Page 90 of Maxwell

Had to be.

For the first time in his life, he had lost someone who mattered. And he was terrified there might be nothing he could do—charm, smile, bribe—to win her back.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Jasmine released the chain guard and let her sister in.

“Why do you look like you’ve been living on the street?” Maura demanded.

“Nice to see you too.” Jasmine self-consciously smoothed the edge of her unkempt ponytail. She hadn’t heard her own voice in days, and it sounded rough. Not like herself. “Go away if you’re going to be abusive.”

“Can’t. I’m worried about you.”

“I want to be left alone.” Jasmine shuffled away from her sister.

“You shouldn’t have opened the door if that’s what you wanted. What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me.”

Nothing, except that her heart was broken. Oh, and she had been wearing pajamas every day, hadn’t left the house in almost a week, and hadn’t combed her hair in about as long.

Maura followed her into the living room, where she had been watching a house-hunting show on HGTV. “Dad said you called in sick all week, and when he said he and Mom were coming to check on you, you begged them not to.”

“And yet they sent you.” Sinking onto the sofa, Jasmine rewrapped her gray throw around her shoulders and curled her feet under her.

“They know I don’t take no for an answer.” Maura sat in an armchair and crossed one leg over the other. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“There’s nothing going on.”

Maura pursed her lips. Jasmine avoided her sister’s gaze.

“Are you sick?”

“No.”

“Pregnant?”

“No.”

Silence.

“Does your absence have anything to do with Maxwell Santana?”

Hearing his name cut like a knife. Jasmine kept her eyes lowered so her sister wouldn’t see the tears spring to her eyes.

“Dad said he resigned,” Maura continued.

Jasmine plucked at a thread in the throw. “I heard. Keisha told me.”

She had reached out to check on Jasmine when she called in sick. Jasmine hadn’t wanted to talk and sent her a text saying she was under the weather. Then Tuesday morning she received a text from Keisha that Maxwell had resigned. She hadn’t responded to that message.

Jasmine blinked away the tears. “Why would he do that? He loves his job, and the kids love him. The parents love him.”

“I don’t know the reason why. Dad said he turned in his resignation at the end of the day on Monday, effective immediately.”

Jasmine stared at the muted television. The couple was in the process of discussing their choices.

“He’s a great doctor,” she said, the words scraping her throat.