"We're just going as friend’s Grams." I move to sit on the edge of the bed, and Grams watches us back and forth like a tennis match.
“I’m going to smack you again for being so blind.” Christiana groans, and Grams laughs. "They're dating. There's no other way to say it."
"Nooo, we’re going together so we both don't have to go alone, especially for me with you know who being there. You don't have worry, Grams, it doesn't mess your whole vision thing up. No heartbreak…or bloodshed… whatever it was you saw. Don't listen to Chris, she's insane, as you know."
"Hmm." Grams taps her chin.
“It'll be fine. You see how great he is."
A smile curves her lips. "I do, and right now, you’re lucky the meds they gave me are making me too loopy to argue over this friend thing you say you have going on."
Christiana snickers.
"Maybe your vision will end up being wrong," I mumble more to myself, but again when she wants to, she has supersonic hearing.
"Maybe…or everything is going to plan."
Chapter Six
Draped in a light jacket, t-shirt, and jeans, I make my way to the fifth floor, peds unit. Leo told me to dress comfortably for the evening because he has a surprise for me, but he’s running late and to meet him up here.
Passing along the rainbow-colored walls, I head to one of the nursing stations where two nurses are typing away at their computers.
I politely grab their attention, and the brunette in Scooby-Doo scrubs smiles at me. "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Leo Price. I’m supposed to meet him here."
"Are you Claire?" She cheekily smiles at me and nudges the nurse beside her, with beautiful olive skin who is sporting Frozen scrubs and is chewing on the edge of her pen as she eyes me. I suddenly feel very under the microscope as they both seem to be sharing some inside joke. Obviously, I'm not going to be let in on it.
"I am."
"Let me get you a badge. He's in the playroom with a patient. If you go down this hall and make a right, you can't miss it." Scooby Scrubs writes my name on the white tag and hands it to me.
"Thanks." I peel the sticker back and place it on my gray jacket.
"Have fun." Frozen Scrubs says with a giggle and my cheeks heat. They definitely know more than I do.
I nod and scamper down the hall.
I spot him through the glass, layered in stickers, sitting with a little copper-haired boy, who is tightly wrapped in a blue robe, stacking Legos onto a table.
There's that fluttering in my stomach that I remember getting the first time I saw Leo. The one that warms me all over. Something I never got from Tim or any other guy I’ve dated.
I tap on the glass, and both heads pop up to look at me. A smile spreads across Leo's face and he waves me to come inside. The room is filled with toys and a couple televisions playing cartoons. There's another child in a hospital robe with an adult reading a book in the corner as I walk in. The little boy places his Lego block down and looks at me then to Leo, his honey eyes growing big.
"She's pretty. Is she your girlfriend?" the little boy says tapping Leo on the leg, and I blush. I didn't think I could be flattered by a six-year-old.
Leo smirks, grabbing my hand, and stands to greet me. A playful grin creases his lips. "She is."
I am, huh?
He leans in and places his hands on my shoulders. I’m immediately overtaken by his delicious scent of sandalwood and the mint on his breath. My mouth parts as I try to catch my breath, which allows him to kiss me, then capture my bottom lip and gently suck on it before pulling away. The moment is so quick and yet so intense. I only wish there weren’t other people around to make it more.
“He’s right, you look amazing tonight,” he whispers before pulling all the way back and someone needs to call a code blue because I think my heart just stopped. How does he do this to me with such simple actions and words? I thought these things were made up in Cosmo or the books Christiana sends to my kindle. "Joel, my man, this is Claire. Claire, this is my best bud, Joel.”
“Hey, Joel. It’s nice to meet you.” I bend down and shake his hand.
"Hi." He takes my hand and his little pale cheeks heat. "You want to see the cool spaceship me and Leo built?"
"I do."
Joel tells me about how they’ve been building this spaceship for weeks and goes into every last detail about it from the engines to the landing bay.
