“Well, if a one-night stand was all he wanted, he should have just said that then, instead of leading you on,” Kyleigh stated.
“Kyleigh, you don’t know for a fact that was an excuse. Maybe he really does have personal things going on that he needs to take care of before getting into a relationship. And maybe he wasn’t expecting things to get out of hand like they did that night, either, and he just panicked and didn’t know how to act, since they both work together,” Paige retorted.
“Or maybe he’s just an asshole,” Kyleigh countered as she gave Paige a hard look, waiting on her to come up with another dispute.
“I’m with Kyleigh on this one, Paige, I mean why ask me out again if he knew he had personal issues going on? But you do have this bad habit of only seeing the good in everyone,” Brooke teased, bumping her shoulder against Paige’s.
Paige snarled her nose. “Whatever Brooke, I know people can be mean sometimes. I’ve had plenty of cranky patients,” she said with a giggle.
“Lord, me too! Like Mr. West yesterday?” Brooke huffed. “I almost got out the restraints on him.”
“Yes! He was such a feisty old man,” Paige laughed, and then turned serious as she said, “You’re probably right about Ethan. I was just hoping for the best because I know that you liked him.”
“I know, and it’s okay, I don’t really do relationships, anyway. I mean, when was the last time you guys saw me with a boyfriend?” Brooke admitted, and suddenly a rush of memories laced with hurt, betrayal, anger, and scorned love hit her hard. She shook her head, remembering why she ran from relationships. It was safer. Three years ago, she vowed that she would keep her heart protected. She didn’t think she could survive another heartache and betrayal like that again, and then Ethan came along, making her second guess herself. But in the end, he only gave her reassurance that she should have kept her original vow.
Kyleigh laughed, bringing Brooke out of her haunted thoughts. “I can’t recall, but I do know that any longer and you’d be considered a renewed virgin.”
Brooke rolled her eyes and scoffed, “It hasn’t been that long.”
“Pretty close,” Paige teased.
Memories from that night with Ethan three months ago suddenly resurfaced in her mind with a vengeance. The way their bodies had wrapped around each other effortlessly. How smooth his skin had felt as she ran her hands up his back and across the hard abs that lined his stomach. The sex had been incredible. The few drinks they’d had that night had stripped away their nervous energy and had given them the courage to let loose and enjoy each other without doubts. But he had invoked feelings inside her that she hadn’t felt in years. And if she were to be honest, they had scared the shit out of her. She had told herself a one-night stand with a hot doctor would be exciting. But here she was, three months later, and he was still in her thoughts on a daily basis.
Along with the nagging question... What was his back story that made him pull away?
She wanted to believe him when he gave her the line, ‘it’s not you, it’s me’, but it was such a cliché it was hard.
Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she tilted her head up and let the sun’s warmth coat her face and bring her back to the present. “This was a good idea to take a break, Paige. I didn’t realize how much I needed it. Today has been extremely stressful.”
“Most of the time we don’t realize when we need to take a step back from something, until it’s right in our face,” Paige said.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Brooke agreed, her thoughts falling back to what happened earlier with Miss Ellie. Did she need to take a step back from nursing? She had no idea what else she would possibly do with her life if she did.
“I think our fifteen minutes are up, guys. We’d better get back before Deb gets mad,” Kyleigh announced, standing and dusting off her blue scrub pants.
“Yeah, we don’t want her mad at us. She barely hits five feet tall, but man she is vicious for such a little thang,” Brooke said as she stood up.
Paige and Brooke followed behind Kyleigh, laughing as she fiercely flipped her hair back, and dramatically swayed her hips from side to side, as she imitated Deb’s unique walk to a tee. Kyleigh could be the comedian when she wanted to cheer someone up, and Brooke knew she’d be doing her best to make her laugh for the rest of the day.
The automatic doors to Anderson Hospital opened, beckoning them inside with the smell of antiseptic and sickness, and Brooke readied herself for the remainder of her shift.
As they headed down the hall, she noticed Ethan leaning against one of the nurses’ stations talking and laughing with an attractive, younger nurse named Stacey. Brooke grimaced as she watched them, knowing that everyone called Stacey the “hospital whore,” and Brooke knew Ethan was next on her list of eligible doctors to get in bed. She even heard rumors that she and Ethan had gone out on a date before, so she wouldn’t be surprised if they were now sleeping together.
She felt sick as she watched Stacey laugh and lightly touch Ethan’s arm as they talked. Brooke stood in the middle of the hall, seething, as she watched Stacey run her hand through her long, black hair, doing her best to fluff up her lackluster locks. She gritted her teeth as Stacey laughed and leaned into him, her blatant flirting so obvious it was drawing attention from patients. She never would have guessed that the straight-laced doctor would act this way at work, but he was standing there eating it up and grinning like a damned idiot.
Swallowing the lump of disgust that had formed in her throat, she turned away, not wanting him to see the disappointment that darkened her face.
