1
HAILEY
Blood.
There’s blood.
The room is spinning, and I’m praying for a hot doctor.
A doctor does stitches, right? Or is it the nurse?
Staring down at my thumb, the nausea returns.
Why in the world did I have to have a ditsy moment today? I should be out enjoying the June sun. Instead, I’m here. In an emergency room. Because of my stupidity.
My cell phone lying next to me vibrates on the exam table’s paper sheet, and the name on the phone catches my eye. It’s my brother, Liam. With one hand, I jab the green button on the screen and put him on speaker.
“Hailey, what the hell? What’s going on? Your voicemail has me freaking out. You sounded like you were about to throw up.”
Taking a deep breath, I try to steady myself, my stomach swirling as my feet dangle from the table in a cubicle with a curtain drawn. “That’s probably because I’m stuck in the emergency room in a tiny hospital in the middle of nowhere Illinois,” I bite out.
“Whoa there, Everhope isn’t the middle of nowhere. It has a great riverboat restaurant on the river. Lake Spark isn’t far, and Chicago is a solid hour and a half away, which is why I am here to pick up the re-sized rings before I fly out to Colorado for my wedding. I mean, I know I’m your emergency contact when you’re teaching, but the school didn’t call, and I’m nowhere near you to come running. So, what’s going on?”
I sigh while my eyes drop down to my finger where the cotton gauze is soaking through. “That’s because my little mishap didn’t happen at summer school. I’m waiting for someone to stitch my thumb. But you know how I am with blood.”
He hums a sound. “Still doesn’t explain what the hell happened.”
“I was cutting a bagel.” I leave it at that.
“Why? We have Foxy Rox in town, and they have great bagels. Rookie move to try store-bought bagels.”
The heat stinging my face returns, and my head is a little light. “Well, desperate times. What can I say? Anyhow, the bread knife went quickly through and cut my thumb. My kitchen looks like a murder scene.”
“Aren’t bagels a little tough to cut, why so fast?” he wonders. He must be outside, as I hear a crosswalk signal.
Grumbling to myself, my lips quirk out, and I debate how honest to be. “That’s because… I didn’t realize… it was…” The words trail from my mouth. I’m preparing myself for the next thirty seconds. “A pre-sliced bagel,” I squeak out.
The burst of laughter fills my ears, and I curse to myself for my stupidity.
I wait a solid thirty seconds as predicted for his chuckle to fade. “Okay, I’m never letting this go,” he promises, as I suspected.
My jaw tightens. “Stop it. I’m not so happy that you are amused by my suffering. Right now, I need someone to pick meup. Kelly across the street was able to drop me off on her way to Lake Spark because I couldn’t drive.”
“Well, I won’t be able to get back for two hours. Rush hour is about to hit and won’t ease until I get on I-88. What about Esme?”
“My stellar best friend is absent in my time of need. She went down to Bluetop to the Blisswood winery with Keats. Some romantic getaway or some misery like that.” I’m sarcastic but I’m happy for her, really I am.
“Okay, let me?—”
The swoosh of the curtain being pulled back breaks our conversation, and I’m greeted by a doctor who causes my jaw to go slightly slack.
“Have to go, the doctor is here. I’ll call you back or text me,” I quickly string a sentence together to inform my brother what’s going on, then hang up while I smile nervously at the man before me. He has a friendly facial expression and height that towers over me, and his eyes are sky blue too.Also, there is a silver ring around his finger. Married.
Maybe I’ll be that one day.
A wife to a husband who I’ll make laugh. And he’ll treat me like a queen. He’ll be so damn sexy that I’ll want to pounce on him whenever I can. Kind of like…
Nope. No, Hailey.