“Hey buddy," Leo taps Joel's shoulders in the middle of his ramble and he stops, "Nurse Sandy is here to bring you back to your room for dinner.” I glance to the playroom door to see an older lady in pink scrubs smiling at us. “We will have to finish this tomorrow.”
"Okay. I'll tell my dad to bring some pieces to finish the bridge."
"Sounds good, buddy."
“Bye, Ms. Claire.” Joel gives me a tiny wave, his innocent eyes shyly looking away from me as Nurse Sandy holds her hand out for him to lead him back to his room.
Leo slips his hand in mine and pulls me out of the playroom. He stops me around a quiet corner lined with a bunch of empty beds and pushes back my ponytail over my shoulder.
"So, girlfriend huh? You're really playing into this."
“Hey." He raises his hands in front of his chest. "If I didn't say that, Joel might have tried to make the moves on you and you’re my date tonight. I saw the way he was looking at you."
“Is that right?
"Yeah. Joel's known to be one with the ladies around here. It's why I laid it on thick," he says seductively and his eyes dart to my lips. I suck in a breath, wishing he would lay it on thick again with another kiss.
Did it suddenly get hotter in here?
"I think you'd be safe.” I pant and poke him in the chest. “I like my men a bit older. Though, he is a cutie."
He grins and tugs on the white string hanging on the hood of my jacket. "I need about ten minutes to get changed and I'm all yours. As you see, I got behind with my last patient."
"I can see where playing with Legos can become a bit of a distraction. You got quite the starship on your hands."
“A little, but it’s the only way Joel will take his shot. We have a deal; I help him build something. I give him his shot.”
“That’s so sweet. Well, I can meet you down at the cafeteria?"
"We have a very nice waiting room I can take you to. It even has free coffee."
"You’re speaking my language."
I'm sipping on some pretty good black coffee because they’re out of dry creamer, when Leo slides into a plastic chair beside me dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt that clings to his toned body like a second skin.
My eyes roam his body and my libido ignites. The one that I've been trying to hush up when my heart first started doing all that crazy no-beating shit. But I’m finding it hard when my dreams have been plagued with doing nasty things to him, like sucking his dick till it’s dry and riding him till I come so hard that I end up passing out in an orgasmic coma.
I can't deny that I'm attracted to Leo and not just with his looks. He checks off almost every box I want in a guy, especially the sweet and caring side, and I'm not worried that it’s a mask because I've seen it played out for years. I need a guy like that after the jerks in my past. It's the hardest thing about this whole situation I find myself in. More so than the whole lying to everyone.
"You ready to go?"
"I am." I finish my last sip of coffee before dumping the paper cup in the trash can beside me.
Leo takes my hand and guides me out of the waiting room down the hall where we pass the nurses’ station. The two nurses who helped me earlier are still sitting there and they grin at one another before bumping into each other. Leo appears to be oblivious to the looks as we pass and slings his arm around me. He guides me out to his car, and we head out onto the highway as the sun starts to disappear behind the mountains.
"You going to tell me where we're going? I feel your co-workers knew more than me?"
&n
bsp; "What makes you say that?" he asks, glancing over at me then back at the road.
"The two nurses that I checked in with knew my name and they told me to have fun."
"Oh, you must be talking about Dee and Lee."
"Their names happen to rhyme?" I giggle.
"Yeah. We'll they're Deira and Leigh. But we’re peds nurses, we entertain kids all day, so they shorten them to make them rhyme because they're always together. They're also like the two nosiest women ever. I told them you were coming and seconds later I'm spilling my guts about my plans. I don't know how they do it." He shakes his head with a light chuckle. "Next time you see them, you'll be telling them all about what I did for you tonight, I'm sure."
Next time?
"Doesn't answer my question about where we’re going."
"We're almost there. I told you it’s a surprise. Have you ever been surprised, Claire?'
"It's been a while."
"Then sit back and relax."