Chapter 7
Ethan
The black leather chair made a loud swooshing noise as Ethan fell back into it. He ran a hand through his hair as frustration weighed heavily on his mind. Every time he saw her, he wanted to grab her arm and push her up against the wall while he shoved his tongue into her mouth. He envisioned her long leg wrapping around his body while his mouth left trails of wetness from her lips down to her chest. He could almost feel her soft skin beneath his fingertips, as he slowly pulled her clothes off. This scenario, among others, had played in his fantasy quite frequently in the past three months. Sometimes they were sneaking away while at work, and other times they were at her place, just like that one night when he’d slammed her up against her living room wall.
But now that he’d pushed her away, he feared he’d ruined his only chance with her.
Looking down at his phone, he thumbed through his text messages until he landed on the last one they had sent each other; around three months ago. He paused, contemplating on sending her a message, but he quickly turned off his phone before he gave himself the chance. He had walked away from her. And at the time he thought it was the right move. But every time he passed her in the hall, his heart screamed how wrong he had been.
The notion that he had screwed up his one chance with her, nagged at him. It just didn’t feel right.
She was the first girl in over three years who had left lingering feelings after sex, and he didn’t need more than one night to see it. He knew that feeling, because he’d felt it just once before in his life when—he’d met Olivia. The intensity of these feelings had rocked his core, because he didn’t think another woman would have the capacity to make him feel the way Olivia had. And the feeling of betrayal had quickly followed. He knew it was asinine. He’d had sex with a few other girls since Olivia. But letting himself feel for another woman the way he had felt for Olivia, even now three years later, seemed unfaithful somehow; because hope still remained in his heart. Hope that things might work out in the end. That they weren’t as bad as what he’d pictured in his head.
Olivia was gone for whatever reason. And there was no indication she was ever coming back. It was time to move on whether he had answers or not.
Somehow, in only two dates with Brooke, she had made a chip in the wall he had built. And he
didn’t know how to accept the fact that that wall wasn’t as indestructible as he’d thought. He had carefully built that wall in his mind and heart three years ago, telling himself that he’d keep it up until he had an answer to what had happened to Olivia. Some closure. When he’d had his answer, he would then decide when the time was right to let it fall down. But Brooke had barged in and rearranged all the bricks, and they were teetering on the edge of wanting to fall. It wasn’t right. It was too soon. He didn’t think he was ready, but a part of him felt a sense of relief to see a chip in that wall. It was a constant struggle to always keep it up.
He looked at the time and sighed. He only had one patient left to see before his shift ended. He pulled his laptop open and looked through his list of patients to see which room the last one was in. Room 3102.
“Well, this should be fun,” he muttered, realizing his last patient was on Brooke’s floor. Pushing away from his desk, he grabbed his things and headed down the hall, praying he didn’t run into her.
“So, Mrs. White, show me which side of your stomach is hurting you right now,” Ethan said as he pulled off the stethoscope from around his neck. He watched as the ninety-three-year old lady pointed to her right side.
“Right here,” she croaked.
He leaned down and placed his stethoscope against the spot that she had pointed to and listened. Feeling her eyes on him, he looked up and she smiled fondly at him. He couldn’t help but smile back at the sweet lady.
She touched his arm and grimaced
That hurts?” he questioned.
She nodded and then asked, “You’re so young for a doctor. Are you married or have any children?” Her hoarse voice was nothing but a whisper but he was close enough to hear every word. He had come to realize that the elderly never had any problems asking personal questions.
He shook his head and smiled. “No, ma’am, not yet. Maybe one day, though.”
She patted his arm and said sweetly, “You’ll make a great husband and father one day, Dr. Harris, I can tell by how caring you have been with me these last three days.”
Her words touched him in a way that had never happened before. Being a husband or father had never crossed his mind, and he had always blown the subject off when it was brought up before. But now, the words seemed to echo in his head, bouncing around with no intention of fading.
“Well, I hope you’re right,” he said, gently pressing down on the upper right side of her abdomen.
“Oh, that hurt,” she yelped, as her hand flew to his to quickly push it away.
“Sorry,” he apologized.
“It’s okay,” she said quietly, absently rubbing her stomach.
Her eyes were pinched in pain and he watched her gently pat the loose curls of gray hair that sat on top of her head, and felt a twang of worry for her. She was getting up there in age and any surgery was a risk. He had a suspicion it was her gallbladder, but further testing would confirm his diagnosis.
“Are you having any chest pain or shortness of breath, Mrs. White?” Ethan asked.
She shook her head, “No, I’m not, is everything okay?” she questioned.
“I heard a little bit of irregular rhythm with your heart. And I have a suspicion your gallbladder is acting up, so we’re just going to run some tests and see what’s going on. As soon as I know anything, I’ll let you know, okay, Mrs. White?” he said.
Her lips formed a thin line as she nodded.
He patted her shoulder and asked, “Do you have any other questions or concerns?”
“No, I don’t think so. Do you think you could get my bible out from that drawer, please?”
Pulling the drawer open, he spotted the worn cover of a large bible and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Dr. Harris,” she whispered.
“You’re very welcome. Now, try and get some rest, okay? Lab will be up shortly to draw some blood and then we’re going to get an ultrasound done on your stomach.”
