Paige Torn by Erynn Mangum Page B

for you?”
    â€œI’m pretty sure any caffeine would send me right over the edge into Wonderland, so I’m fine. But get something for yourself. On me. And thank you, thank you. When do you think you can be here?”
    Considering I am still in my robe … “Forty-five minutes?”
    â€œSounds great. Thanks so much, Paige!”
    I hang up, look at my half-eaten bowl of Cheerios and barely sipped coffee, and sigh. Oh well. I’ll get a macchiato at Starbucks and consider that breakfast.
    I hurry into the shower, skip washing my hair for the day, and am out, dressed, and ready to go in twenty minutes. A new record, I’m pretty sure.
    I grab my purse and jacket and head down the stairs to my car. My usual Starbucks is only ten minutes from the hospital.
    I walk in and recognize the barista working. Mostly because he is the same guy I dated for about four months sophomore year at TCU.
    â€œPaige?” He smiles at me as I walk up to the counter.
    â€œNick.” I smile back at him. “When did you start working here?”
    â€œAbout a month ago. Wow, you look great! Have you been well?”
    Nick Trayton is about the nicest guy I’ve ever met. We got to know each other through an on-campus Bible study and started dating. I can’t remember now why we decided to break up.
    â€œThanks, yeah, I’ve been good,” I tell him. “How about you?”
    â€œI’m good.” He nods. “I’m back getting my master’s and working here to help pay the student loans.” He grins.
    He looks great. He was tall and on the painfully skinny side when we dated, but he’s filled out a little bit. He has a five o’clock shadow thing going on and dark sticky-up hair.
    â€œWell,” he says after a few seconds of awkward silence. “What can I get you?”
    â€œA grande nonfat caramel latte and a venti caramel macchiato please.” I dig in my purse for my wallet, trying to come up with something to say. It is so weird seeing someone years later that I used to date. Nick and I were more friends than anything else.
    Maybe that was why we broke up. You can’t force chemistry.
    â€œSure thing.” He tells me the total and passes the cups over to the barista making the coffee. “So, are you still friends with Layla?”
    I nod. “She’s getting married in October.”
    â€œNo way! To who? Steve? Stephen? What is his name?”
    â€œPeter.” Layla and Peter have been together a long time.
    â€œVery cool. What are you up to now? Counseling?”
    I shake my head, stomach twisting. “I’m working at an adoption agency, but I’m just doing receptionist stuff.”
    â€œAwesome.”
    We both just look around for a minute or two, and he finally smiles. “Well, it’s great to see you, Paige. Glad you’re doing well.”
    â€œYeah, you too.”
    â€œCaramel latte and caramel macchiato!” the other barista yells and sets my drinks on the counter.
    â€œOkay, well, have a good day.” I pick up my drinks.
    â€œYou too, Paige.”
    I leave, set one drink on top of the car, open the car door, and then put both inside in the cup holders. Why did Nick and I break up?
    I drive toward the hospital. I remember thinking he was really cute before we started dating, and then once we did, it was a lot like I imagined being around a brother. We joked around … we watched movies. We rarely held hands and he never kissed me.
    It just seemed too weird. Then I went home for Christmas and I think we both kind of started our good-byes with, “So …”
    And it ended from there.
    I pull into the underground parking structure at the hospital and slow down to a crawl as I drive through it, searching for a parking space that isn’t too far back in the boonies. Parking garages creep me out big time. I’ve seen a few too many episodes of NCIS .
    I finally find one sort of near the