“It’s complicated.”
“Doesn’t sound too complicated.” He leaned forward. “And, with the way you were kissing me, I’m assuming something changed recently?” His green eyes implored her for an answer.
Spencer had his faults, but giving him up would be like amputating a part of her life. Although it was the right thing to do, it didn’t make it hurt any less. Next to her foster brother, Spencer was the only family she had in the world. No matter how toxic he could be, Spencer had redeeming qualities. Even if they sometimes vanished beneath a jealous rage, they were still there.
She reached into the pocket of her scrubs and pulled out the diamond ring.
“Damn,” Ash said as she held it up. “Big rock.”
“He proposed last night, and this morning, I found him in bed with another woman.”
Ash’s eyes rounded with surprise, and he vented a low whistle. The softness of his fingers pressed against the corner of her jaw. “That’s low. I’m telling you, Asshat is a douchebag.”
Desperate to change the direction of the conversation, she touched his face. “You need stitches. I’ll get you patched up.”
He shook his head. “I need to leave.”
“You’re not leaving.”
“I don’t think he and I should be in the same building together. I don’t like the way he treats you, and I’ve made enough of a scene.” He ran his fingers against the cut beneath his eye, wincing. “Besides, it’s not that bad.”
She didn’t want to think about the conversation she and Spencer would have. Spencer was a master at twisting words, and somehow, she always wound up at fault. She needed to hand the ring back and walk away—away from Spencer and the home and family he had come to represent. She needed to leave that dream behind. Giving Spencer up would drop the bottom out of her world, but if she were being honest, it wasn’t Spencer she would be saying good-bye to. It was the idea of the family she’d never had.
A finger lifted her chin, and she met Ash’s emerald stare.
“Hey, babe. You okay?”
A tear trickled down her cheek, and she wiped it away. “I’m good.”
He laughed. It surprised her and brought a smile to her face, lifting her heart in the process.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Damn bastard split my lip.”
“It’s not your lip I’m worried about.” She touched his cheek, careful to avoid the blood seeping out of the cut. Too many years as a doctor made her cautious about other people’s blood and body fluids. “You need stitches.”
His fingers touched the cut under his eye, probing. “Yeah, probably.” He reached for her hands. “Listen, I want to see you again. Can I meet you after work? Buy you that drink?” His eyes glittered with hope for more, but his next words confirmed it. “How about dinner?”
“You want to see me after all this?” She waved vaguely around. “I thought you’d be running for the hills.”
“Maybe I like the excitement,” he said. “Say yes!”
“Only if you let me stitch up your cut.”
He shook his head. “I promise to have it taken care of, but I gotta go.”
What was the rush?It didn’t make sense when they were at an emergency room. A couple of stitches, and he’d be as good as new.
Unless he didn’t have medical insurance?
Knowing the cost of a visit to the emergency room, she understood the financial liabilities associated with what seemed like a simple visit. Looking at his beat-up jeans, she assumed he might be strapped for cash. It didn’t explain the Hummers, but he didn’t act like he had a lot of money.
She should force him to stay, but she didn’t want to embarrass him. His skin would heal, but the scar would be ugly. She bit her lower lip, deciding between practicality and impulse.
Inside, she had a difficult conversation to get through with Spencer, and with his foul mood, she didn’t see it going well. It would be nice to have something positive to look forward to at the end of the day.
“I’ll do dinner, but we’ll split the check,” she said, coming to her decision.
Ash tucked his chin. An argument was brewing in his eyes.