“Yes, sir, Doctor Harris,” she said with a smile.
Ethan nodded and closed the door behind him, and then headed towards the nurses’ station to chart his rounds. Part of him secretly hoped he’d see Brooke up here, but part of him was hoping he wouldn’t. As he took his seat at his desk, he turned around to Deb, Mrs. White’s nurse, and said, “Mrs. White in room 3102 will need to have an ultrasound and blood work done. And I want her put on telemetry ASAP, please.”
“Is everything okay? She’s just the sweetest thing,” Deb said, as she began ordering the tests.
“I hope so. I think it’s her gallbladder, and I also noticed some irregular heart rhythm, so I need these tests done immediately since it wasn’t there yesterday. But she’s not complaining about any chest pain or shortness of breath. She’s in good spirits for being ninety-three,” Ethan replied.
The loud, familiar voice that boomed from down the hall was undeniable and he felt every muscle in his body tense. He had known he was going to run into her here. He focused on his computer screen and began charting, hoping to ignore her.
“I cannot believe he said that,” he heard Brooke say to someone.
He willed himself not to turn around and look at her, but it was hard. He enjoyed looking at her. The way she always had one defiant strand of hair hanging down the left side of her face, and no matter how many times she tried to tuck it behind her ear, it never stayed. Or the way she always placed her right hand across her heart when she laughed. And he even liked the high-pitched laughter that made some people wince. There was just something about the way she carried herself. Her outgoing, energetic personality seemed to lift anyone’s spirits, and it intrigued him. It drew him in and held him hostage.
His fingers frantically worked away at the keys, his mind half in his work and half entranced by the sound of her sultry voice behind him.
“Dr. Harris? Dr. Harris?”
He felt someone tap his shoulder and he jerked around. “Huh?”
Deb was staring at him. “She’s heading up for an ultrasound right after telemetry is finished hooking her up, and then lab will be down after that,” she repeated.
“Okay, good. Let me know the results as soon as they come in,” Ethan said. He risked a quick glance behind him and saw Brooke leaning over the nurses’ desk talking to Paige. Her long blonde hair was hanging over her shoulder in a braid and, as she smiled at something Paige had said, he noticed her lips were coated in a light pink, glossy hue. His breath caught for a moment and he didn’t miss the fact that she had been staring at him but had quickly turned away as soon as their eyes met.
He finished charting and grabbed his things, ready to get home and relax after a long thirteen-hour day. He found Deb off to the side of the nurses’ station and said, “Try to get telemetry to hurry, okay?”
“Sure thing, Doctor Harris,” Deb said, before returning to her conversation with a patient’s family member.
As he turned right to head towards the elevators that would lead him to the parking garage, he saw Brooke head left with Paige. He stopped in the hall, wondering if he should follow his heart and go after her, talk to her and apologize, or if he should leave things be. How could she want anything to do with him, anyway? He was such an idiot. He had no problem facing challenging life or death situations at work on a daily basis, but he couldn’t even man up when he finally found a woman he liked. It had been years since a woman had made him feel anything, and this was how he treated her?
That observation sprung his feet into action. He gritted his teeth and shook his head at his indecisiveness, and then quickly turned around and headed in the direction Brooke was heading. He wouldn’t rest until he’d at least apologized, and seen if there was any way he could get a second chance with her. He noticed how other people turned their heads at her high-pitched laughter as it echoed down the hall, but to him, it seemed to wrap around his heart and lure him towards her.
But fear and shame wanted to push him the opposite way. He paused. He had no idea how he would explain his past. But knew he would need to in order to possibly get another chance with her. If she knew what had happened, maybe she would be more understanding.
As he scrambled to catch up to Brooke, his attention was focused down the narrow hall on the long, blonde braid that swayed back and forth. Several nurses smiled and murmured, “Hey, Dr. Harris,” as he zipped past them, but there was only one person on his mind and he just hoped that she wouldn’t blow him off.
He watched her open the door to the stairs and exit, and his pace quickened. As he weaved through the crowded hallway, his hand finally wrapped around the door handle and he pulled, the sound of his dress shoes echoing loudly in the stairwell as he hurried down the flight of stairs. His shoes squeaked as he bounded off the last step and the noise caused Brooke and Paige to turn around. Curiosity was inscribed on their faces as they stared up at him, and he suddenly felt foolish. Words failed him as Brooke’s brown eyes looked expectantly up at him. She was waiting for him to say something and his voice had suddenly vanished.
He cleared his throat, determined to get the words out. “Um, can I talk to you for a minute?”
Brooke looked at Paige, the long pause making him nervous.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Paige said quickly, before pushing open the door and leaving.
As the door clicked shut, an awkward silence hovered around them, coating his thoughts with uneasiness. It was overwhelming, and Ethan found himself fidgeting. The nervous feeling annoyed him.
Her eyes zeroed in on his, anger clear and bright in their brown depths as she said, “What do you want, Ethan?”
His heart raced with apprehension. She was definitely standoffish with him and he didn’t blame her one bit. When he began chasing her down the hall, he’d had no clue what he was going to say when he got to her.
When Love Ignites Page 6
