-1Chapter 3

I sat at the small café near the hotel lobby. I left before Kelly woke up this morning. I left her a note simply saying I'd be back. I couldn't lie about where I was going, but I couldn't tell her either. How do you explain something like this? My problem is I can rarely tell someone a lie, it's just not who I am. When I was a kid my father lied all the time, that's what drug addicts do; they lie. My mother lied too. She lied about his abuse for so many years that I think she didn't even know she was doing it.

If Kelly ever asked me if I was in love with Izzie Stevens I would tell her the truth and say yes. I can safely say she will never ask me that question. She doesn't even know there is an Izzie Stevens, not yet anyway. I hope to put that off for a little while.

"Is this seat taken?"

"I'm sorry it is." I smile. "I'm saving it for this extremely smart woman who is a little neurotic sometimes but who will always call you on your bullshit, because she can spot it a mile away."

"Wow, she sounds like superwoman."

"Yeah well she's also extremely hot! Funny you look a lot like her."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do. I'm afraid you aren't her though."

"I'm not?"

"No."

"Well then who does that make me?" I know I should just shut my mouth, but here is that truth thing I was talking about.

"It makes you the woman who is stupid enough to marry Mark Sloan."

Fuck! Why did I do that? Her smile is gone and she turns away from me.

"Nice to see you too Alex!" She's walking.

She'll probably never speak to me again if I don't stop her now. As I hurry after her, I can't help but realize just how much I have missed her.

"Izzie, Izzie come on!"

She's not stopping, I've only seen her this mad at me one other time. I don't know why I had to push her like that; usually she's the only one I don't push away completely. I've got to stop her.

"Iz, I'm sorry okay! Please stop!"

It works because she stops and I can see her head drop like she's swearing at herself for letting me get through to her.

"Come sit with me, please?"

"Okay."

We order breakfast and I try to make small talk, carefully avoiding anything that will send her running away from the table.

"So…..How's O'Malley?"

"George is good."

"I heard the chief retired."

"Yup."

Silence.

"I'm still an ass."

Okay this is promising; she's trying to hold back a smile.

"I missed you." Her voice is so soft I can barely hear her.

"I missed you too." I have missed her more than I could ever tell her.