"Fine." I throw my head back against the headrest and glance out the window. We pass lines of huge aspens and rows of upscale houses. The ones I used to dream of living in when I was young. When we enter the gated community of Oak Hill, I realize I recognize this neighborhood because I’ve been here a dozen times with Tim.
"Why are we going to your parents’ house? I'm confused,” I ask as he turns onto the long stone driveway that leads to the large red brick colonial house with huge columns by the front door.
"You'll see." He rushes out of the car to my side to help me out. "We're going around back, though." My hand slips into his as he pulls me around the backyard.
There are two lawn chairs placed around a little fire pit that sits on a large stone patio with a string of lights hanging in the fake trees that sit in the corner giving it a romantic feel.
"I wanted to do a real campfire under the stars, but the closest campground is an hour away. Then I remembered my parents bought this fire pit. It uses real wood, so it's a good substitute."
"You definitely surprised me."
“Come on, let’s sit down.” He drags me over to the lawn chairs and offers me the mug from atop a large thermos sitting on the table beside him, littered with a bunch of goodies. “Hopefully, it’s still warm.” He pours me a glass and the smell of chocolatey goodness fills my nose.
“Who helped set this up for you?” I ask as he dumps a bunch of tiny marshmallows, which I love, into my hot chocolate.
“Um…” He clears his throat. “Gale actually did.”
His stepdad helped him?
“Okay, that’s a bit awkward. I figured it would be your mom.”
“No, she was busy tonight. I mean I just asked for a few things. He’s actually happy about the development. It was odd to mention at first, but me and him have always gotten along despite the relationship I have with Tim. Also, he’s not here if you were wondering.”
I was a little bit.
“So they think we are together-together now?”
“Yep,” he says nonchalantly and grabs some large pokers off the table before handing me one. “I have hotdogs, or if you want to go fancy, we can do, like, kabobs…”
“Hot dogs are perfect. Thank you.” He reaches into a small cooler and pulls out a bag of hot dogs, placing one on my poker. I place it into the flames, wanting it to burn.
“Do you think Tim knows for sure about us?”
He shrugs and sticks his hot dog into the fire. “Probably. Does it matter?” he says roughly and I swear I hit a nerve, so I let it go.
“No. Just wondering how many people are left to tell our tale too.”
“Tale,” he mumbles with a huff and then shakes his head.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, of course.” He squeezes my knee. “So, how burnt do you eat your dog? I like mine charred and ready to blow up,” he says and the previous topic is dropped.
“Same,” I tell him and glance up into the night sky. “I couldn’t ask for a more perfect night.”
“Glad I could help.”
Honestly, campfires never get old. They smell like the perfect memories. When I was little, after my mother left, Grams would take me out back almost every night and we’d roast marshmallows or cook hot dogs in a bonfire out back. The best part were the stories she would tell me as we lay on the lawn gazing up at the stars. It’s what helped me forget that I was left and forgotten by a mother who no longer wanted me and loved by someone who would move the earth for me if she could.
The fire crackles and the crickets chirp around us as we both devour our hot dogs. Once we’ve finished, he takes our paper plates and throws them into the fire. I watch the paper burn and the ash fly up into the night sky.
“Since you’ve already announced to Instagram we’re dating, should we come up with a backstory?”
“A backstory?” He rubs his nose. “You think we need one? Can’t just go with the flow?”
“People are going to ask how we met or started dating. Don’t you think we should be ready?”
“We could tell them I answered your ad.” He folds his arms, grinning at me.
"Okay, not that.” I chuckle, waving my hands. "Maybe we should stick with something close to the truth. Like that we just started dating after running into each other at the hospital. If they ask about the ad, then yes, but let’s try to keep that to ourselves."
"We really have nothing to lie about then." He shrugs. "I wouldn't worry about people believing we're together. I think we can play it well."
“Are you sure you have nothing to gain by helping me?”
His eyes lift to the dark sky before coming back to me. "I wish you would stop thinking I have some hidden agenda.”
