“So, you were in love withCharlie?”
“Those aren’t the right words to describe what Charlie and Ihad.”
“Ladies,” Jackson's voice booms from the doorway, and I’m sitting here with my mouth agape, my mind trying to absorb what Grams is telling me. “Everythingokay?”
“Everything is just fine,” Grams responds. “Oh, Jackson, be a dear and get my purse over there. I meant to pay you earlier for what you did lastnight.”
I don't think I've ever stood up so quickly in my life. The chair I was in hit the wall behind me, setting off an alarm which is currently calling for a nurse. “What?” I look between the two of them. “Are you kidding me? This is a joke,right?”
Jackson has his hand splayed on his chest, laughing quietly with his eyes closed, and Grams is smiling like a troublemaking child. “Gotcha,” shesays.
Still laughing, Jackson walks up behind me and places his hand on my hip as he reaches behind me to shut the call button off. The touch of his hand feels warm through the thin layer of my yoga pants. That warmth is igniting a fire in my body that I haven’t feltbefore.
“Okay, now that the pranks are out of the way, it’s time to check the ticker,” Jackson tells Grams. I'm the one clutching my heart now as I put the chair back in its spot. Still embarrassed, I sit down without saying a word and readjust my bag against the bed to busy myself as Jackson checks Grams’s vitals. “Everything is looking good. If your numbers continue improving, we may be able to move you out of ICUsoon.”
“Will you still be my doctor then?” Gramsasks.
“Of course,” he tells her. “I’m the cardiologist on your case, so you're stuck withme.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” I press my elbows into my thighs and drop my head into my hands. It’s abundantly clear that Mom and Grams are both equally determined to arrange a marriage for me. At least they’ve picked well this time. “All right then, it was nice to see you again. Emma was just about to read to me for a little bit, but I look forward to our next check-in.”
Jackson laughs at Grams, just like everyone else on this floor seems to be doing. I don't know what she would do if she didn't have an audience and someone to make the center of her jokes all the time. “Emma, can I borrow you for just one quick second? I'll return you to your reading dutiesafter.”
I stand up from the chair, still not sure if I should be angry or laughing “Don’t worry; I’m not going anywhere,” Gramssays.
“I wasn't worried,” I tell her, sticking my tongue out as I leave theroom.
Jackson walks ahead of me, guiding me down to the waiting area, which worries me that he may have bad news about Grams’s vitals, though he didn’t seem concerned while he was looking at thereports.
No one else is in the waiting room, and he closes the door behind us. “Is everything okay?” I ask, feeling my words catch in mythroat.
“Yes, she’s doing great considering what she went through yesterday. I honestly think she’s going to make a fullrecovery.”
“Oh,” I exhale, clutching at the neckline of my shirt. “Thank goodness.” I let out a few more heavy breaths before I remember that he said he needed to talk to me. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Could it be the fact that his personal life was put on display this morning without my knowing? I hope that’s not thecase.
“I was stupid last night,” hesays.
Disappointment fills my chest, and my heart feels as though it is splitting down the middle. Last night was too heavy. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have involved you in that storyor—”
“What?” he asks, appearingconfused.
“I'm sorry if I made things uncomfortable foryou.”
“You made things incredibly uncomfortable for me,” he says, placing his hands on hiships.
His words wind me because I was trying to be extra careful last night. I didn't want to seem desperate like Grams probably made me out to be, and I was honest with him about Mike. I don't know what I could have done differently. Dating is obviously not my thing, and I'm starting to see Spinster Cat Lady as my futuretitle.
“I'm sorry, Jackson. I can make myself scarce around here. I never meant to cause any problems…honest.”
“Youshouldbe sorry,” he says, matter-of-factly. “I was trying to do the right thing last night, and as a result, I couldn't sleep for those last few hours of the night I had left. It's because of you that I have already had six cups of coffee thismorning.”
“I'll get going,” I tell him. “I just need to read to my grandmother for a bit, and after that, I’ll be out of yourhair.”
“No,” hesays.
“What do youmean?”
The glossy look in his eyes has me pinned, and I don’t understand the look written across his face. I take a couple of steps back, but he follows in my footsteps, causing my heart to pound. I don’t understand where he’s going with this conversation. My back hits the door, and yet, he doesn't stop moving towardme.
