani turned slowly and blinked several times. She could feel the color draining from her cheeks. This couldn’t be happening to her. “Ren?”

“Dr. Sousa, I forgot to give you Mr. Price’s chart.” A nurse with dark auburn hair and soft brown eyes bustled in and handed him a file.

Ren stared at Dani and didn’t say a word for several seconds. He studied her in awkward silence. He was almost exactly as she remembered him. His hair was a bit shorter, and his blue eyes stole her breath. It was Ren. Having him near always had that effect on her. He turned toward the nurse, took the file out of her hand, and dismissed her with a nod. “Thank you, Lana.”

Lana…that was the woman who’d called her office. Dani filed her name away for future reference. She was pretty, petite, and had a no-nonsense attitude. Something Dani appreciated. The nurse nodded and left the room. Leaving Ren alone with her. He set the file down and walked over to her side. The silence in the room was palpable. She had no idea what to say to him and still wasn’t completely convinced he was real. Hallucinations had never plagued her before, but there was always a first time for everything…

“Dani, I didn’t realize…I should have asked Lana for a name.”

Real. Definitely real.
She gulped down a lump in her throat. Hell how was she supposed to deal with Ren, and Matt’s situation at the same time? This was an overwhelming emotional circumstance, and she wasn’t entirely sure she was up to dealing with it. She sent up a silent prayer for strength.

She shook her head. “There was no way for you to know.” This was all too much. Matt was hurt and Ren was his doctor. How could life have set her on this path? Her two best friends—one’s life depended on the other.

Was this the fate’s way of making her face her past?

She cleared her throat and turned away from him. It hurt to look at him. He looked as amazing as she remembered. A golden-brown haired god with ocean blue eyes, pain stabbed in tiny pinpricks against her already aching heart.

“What do you need from me?”

Ren didn’t answer her. Had he remained in the room with her? She didn’t want to turn around and look, but he was forcing her to face him. Why did she have to deal with this? Normally she could handle anything… This was too much in one breath of time for her. The tears she’d been holding back were about to come crashing forward.

Her breath hitched as she turned to look at him. All the love she had been carrying around for him—it was still there. He was a walking reminder of what she didn’t have. His gaze held such concern for her.

“Dani, perhaps we should go to my office to discuss this.”

Hearing her name spoken in his voice was almost her undoing. They’d stepped into an easy pattern of familiarity, but they knew next to nothing about each other anymore. They had a past. That was it.

“Does it matter where we talk about Matt?” She looked down at her friend. “The nurse said he was sedated. I doubt he will hear any of it.”

What she didn’t say was she needed the buffer. She didn’t know what she would say or do if she was completely alone with him. Sure Matt wasn’t about to jump into the conversation, but he was better than talking about the elephant in the room. Her feelings for Ren, his lack of them for her, and the fact she’d disappeared from his life so many years ago. She hadn’t even said goodbye. It would have been too difficult to face him and explain why she couldn’t be in his life anymore. Jessica needed him to devote all his attention to her. Dani would have been in the way. Leaving was the only decision she could have made.