“I think it’s time for me to take my sleep meds.”
My thumb finds its way to the call button, and he takes a deep breath in, but before he can say a word, the nurse has appeared by my bedside.Now that’s what I call service.
“Everything okay in here?”
“I’m in agony,” I whine, pulling my most extravagant wince.
She fiddles with my drip and hands me two pills, her eyes sliding over to Lewis.
“Good call,” she whispers.
“You can have him—he’s not my boyfriend,” I hiss.
“I’m her boyfriend.”
He shoots the nurse a smile, tapping on his temple, flagging my head injury.
Why does he keep saying we’re a thing?
“Can you get him out of here?” I plead.
“Nuh-uh.” Lewis jumps to his feet. “I’m not done here. I need to tell you that—”
“I’m tired. Plus, I’m feeling dizzy…”
The nurse glances back and forth between us, undecided. She knows I’m full of shit—but she’s a slave to the sisterhood, too.
“Okay, young man. That’s enough for today. Let her get some rest before you try winning her back.”
She heads for the door, shooting me a knowing wink as she goes.
Winning me back? Oh, lady—you have no idea!
Lewis is sulking, but he’s keeping his game face on all the same.
“You win this round, Hitman. But watch your back—I’m coming for you. You better get ready.”
I’m lost. The way this guy blows hot and cold is too confusing.
“Lewis, I honestly think we’re done here,” I start. “Can we please just drop this? Everything was going great for me until I met you—I knew where I was headed, and then you showed up with all your Campus Drivers crap, looking amazing and everything. And it suddenly felt like I needed you to be happy. Look where that got me.”
His eyes flood with pain and regret, and something strangely likehope lurches in the pit of my stomach. He’s taking a step back toward the door, when something occurs to me.
“I heard my sister say something about Esteban’s nose—what happened?”
“I hit him.” He shrugs. “Square in his dumb-fuck face. Just goes to show you can have as many tattoos as you like—doesn’t make you hard. In any shape or form,” he adds.
When he reaches the doorway, he casts me one last lingering look.
“I’ll give you a head start, Hitman. But I’ll catch up with you—be sure of that.”
The door swings shut behind him, and I sit there staring into space.
“I need to tell you that—”
Tell me what? Regret is nudging at me now. I wish so badly I had let him finish what he started.
30LEWIS
