The Darkest Corner of the Heart (The Brightest Light #2)

by Lisina Coney

This book is for you. I hope it reminds you that hard times won’t break you—they will forge you.

How else could I, the little girl with the neglectful mother and absentee father, even be considered to join the ballet company of my dreams? Me, who only made it through childhood unscathed thanks to her much older brother, who raised me when it wasn’t his job?

Seventeen years ago, I made a promise to my first ballet teacher, Grace—who is now my sister-in-law—that I wouldn’t stop dancing for as long as it made me happy. For as long as it made my heart feel lighter. I’ve kept that promise all this time.

The hospital called him, and he drove for hours, nonstop, until he got here. He thanked Kyle and took over from there, driving me to my apartment and staying with me for the past few days. Buying groceries, cleaning, changing my ice packs and compression bandages, calling a rehabilitation center… He did it all. Sammy left his wife and daughter behind to take care of me at the drop of a hat. He left Inkjection, the tattoo parlor he owns, in the hands of my uncle Trey and canceled all his appointments because I refused to listen when my leg started giving me trouble.

It’s common knowledge in our family that as soon as any of us—Grace, Lila, or me—give him the puppy-dog eyes, he’s a goner. Hey, it’s not my fault he’s a big softie underneath all that harsh exterior. I might as well take advantage of it.

And then Dr. Giant, this man who is already way too attractive for his own good, reaches into the pocket of his scrubs and takes out a pair of glasses. And he puts them on. Goddamn it.

“Hey, hey.” I shut the door behind me and head for their food closet, carefully so as to not step on them as they circle around my legs. “Calm down, tigers. I fed you right before I went to the gym. Let’s tone down the drama, yeah?” The loud meowing continues—a clear shut up and feed us again, Dad. “All right, all right.”

And when he’s quick to put a hand on the car so I don’t hit my head as I climb in, I tell myself it’s something he does for all his patients.

When we hang up, I notice it’s only a few minutes after five. Did he call me right after his shift ended?

In a sudden burst of courage, I unlock my screen, check my recent calls, and add his phone number to my phone under “Dr. Grump.”

Hanna is Aaron’s third child and only daughter, born four years ago, and she’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. She definitely gets her stunning looks from my aunt Emily though, no matter how much Aaron insists she’s all him.

I swiped up on Dr. Simmons on a dating app. He’s going to get a notification and see what Beth did. I can’t look at him on Monday. I can’t.

“I didn’t know you liked mandalas,” I blurt out in a hopeless attempt at changing the topic. It doesn’t work. “Why would you? I didn’t put that information on my dating profile.” What. The. Hell. “Relax.” He eyes me carefully from behind his glasses. “I’m just messing with you.”

AAAAHHHH!!!!!

It’s— It’s a mandala. She’s giving me a mandala. I didn’t know you liked mandalas. She noticed the coloring book the other day, didn’t she? And thought it would be a good idea to make me one? Fucking hell.

Grace took her career as a children’s author to the next level. She teamed up with several therapists specializing in bibliotherapy to write self-help books for children and young adults. We have a whole collection of her books at home, all of which Lila knows like the back of her hand. From consent to fear to adoption, Grace has written about many difficult topics in a way that children and teens can understand and relate to. To put it simply, Grace is a true angel on Earth.

The mandala, the one I drew for him, the one I thought had made him uncomfortable, stares back at me. And it’s colored. He worked on it. At home. Or at the clinic. I don’t know. Does it matter? “You colored it?” It’s beautiful, in dark tones of blue and purple. He did a meticulous job, I notice, which I find endearing for some reason. “I did.” When I muster the courage to look at him, his eyes are already on me. “It was too beautiful not to.”

“I might be breaking a rule or two by seeking out a patient outside the clinic, so this conversation never happened.” I nod. “You were never here.” “Good girl.” Oh, hell.

Our height difference shouldn’t make me want to toss her over my shoulder just to hear her laugh, yet here we are.

“You always get your way, don’t you?” he asks with no real heat in is voice as he changes lanes, and I really should stop ogling his hands as he turns the wheel. It’s not productive at all, and I feel like a class-A pervert. “I don’t know about that, Doc. Last I remember, I’m in this car because you told me to.” “You could have declined.” “I did.” “Hmm. I don’t remember that part.”

“You’re a man of many words.” Is that a smile? It’s small and barely there at all, but I swear his lips twitch. “What do you want me to say? That I had the time of my life and wept at the closing ceremony because it was over? I wish that’d been the case.” I get the hint of mirth in his voice and run miles with it. “Yes, please. And then you can tell me about how you took all the flyers from the conference and made a shrine for them in your bedroom.” “Damn, you caught me.”

“Don’t call me Maddison. It sounds too preppy.” “I’ll call you Maddison for as long as you keep being a brat.”

“Enjoy your chicken wings from your bratty patient.” Despite the darkness surrounding us, the light inside the car gives me a first-row seat to his deep, unexpected blush. I knew he was a blusher. Why does that make me incredibly giddy?

I’m drunk on his presence, his words, his whole damn existence—and I hate every second of it.

Maddie gives him a weak smile and a thumbs-up, a gesture so adorable it makes my chest hurt. “I’m safe now.” Her words are a bullet aiming for my heart. Safe. She feels safe with me. Pride swells inside of me, and so does another part of my body that has no business being so alert right now.

I suspect there’s much, much more pain in that big heart of hers that she hasn’t told me about. I know how it feels. I’ve been there, and unlike me, she won’t fall. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll pick her up every time until she learns to stay balanced.

