“Shut up, Anna!” I exclaimed as I threw the pillow at the closed bedroom door.
A beat of silence. Then, softer. Genuine. “I’m happy for you, Doc.” Footsteps retreating down the hallway, and then, just barely loud enough to hear: “Both of you.”
“Leave them alone,” Brutus said as I watched his shadow rush in front of the bedroom door. “They’ll start fucking at two a.m. to get back at us like Ghost and Jasmine do.”
“And I’ll rate them, too!” Anna chirped.
“God, they are so gonna fuck,” I mumbled as I shook my head. “What do you think, Miss?—?”
Her soft snores dragged my eyes down to where she was, laying on top of me, her head on my chest. Those delicate eyes of hers, closed. Her facial features, slack.
I leaned up and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Sleep, beautiful. It’s what good girls do.”
I felt my own eyes growing heavy with a need for a nap.
18
LIZZIE
A FEW DAYS LATER
I woke up in my bed alone.
That was a few days ago now, and I was still thinking about it. Still turning it over. I had rolled over expecting to thud right into the man who made me feel like I was worth a hill of beans to someone other than the military, and instead there was nothing but a cold spot where he had been. That was the moment the doubt started. That was the moment I started wondering if I had read the whole thing wrong.
A cold side of the bed made me go in search of Brutus, wondering where Doc was. But all he did was mumble something about an assignment, and that was that.
Everything was just supposed to be… okay.
Days passed, and I still didn’t see Doc much. He didn’t come by to play video games or chat. He didn’t come by to check on me. I had to schedule a fucking appointment with him just to see him. Which was overdue anyway according to him when he peeled some of my gauze back to reveal healed stitching.
My muscles twitched involuntarily as he removed them, one by one.
Whiplash. It felt like emotional whiplash. Did I do something wrong? I mean, sure, assignments. Yeah, got it. But for days?After a lovely date and lovely moments spent together, and then I just go… days without seeing him?
It felt like he was avoiding me.
I avoided his gaze by staring off at the wall while he gave me his commands.
“Hunch over a bit more, Miss Elizabeth.”
I leaned forward a bit before I felt him snag a stitch and pluck it out. “Got it.”
I just slowly nodded as I continued staring at the wall.
“Your bruises look much better,” Doc said as he snapped off his rubber gloves and rolled away from me on his little stool. “And I think we can get rid of the support bandages on your left ankle. There’s no swelling. The bruising is fading. You didn’t have any issues with any of the movement tests. I’m proud of you, Miss Elizabeth.”
I didn’t feel proud.
I felt… empty.
“Miss Elizabeth?”
“Hmm?” I hummed as I snapped my head toward him.
He studied me over the rim of those glasses of his. “Did you hear me, Miss Elizabeth?”
I blinked once and cleared my throat. “Sorry, I was in my head. What did you say, Doc?”
