The nurse immediately put a hand out, stopping me. “You. Stay down. I mean it. The doctor hasn’t checked your chart yet.”
“Well, tell him to get in here,” I growled.
Stilts nodded and jammed his hands into his pockets. “Yeah. We’re friends, roommates, teammates. We both play football for UK, the University of Knoxville.”
I waved my hands. “So I’ve been told. I’m supposed to believe I’m some hotshot QB who?—”
The words stopped dead in my throat when the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen—probably—walked into the room. Dark hair and dark eyes that managed to still be bright even though they were black as night. She had a perfectly shaped face—like it was AI-generated. Completely flawless. Her skin looked soft as velvet. She was wearing a tight football jersey-style shirt with the same team colors as almost everyone I’d met tonight. But none of the others filled theirs out like that.
It wasn’t just her looks, though I couldn’t have ignored them if I wanted to. It was the feeling she put in my chest. All whooshy and warm, like someone reached in and lit my heart on fire. The thrust of my heartbeat made me a little dizzy. The heart monitor beeped faster. Stilts smirked.
“Holy…” My head gave a little shake, trying to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. The movement sent a burst of pain shooting over my right brow. I closed my eyes shut until it subsided. “I was about to say hell, but I think this might be heaven.” I stared right at her, not caring that I was making an idiot of myself. “You’re my girlfriend, right? Please tell me you’re my girlfriend.”
Blush lit up her gorgeous face and it stole my air.
She shook her head. “No.”
My stomach plummeted.
I glared at Stilts. “She’syourgirlfriend? Did you bring her in here to flaunt it in my face? You thought my day wasn’t bad enough already?”
He grinned. “Nah, man. I just met her today.”
So not his girlfriend either. I blanched and swore right before my next thought came straight out of my mouth. “Please don’t be my sister.”
Stilts chuckled. Seemed like that’s all he knew how to do.
A smile spread across the girl’s face and it was like the sun bursting through parted clouds after a week of solid rain. “Iusedto be your girlfriend.”
I gaped, not sure I’d heard her right. But she held my stare, steady and honest.
“No.” I shook my head again. “Nuh-uh, there’s no way. I would not have let you get away.”
“Good gracious,” the nurse muttered. “Shameless.” She shook her head, but her eyes never left the computer screen.
The girl glanced at Stilts. “Does he always flirt like this?”
“Eh. Not really. He doesn’t really need to.” They shared a look. “I guess you just have that effect on him.”
I tried to sit up again. Again the nurse put a hand out, stopping me. I rolled my eyes and it hurt. “What do you mean? We dated but you don’t know if I flirt like this?”
She didn’t respond. Just scowled, her smile completely fading. I didn’t like that. Nope. Not one bit.
“You must’ve broken up with me,” I prodded. That was the only explanation. No way it had happened the other way around. I tried to remember her. Tried to remember what had happened to us. But, like everything else, there was only a frustrating void.
She folded her arms and chewed her bottom lip, looking uncomfortable with this line of questioning. “Um…you moved away. Today is the first time I’ve seen or talked to you in four years.”
I didn’t know what to do with that information. It was bull crap. No way would I have let her slip away. But four years seemed like a lot to unpack and my head already hurt.
Both of them were standing frozen at the end of my bed like they were nervous or scared. “Why are you way over there?” I asked her.
Her eyes widened, looking a little shocked at my forwardness. I was a little shocked myself. But, I couldn’t remember anything and I was stuck in this stupid bed. There should be some perks, like saying exactly what I wanted to.
She let out a little laugh and walked over to my right side. Then she looked down at me and another massive smile lit up her face. Her eyes were doing this twinkling thing. Oh, she was happy to see me.
She looked down at the floor, biting her bottom lip. “Hi.” That one word and the way she said it was the best thing anyone had said all night. She held out her hand, amused. “I’m Anna. Anna Dupree.”
My head snapped back—ouch—but you better believe I took her hand. I shook it and then squeezed. And I didn’t let go. “Dupree? Are you related to that singer from Whiskey and Women?”
