“Alright.” She offered a small smile. “But if you ever need someone to listen, you know I’m here for you.”
“I know.” I returned her smile before getting out of the car. The door handle wiggled so much I thought it was going to snap but thankfully it held firm. One of these days, Mandy’s car was going to fall apart at the seams.
Together, we walked into the restaurant.
“Good evening. How many?” the hostess chirped.
“Just two,” my friend said, holding up two fingers.
“Right this way.” With oversized menus in her hands, she guided us toward the back of the restaurant. It was an elegant place without being over the top. Warm hues painted the walls, with a small candle on every table so that diners were cast in a rosy glow.
“This place looks nice,” I whispered in Mandy’s direction.
“I told you,” she said smugly.
“Here we are.” The hostess waved her hand toward a table set for two. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”
“I’ll just have some water,” I answered.
Mandy let out an audible sigh.
“Water? No. No. She’ll have a margarita.”
But I shook my head furiously.
“No really, it’s fine. Just a water. Thank you.”
My friend’s eyes bugged out at me meaningfully.
“Seriously, get this girl a margarita. She needs it.” Mandy insisted. “Actually, make that two. I need one too.”
The hostess nodded, walking away.
“Why did you do that?” I protested.
“Do what?” Mandy asked, an innocent expression on her face. “I’m just trying to help you loosen up a bit.”
“But you know I’m not much of a drinker.”
Mandy rolled her eyes at me for the umpteenth time.
“Maybe that’s the problem, Janie. A little alcohol isn’t going to kill you. Loosen up a little. Let yourself enjoy the finer things in life once in a while.”
I bit my lip. I didn’t want to admit to my friend that I was pregnant – yet. She would blow her top and I wasn’t ready to deal with that right now. Especially not in a public place. So with a sigh, I relented, looking around the restaurant instead of trying to make my point.
The diners were well-dressed, laughing and chatting among themselves, silverware clinking. Everyone was elegantly dressed, the men handsome, the women beautiful.
But then I did a double-take, eyes opening wide.
Because it was him. Dr. Travis was here. What in the world? Why was he here, on this night of all times? How was this happening?
But then my heart stopped because he was with someone – a woman who was drop-dead gorgeous.
I stared at the female, jaw nearly hitting the floor. Travis’s girlfriend had flawless black hair that framed her angelic hair. Gorgeous blue eyes. She was svelte and sexy, decked out in a tiny cocktail dress that I could never pull off. In one word, she was the kind of girl that belonged at a modeling agency.
“Janie?”
A stab of pain radiated through my chest. No. This couldn’t be happening. Was Travis already with someone else?
“Janie,” Mandy’s voice came again, sounding tinny and far away. “Janie, Janie!”
Suddenly, everything went to black as I lost consciousness, the shock of seeing Travis with another woman a devastating blow. Because why did I ever think we had something special? We had one night together, and that was it. The man and I weren’t dating. We weren’t even friends, for crying out. We were neighbors that said hello occasionally, and nothing else.
And with that, blessed darkness overwhelmed my consciousness, everything fading away.
Chapter 10
Travis
“Besides work, what have you been up to lately?” Tracie asked, twirling her fork around her pasta.
“Not much,” was my sarcastic reply. “It’s hard to make plans when you’re working eighty plus hours each week.”
“Why do you do it then?” she asked, her perfect ski slope nose wrinkling with a squinch. “I mean what’s the point of slaving away if you never get to enjoy all the money you’re making?”
“It’s not about the money,” I pointed out. “I like to help people.”
“Well, you won’t be much help if you work yourself to death.”
The thing was, my sister had a point. Even if she had no work ethic of her own, Tracie was right about this. There has to be room for life, love and happiness, even if right now, the light on the other side of the tunnel seemed dim and far away.
But with a sigh, I tried to explain my way of seeing things.
“With the hospital understaffed, I don’t have much choice. I can’t just abandon them, and I mean staff or patients.”
“Can’t they just find another doctor?” She took a bite of her food, ruby lips wrapping around her fork in an almost sensual manner. My sister’s eyes skirted across the room, resting on a well-dressed man who predictably, kept looking her way.
“Hello, Earth to Tracie,” I growled. “Have you been listening? No, they can’t just find another doctor with a snap of their fingers. It takes a lot of time and training to create a physician, thus the long hours we put in.”
“Okay,” said my sister, not bothered at all. “That’s fine. Don’t get your panties in a scrunch.”
“They weren’t,” I answered, cutting into my steak. “So, what about you? How have you been?”
She shrugged. “Things have been pretty dull. Nothing to report.”
“Really? I find that hard to believe. You were always the source of excitement when we were together.”
“I was younger then,” she said dismissively.
My brows raised.
“You act if you’re already an old woman at twenty-five.”
“I’m certainly not a teenager anymore, Travis.” She pointed her fork at me. “Besides, you have to understand my business. Modeling is hard work, believe it or not. It looks like we just stand there, but there’s more to taking a good picture than gazing at the camera. You have to emote through your eyes and body language so that in 2-D, your image leaps from the page. Besides, I’m actually old for modeling,” she said carefully, looking down at her plate. “Most of the girls coming up are sixteen or so, so I’m practically a grandma now.”