"Sorry." He's been nothing but a dream and I'm cursed with thinking every guy must have something to get out of me.
"It’s okay. I know Tim hurt you, but I'm not him."
"Thank god."
"Our parents happened to fall in love sixteen years ago and I got stuck with the ass as a brother. I know how he is. He likes to take what isn’t his and show it off.” He sighs and pokes the fire with his stick, making it hiss and the embers rise.
“Yeah.” I bow my head and twist my fingers together.
"Okay, so there might be a small objective to me wanting to do this."
"What?" My head lifts and now my curiosity has been piqued. This is a change of tone from a couple days ago.
“What if I told you that Tim took a girl from me once.”
“Took a girl from you? How?” The cheating bastard seems to know no bounds.
“It was a long time ago, but I had wanted to ask her out and he knew how much I had fallen for this girl. But since the both of us were always at war, when he saw her, he decided to go after her to spite me, and I lost my chance.”
“Did you ever tell her how you felt?”
“No. I let her go and I eventually moved on.” He shrugs and takes a sip of his drink. “But now I could say I have something of his.”
“That’s kind of devious.”
“Too much?” He chuckles and throws down his poker. “I’m not trying to scare you off.”
“Maybe a little.” I pinch my fingers together and lean into him. “But honestly, I like it. Who am I to argue with anyone that wants to get even with Tim, right?”
“I didn’t seek you out to get revenge on him, I hope you know that. It was too long ago for that grudge and shit happens for a reason, but you asked if I had a reason and it came to me.”
“You sure?”
“I'm sure. I figure it doesn’t hurt telling you either. I have nothing to hide from you.” His phone rings beside him and he groans. “It’s as if the gods are testing that now.” I peek at the name on the screen to see a picture of Izabelle along with her name light up on his screen. He picks up his phone and rejects the call, then tucks the cellphone into his back pocket.
“You and Izzy still talk?”
Leo clears his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his camping cha
ir. “Um. No, not really. She’s been calling me lately, but I don’t take her calls. I don’t want to give her the wrong idea.”
“Oh.” I frown. I want to ask why, but instead, I ask the other million-dollar question that’s been driving my curiosity. “Why did you and Izabelle break up? If you don't mind me asking. I mean you already know about my train wreck.”
He scratches the back of his neck. "We just didn't work anymore."
"Why? You always seemed so happy."
"We were happy. I loved her. But we were always working. Never together. She was traveling and my hours could get crazy. I think we were just in two different places in our lives. I wish her well and want what is best for her, but it’s not us together.’
"That’s too bad.”
“I don’t think so.”
"No?"
"If we were meant to be our paths would’ve stayed crossed. She left to go to California. I stayed here because my life is here." He reaches out and moves a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I couldn’t see uprooting my life and spending my life with her like I once thought I could."
"And if she didn’t leave?"
“It’s not something I dwell on, but I don’t think so." He stands and pulls out a bag of marshmallows and collects the metal pokers. "No more heavy conversation for tonight. I brought us here to have some fun." He hands me my poker and shoves a puffy white ball on the edge of my stick. "I also have chocolate and graham crackers. I figure you're never too old for s’mores."
"Never." I giggle as he sits back down in the camping chair beside me. I admire him as the fire pops and glows off his handsome face.
"Okay, I’ve been dying to ask since we got here, how did you know this was my favorite activity?" I stick my marshmallow into the flames, wanting to get it nice and burnt.
"When one wants to find out information, he'll do whatever he can to get it."
“Come on, tell me.”
"Honestly, I have an informant. I wanted to make all this special for you, so I asked for some help."
"I kinda figured someone was telling you something." I blow on my marshmallow to cool it down and pull it from my poker. It burns my fingers for a second, and I blow again before taking a bite of it. It’s not till I finish it, that I notice Leo has been watching me the whole time.
Price Of Love (Written In the Stars Book 4) Page 6
