“I mean it.You can let me go right now and I won’t hold it against you.”
“I’m holding on with both hands, not letting you go no matter what.Besides, I know how lucky I am to be with a woman so far out of my league.”
She laughs.“Out of your league?Declan, you’re such a bullshitter.It’s one of the reasons I love you the way I do.”
She kisses me lightly on the lips and glides her finger down the side of my face in one gentle, sweet caress.
We get out of the car, and I carry our suitcases.As soon as we enter the hospital, we’re met by a patient care assistant who takes the bags and tells us he’ll put them inside Summer’s private suite.A friendly nurse then whisks us away.
“I’m Wendy,” she says.“Welcome.”
She takes us to patient registration, a process that takes just minutes with her help.Next, we follow her through the labyrinth of hallways, automatic doors, and nursing stations.
“We’re going to draw your blood and then take you back for your MRI.Dr.Goldberg will meet with you once he’s reviewed the images, which should be at the end of the day.You’d have time to get dinner and come back if you want.”
“MRI?”Summer asks.Her voice quivers slightly, and I grip her hand and press it to my lips.“But I already had a CT scan.”
“Dr.Goldberg has reviewed that, but magnetic resonance imaging will give him a lot more information about what’s going on with you.Here we are!”
We turn into a lab where a phlebotomist draws six vials of blood from Summer.Wendy then inserts an IV in the crook of her left elbow.Summer winces a little when the needle goes in.
I can feel the sting in my own arm.
“The IV will administer the contrast dye needed for the MRI.It won’t hurt, and you can pick whatever music you want to listen to while you’re in the tube.Any requests?”
“Beyoncé, of course.”Summer winks at me.
After the blood draw, we follow Wendy to the magnetic resonance imaging lab, and they make me wait in a small, bland room while they take Summer in.
I can’t sit still.I pace the waiting room for an hour before they bring her back.Most of the time is spent on FaceTime or phone calls with members of my family.I assure everyone that I’ll keep them posted with any news.
Finally, they’re done with Summer.
“It wasn’t so bad,” she tells me.“But they want to keep the IV in.I guess that means they think I’m here to stay for a while.Wendy says we can go to dinner as long as we’re back in two hours.”
“I know just the place.”
I hope she’ll like the surprise.And I hope it arrives on time.
CHAPTER 52
Summer
“You own this?”
“I’m really rich.”
My eyes scan the open space surrounded by windows.It’s all chrome and creamy white furniture and fancy artwork on the white walls.Compared to my little cabin in the mountains, this is a palace.
“You mustreallylike spending money,” I say.
We’re standing in Declan’s penthouse apartment about a million miles above Central Park.A few moments ago, from my vantage point on the front sidewalk, this long and skinny skyscraper reminded me of a giant toothpick.But the apartment interior is bigger than Cal’s house, which is saying something, and it’s more modern than a spaceship.
Declan is clearly pumped to show it to me.
“Yeah,” he says.“When we first started making money, I had a little too much fun throwing cash around.Our planes and choppers are company property, but I wanted a few things just for Declan.”
I grab a seat at the marble dining table and slide my palms over the cool, smooth surface.“I’m sitting down for this,” I tell him.“You just referred to yourself in third person, which means whatever you’re gonna tell me next will be gross.Go ahead.”
