“I mean, that’s great. If you like him.”
She tilts her head. “I do. A lot. But do you also like him? You’re being weird.”
“No,” I say quickly. Too quickly. I don’t like him, so that part is fine. Really, it is. “I’ve just known him forever and…” Fuck. I’m messing this up. We had decided not to keep it a secret from people on the floor because we wanted Josh to find out. So, I have to tell her that he and I have secretly been a thing for a bit and that we’re in love.
My cousins Stone and Owen work here in the hospital. So do my uncle Luca, who is Roman’s father, and my other uncle, Kaplan, who is Stone’s father, and you see where I’m going with this. We’re going to have to tell our families, and we were going to, but we planned to do it in person with our parents first and then have it trickle down.
Telling Michaela will start the gossip mill before I’m ready for it to be unleashed.
I wasn’t sure I was even going to wear a ring, but Aston thought it was essential. He’s buying them. I can’t handle that. I can barely handle this.
But Michaela and I are friends, and I hadn’t really considered how this lie would creep into all the spaces in my life. Or that she’d want to date my soon-to-be husband.
“Well, actually, here’s the thing?—”
“Hey, got a second?” Josh asks, interrupting me as he comes out of nowhere.
“No,” I tell him. “I have to give my patient their morphine.”
Michaela beams at him. “Josh, great timing. Can you help me with something for my patient in room eight?”
“No. That’s not my patient. Ask Dr. Asshole. It’s his.”
“I am asking Dr. Asshole.”
I snort a laugh and give my friend a high-five because she definitely deserves one for that before I scoot around them. I’m going to have to find time to talk to Michaela, but now isn’t it.
“I’ll catch up with you,” I tell her. “I have more to say on what we were just talking about.” She gives me a wave ofacknowledgment, and I head straight for my patient without looking back.
But since this is Josh, he’s right next to me, walking too damn close. The smell of his cologne makes my already weak and frazzled stomach flip, and not in a good way.
“You’ve been dodging me all week. How long are we going to do this? Did you get the notes I gave you?”
Yes. I got them. And threw them out as I always do.
It’s things likecall meorwe need to talkorI miss youorI love youorcome find me. It’s neverI’m sorry I was a monsterorI’m going to changeoryou were right and I was wrong. Not that it would matter. He could tell me he’s found Jesus and is volunteering at an animal shelter while getting the therapy he desperately needs and I still wouldn’t go back to him.
“I got them.” I throw him a sideways glare. “And how long are we going to do what?”
“Stay broken up?”
“Forever?” I quip.
He grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop, then over to an alcove in between two patient rooms. He squeezes my arm tightly, his fingers pressing into my skin as he gets right up in my face. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that to me again.”
I try to jerk my arm away. “Let me go.”
“Never,” he forces between us, his expression serious and absolute. “Never. I will never let you go. I can’t. I tried, but it’s impossible. Do you not understand that?”
My heart pounds, and protectively, I bring the pink basin holding the syringe lower to cover my stomach. “It’s over. You need to learn to accept that.”
“Except it’s not, and I won’t. I’m your boyfriend. Me and no one else.” He gives me a meaningful look. “I’ve been letting you have your spoiled, rich girl temper tantrum because I assumed you needed time and space to fully grasp what this is betweenus and to get over your emotional bullshit, but the truth is, my patience is wearing thin. Unblock me from your phone.”
“No.”
He steps into me until our toes are touching, and his face is inches from mine. His voice drops, turning menacing. “Unblock me from your phone, Skylar. Unless you want me to start showing up at your brother’s house or following you around from patient to patient.”
Jesus. The thought of him showing up at the house with Zoey there terrifies me to no end.