Her genuine, bright smile makes my heart leap. This girl. I need to get the hell out of here. But just when I think I can’t possibly die harder on the inside, she gets up after me and throws her arms around my middle. And hugs me. She hugs me. Maddie is hugging me.

It’s only now that I realize a haunting truth—Maddie Stevens, my twenty-one-year-old patient, has me wrapped around her little finger.

It’s taken me too long to realize what I feel for her is a strong, deep-rooted sense of admiration and protection. Because I see myself in her. Because the darkness in my heart recognizes hers.

I smile at the memory of calling her a brat. Her brother might call her “princess,” and she might have grown up a little spoiled, but hell—I’d spoil her, too, if I could.

“I thought you were a slow eater?” I tease him. He gives me a look I can’t read. “I’m starving tonight.” Oh, God.

“You talked to him?” “Yes.” “James, that could’ve been dangerous.” “I don’t care.” His hand on me feels heavier, hotter. “I don’t want him lurking outside your workplace, Maddie. Not when he might be a danger to you.”

“Maddie.” My eyes are open, but I can’t see. A strong pair of arms pulls me against a familiar-scented chest, and I hear my own sob before I realize tears are rolling down my cheeks. “Shh. It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you.” Baby.

“Talk to me. What’s making you so upset?” “It’s not important,” she whispers, breaking my goddamn heart. “It is if it’s making you cry,” I reassure her. “And if it’s making you cry, I want to know about it so we can fix it. And if it can’t be fixed, I could always break someone’s arm or leg.” “James!” she hisses and slaps my arm away. I chuckle, caught off guard, and that earns me a smile. Worth it.

“You’re a good man, James. Whoever walked away from you because you couldn’t play football anymore never deserved you in the first place. Don’t forget that.” She has no clue how badly I needed to hear that. All of it.

“Friends?” she asks. There’s not a single doubt in my soul that this firecracker of a woman who makes all the wrongs feel a bit more right is supposed to be in my life, and I’m meant to be part of hers. “Friends.”

“At least I can make a mean sauce.” I’m not one to brag, but come on. If I could bathe myself in this cheesy delicacy, I totally would. James leans in to smell it. When his eyes find mine, his face so close I can’t help but swallow back my nerves, he gives me one of his warmest smiles. I don’t see those very often, so I make sure to treasure it. “Just when I thought you couldn’t be more talented.”

I can’t stay away from Maddie. I don’t want to. Every day I crave seeing her beautiful, attentive eyes and that smile that could light up a whole room just by her walking in. I long for her fiery personality, and I wish to crush all her demons so she can shine brighter.

And despite it all, I can’t keep pretending that my soul doesn’t call to hers.

“Where are we going?” I smirk, pulling onto the highway. “It’s a surprise.” “You’re going to kidnap me, aren’t you?” “You caught me. You make too good of a parmesan sauce. I can’t just let you run free like that.”

I’ve gone on this hike once before, years ago, but I’d forgotten how stunning the scenery is. Too bad I can’t take my eyes away from the girl beside me.

All I know is that thinking about not seeing her ever again makes me sick. It makes me want to tear the world apart until I find her again, and I don’t know what label that puts on us.

Before I know what the fuck I’m doing, I wrap my hand around her high ponytail and pull at it softly. My mouth lowers to her ear, her heavy breathing reaching my own, and I mutter, “I’m not your doctor anymore, Maddie.” Her hand reaches up until it covers mine, still wrapped around her hair. And then she does something I would’ve never, ever in my most insane fantasies expected. Instead of peeling my fingers away, she squeezes my knuckles, as if she wants me to pull harder. Does she like this?

“I can’t stand the thought of you being hurt, Maddie. In any way, present or past. It makes me want to hurt whoever hurt you. Badly. Repeatedly.”

“Sorry for pulling at your ponytail earlier.” She sits on the grass again. “Don’t worry. I liked it.” I stop breathing. She stops smiling. “I mean…” She clears her throat, heat rising up her cheeks. I’m lucky my stubble covers mine, because I’m sure they are just as red. “I enjoy teasing you and all that. Being playful. It’s lighthearted fun. I like it.” There’s nothing playful or lighthearted about what I want to do to you, baby.

“I’ve caught you blushing a few times, you know?” she confesses, shattering all illusions that my cold mask is impenetrable. “For all that grouchy and intimidating exterior, you’re actually pretty cute.” Cute. Something not entirely uncomfortable turns inside my stomach. “Nobody has ever called me cute before,” I admit out loud, not sure why I decided that this level of vulnerability was a good idea. Because it’s her. “Well, you are. The cutest grump I’ve ever met.”

“You’ve just insulted several generations and everyone with great music taste.” “Sorry, I forgot you’re ancient.” “What does that say about you, then? That you hang out with an ancient man.” She shrugs. “I’ve always felt for the elderly.” Oh, Maddie. If I weren’t behind the wheel right now…

It’s just her. I like spending time with her. A lot. Making her laugh, absorbing every small detail about her life, keeping her safe.

“Do you know if they have jelly donuts here? With strawberry jam?” They do. Which is a good thing because otherwise I would’ve gone to every donut shop in the state until I found them for her.

I don’t want to catch up with her, damn it. I want to know every detail of how her days go and share mine. I want to hear her laugh, answer all her questions, buy her all the damn donuts she wants.

“Get out of here before I make you swallow your own fucking teeth for putting your hands on my girl.” My girl. His girl.