I was about to make a funny quip because how could Tracie be “old” at twenty-five? She was just a baby. But before my mouth could open, a sudden crash made us turn around in our seats.
To my horror, I saw Janie sprawled on the ground. My eyes widened before my body kicked into action, propelling me to her side.
“What happened?” I barked at the woman standing beside her.
“I don’t know!” There was panic in the blonde’s voice. “One second she was fine and the next she just collapsed. Is she okay?”
Quickly, I took my best girl’s pulse. It was erratic. “We need to get her to the hospital. Now.” Gently, I eased my arms underneath that curvy body and picked her up, cradling that soft form against my chest.
“Ambulance is on its way,” the hostess hissed, phone in hand.
“Is she going to be okay?” the blonde woman asked tearfully. She looked to be in her early twenties, despite being heavily made up. “She’s my friend, and I’m really concerned!”
I held Janie a little tighter to my massive form. “I’ll make sure of it.”
My sister stepped in then.
“Don’t worry.” Tracie placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “He’s a doctor. The best I know. He won’t let anything happen to your friend.” But the words were already receding because as Tracie worked to calm the blonde, I couldn’t keep my eyes off Janie, praying that everything would be okay.
For weeks, anticipation had roiled my mind, counting down the days where I’d have the time to take her out for coffee – maybe even a movie. Why did things have to end up this way?
I placed my hand on her forehead. The brunette was burning up, her skin feverish to the
touch. “You’re going to be okay,” I whispered, gently kissing her forehead. “I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The ambulance took an eternity to arrive, sirens wailing in a weird “weee-ohhh.” As soon as I saw the flashing lights through the window, I rushed outside with Janie still in my arms. The paramedics took over then, placing the curvy girl on a stretcher and taking her vitals while pummeling me with questions.
Janie’s friend was a mess, barely able to speak through her sobs.
“She just fell over,” the blonde blubbered. “Is Janie going to be okay?”
Meanwhile, I sprang into action, tossing my car keys at my sister. “Meet us at the hospital. I’m going to ride with her.”
“Wait!” a voice cried out.
“What?” I turned back to look at the friend, growing impatient with all these delays. Janie needed to get to the hospital now – we didn’t have time for all of this.
“Shouldn’t I go with her?” she asked tearfully. “I’m her friend. I don’t even know who you are…?”
“I’m Travis. I’m a doctor actually, so you don’t need to be worried.”
Her eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Are you really …?
This girl was getting on my nerves.
“Am I really what?” was my impatient reply. “Am I really an MD? Do I really have a license to practice? Yes and yes. I’ll see you at the hospital.”
The blonde nodded feverishly then, but I didn’t see. Because time was of the essence, and my big form had already disappeared into the waiting ambulance, desperate to be with Janie again.
“How’s she looking?” I asked the paramedics in a sharp, demanding tone.
“Dr. Travis?” asked the female EMT, her look stunned. “What are you doing here?”
“Don’t look so surprised,” I snapped. “Just tell me how she’s doing.”
The woman snapped to attention then.
“Vitals are a little elevated, but they aren’t posing too much of a risk right now. But she’s completely unresponsive, breathing rapid and shallow. I think she may have fainted. Worst case, she’s fallen into a coma.”
No. This couldn’t be happening. Not to my Janie.
“Tell your driver to hurry up,” was my urgent rasp. “On the double.”
The woman shook her head.
“He’s already doing his best. Don’t worry, Herman’s a great driver, been doing this for years. He knows what he’s doing.”
“Fuck the speed limit. I’m not fucking losing her, you hear me?” I growled at the young paramedic. “Now, step on it.”
Thankfully, the driver overheard and did as I asked, speeding down the highway. Lights whipped by, so fast that they were a blur. If St. Luke’s hadn’t closed, we would already be there.
Goddamnit. Minutes seemed to stretch into hours as we kept driving.
I took Janie’s hand in mine, squeezing it gently. “You’re going to be okay.” Her hand felt ice cold in mine. “I promise, you’re going to be okay sweetheart. Stay with me, you hear?” My heart ached seeing the brunette limp and lifeless like this, her skin pale and wan. This was a girl who was shy yet vivacious, bouncy and yet demure at the same time. Seeing her stretched out like a corpse, her pulse faint like a flutter, brought bitter regrets into my mouth. Why hadn’t I made the time to knock on her door? Why did I ignore her for these past two months? Guilt wrapped around my chest, squeezing like a giant polar bear. And then the worst thought crossed my mind: What if I never got my chance to tell Janie how much I wanted to spend time with her? How much I wanted to know her better? How sweet she was, a balm to my soul after a long day’s work.
Shit, I missed my opportunity. And maybe for keeps, too.
The guilt and shame rushing through my chest were enough to make me bend over double, real pain wracking my frame.
Finally, we pulled into the hospital. The paramedics rolled the gurney out and I quickly followed, keeping pace with them, never daring to let go of Janie’s hand.
Inside the ER, Harper looked up blinking and surprised. But he didn’t say anything, merely running over to help.
