Korie’s eyes widen. “Vince from the bar? The bouncer?”
Shit. Way to go, Fletch.I’m too exhausted to filter my words. “Yeah. He had a fall at work.”
“Oh, damn.” Genuine horror crosses their face. “That’s awful. I’ll have to go see him. What room is he in?”
“I don’t remember. Third floor somewhere.”
Korie chuckles. “No worries. I can look it up. I’ll swing by on my lunch, though.”
Warmth flows through me. So many people care for Vince and are willing to show up for him without hesitation.So why doesn’t he see it?
“Do you work here?” I ask, gesturing to their scrubs.
“Oh, yeah, I’m a radiology tech,” they say proudly. “Best job in the world, if you ask me.”
Korie keeps talking as we wait in line, filling the space effortlessly with stories about their job, the latest movie they’ve seen, and literally anything else. It’s a relief not to think about hospital beds, MRI scans, and old ghosts from Vince’s past.
By the time I reach the counter, my hands have mostly stopped shaking. I order two coconut mochas for Vince and I, and a plain black coffee for Ace. Hopefully, it’s what he wants. If not, well, he can come and get it himself.
I wave goodbye to Korie, then walk back to the elevator. When I finally reach the third floor again, I pause, unable to move forward. The hallway feels longer than before. Emptier.Scarier.
Before I know it, I’m going in another direction. Then I'm standing in front of a different glass door—this one with the nameSarah Conradetched into it.
I don’t remember deciding to walk this way. I don’t even know why I’m here. I only know that I need to see Sarah more than anything right now.
She looks up from her desk, sees me through the glass, and immediately gets up to open the door. Her dark brows pull together in worry.
“Hey,” I say uselessly. My mind and heart are racing. I can’t stand still, feet shuffling against the tiles.
“Come in.”
The door closes behind me, muffling the sounds of the hospital. I set the coffee down wherever there’s space and scrub a hand over my face.
“I don’t—” I stop abruptly.What was I even going to say?
Sarah has been my go-to person in times of crisis ever since we started dating in college. She’s been my anchor, my port—even when I’d hurt her.
Thankfully, Sarah doesn’t need me to explain. She pulls me in for a hug like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. I let myself sink into it, burying my face against her shoulder.
“Sorry,” I murmur, my throat thick. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m here.”
She hugs tighter. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay, Fletch.”
I finally breathe out. Slower now. Steadier. When I pull away, my face is wet with tears.
She hands me a tissue. “You really care about him.”
It isn’t a question.
I avoid her gaze. I don’t want to talk about Vince, not when my heart is so raw and now that he’s alone with his… ex—is that the right word? I’m still not sure what they even mean to each other. Or whatImean to him.
What are we doing? I know Vince feels something, but how deeply? Does he want this?Does he understand how much I do?
“It’s just been a crazy twenty-four hours,” I say shakily.
“I bet. His chart looks good, though,” Sarah says. “I peeked this morning as soon as I logged in.”
Being the administrative manager has its perks. Sarah is in charge of all the non-medical staff, yet still has access to the hospital’s database, at least in a limited capacity. And being raised by two doctors has given her the knowledge to understand what the charts say. Way more than I’ll ever be able to.