“We have to save her,” was my urgent pant. “Put everything we’ve got on it.” But the problem was, would that be enough? Did we have enough to keep Janie with us? Or was I about to lose my chance with the sweet girl forever?
Chapter 11
Janie
My head felt like a smashed watermelon. Pain radiated through my temples, accumulating behind my eyelids, making it impossible for me to open them.
What had happened?
I tried to remember but everything was blurry like someone had tried to erase all my memories.
A sense of darkness gathered all around, trying to close in like merciless walls. Desperately, I tried to escape its hold, but it was too strong, and I leaned back, exhausted.
A deep voice filtered through the silence, the muted words indecipherable. I couldn’t understand what was being said but somehow, they filled me with a sense of serenity. My palm tingled as someone gripped it tight, as if I meant everything to him.
Who was that?
Mandy? No. Her hand wasn’t that big. My mom? But mom was three thousand miles away on the opposite coast. So someone else. But who?
Try as I may, I couldn’t fathom who it could be. At least not now that my brain had been scrambled.
For a long time, I floated inside the darkness, trying to find a way out of the maze, but nothing I did made much of a difference. The fog was endless, like I was caught inside a puffy cotton ball, except that cotton ball was my brain.
I was trapped. But the real question was, for how long?
What if I stayed here forever?
The thought made me nervous. Panic threatened to take over, chest constricting, making it feel like I was breathing through a straw that kept getting smaller and smaller with every desperate inhale.
I was scared. No, scratch that. Absolutely terrified was a better descriptor.
What was happening to me?
Suddenly, that same person gripped my hand again, holding it tight, thumb running lightly back and forth across my skin.
Him. A pillar of strength. Strong yet gentle at once. The contradictions were perfectly put together, and absolutely irresistible.
And suddenly, I knew without a doubt who it had to be. There was only one man in the world who I could sense without seeing or hearing directly. His pull on me was so strong that even in the daze of unconsciousness, my soul leaned towards him.
Dr. Travis.
Finally, the weight behind my eyes lifted. At first, I opened them too fast and white lights seared my eyeballs. So I squeezed them shut once again, forcing back the pain. Then, gradually they fluttered open once more, this time adjusting to the light as my pupils contracted.
To my surprise, I was in the hospital, laying on a stiff hospital bed.
Sure enough, by my side was Dr. Travis with his head bent low and his hand locked with mine.
My brows furrowed together in confusion. What was going on? How had I gotten here?
I gulped but my throat was dry, and my lips felt like they had turned to sandpaper.
How long had I been here? I moved ever so slightly, feeling a dull ache in the small of my back.
Instantly, Travis’ head shot up, stormy blue eyes locking with mine. He stared at me for a long time, emotion roiling behind the pure azure.
My heart stopped, and then re-started with a jolt. I couldn’t breathe as he kept looking at me, eyes narrowed with suspicion. Wait, had I done something wrong?
Desperately, I searched my mind for answers, but nothing came to mind. The last thing I could remember was going out to dinner with Mandy. One second, we were having a good time and the next, I saw Travis across the restaurant, sitting with a breathtakingly gorgeous woman. Now this was the result. Me in the hospital with a fuzzy head, no doubt looking like a scraggly bear.
But Travis wasn’t having any of it. His eyes roamed my face, filled w
ith emotion, as that Adam’s apple bobbed with a hard swallow.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He finally broke the silence, the question hanging heavily in the air.
I froze. He didn’t know. Or did he? Oh shit. The hospital must have done multiple tests on me, and Travis was a doctor after all. He’d be able to access my medical records even though he wasn’t my next of kin.
Oh no. He knew about my pregnancy.
But instead of feeling relieved that the truth was out, instead I was filled with terror. I studied his face, trying to figure out his opinion on the matter while keeping a cool demeanor. On the outside, I probably seemed collected. But on the inside, I was a mess. Was he okay with it? Did he hate me for it? What was going to happen now?
I took a deep breath. “First things first, Travis. What happened back at the restaurant? How did I get here?”
He straightened, letting go of my hand, expression shuttered. “You fainted,” he stated in a flat tone.
“Fainted?” I repeated disbelievingly. I’ve never fainted in my life. That’s for girls who are reed-thin and don’t eat. By contrast, I’ve never missed a meal.
But Travis’s expression remained closed off.
“Yes. You fainted at the restaurant.”
“I see,” was my low murmur, remembering the feeling of heartbreak the second I saw Travis sitting with his beautiful date. That’s what must have done it. It was the only possible trigger.
“Do you know why you fainted?” he asked.
“Um, no,” I fibbed, looking away from him. It was too embarrassing to admit that I had fainted in an act of heartbreak and jealousy especially since it was clear that he’d moved on. “I don’t know.”
Devastation entered his expression then, his eyes swinging away to stare at the wall.
“You could have seriously hurt the baby,” he whispered.
At the word ‘baby,’ my heart skipped a beat. Our eyes locked.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked again, this time in a softer tone.
“I…” Again, the words just wouldn’t come. I had played out this scene a million times in my head, but never imagined it would turn out like this, lying in a hospital bed with Travis’s new girlfriend just outside. What was I supposed to say in this uncomfortable situation?
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