Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 75(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 75(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
Hell, he could feel his safeguards slipping back in place. At some point, Dr. Derek Babineaux would see him for what he was—an average, boring guy who was way too reserved. He almost didn’t want to read the next text when it came through. He knew what was coming, and those few seconds were some of the longest of his life. He steeled his heart and forced the text open when it came.
“I stayed late after work. I’m tired of us hiding our relationship. I’m about to hit send on the paperwork Human Resources needs that shows we’re together. I thought I should ask you first, but I don’t want you to talk me out of it.” Justin dropped his head back on the glass and closed his eyes, relief flooded him. Thank heaven, it wasn’t what he thought. Quite the opposite, but still bad. How did he feel about this?
He refused to overthink. He’d just faced the dire reality of losing Derek, and he never wanted to do that again. He needed to man-up and make sure that never happened, instead of waiting day by day for the inevitable. “Push send. What do I need to do?”
“It’s sent. They’ll send you something to fill out. Thank you for this.”
“I love you—you don’t have to thank me. I want this.” Blinding relief flooded him. He quickly typed a second message, knowing there was no turning back after HR got involved. “Are you sure I’m what you want?”
“Never more sure in my life. And since we’ve taken that step, I want you to go meet my aunt this morning and I want to meet your parents tonight. It’s time to start living the life we’ve talked about.” Derek replied a few seconds later.
How many times could his heart pound out of his chest in one day? Could he really do all this? Yes, it’s way past time, echoed through his mind. Derek knew all the negative things about him and yet he still stuck around.
“Okay, where are you?” Justin finally typed back.
“If I’d have known it was that easy, I would have taken you to the closet sooner. Can you meet me at the front of the ER? I need to close some things up.”
“Wait there for me. I’m across the campus.” Justin refused to overanalyze and decided to just accept the relief he felt. He turned, retracing his steps back to the emergency room. The uncertainty faded as he saw Derek standing closer to the front desk than the front doors. He was talking to someone, smiling and laughing. As Justin got closer, he could see it was one of the females he seemed to talk to quite a bit.
He came to a stop right in front of Derek. He got that smile he loved the most as the conversation finished and he stood there waiting. “Amanda, meet Justin, my boyfriend.”
Justin nodded at the shocked face staring back at him. Derek laughed and extended a hand toward the door, but Justin didn’t walk in front of him. Instead he reached out, took his hand, and intertwined their fingers together. Derek hesitated for a second, but he quickly caught up and wrapped his fingers around Justin’s.
“That’s new.” Derek’s smile was bigger than he ever remembered.
“I love you,” Justin whispered so quietly he wondered if Derek had even heard him.
“I love you, too,” Derek said a little louder and winked at Justin before he turned toward the door. Justin was a little slower to follow. The clicking sounds behind him had him turning back to the nurses’ station. Two nurses from the night shift were still there, and one had her cellphone camera out, snapping a picture in his direction. That completely confused him.
“Come on, Romeo. It’s gonna sink in that you’re truly off the market, and they’ll turn into vultures. Besides, you need your game face on to meet my aunt. She’s going to be so angry we hid this from her for so long.”
Justin stayed quiet, letting the moment settle inside him. The thought of Aunt Vera’s scolding scared him more than everyone finding out about them. His first public display hadn’t destroyed him. No one jumped out of the woodwork to point a finger at him. The world hadn’t opened up and swallowed him whole. Derek went through the automatic doors first and he followed. About twenty steps outside the door, he felt a bump at his shoulder.
“I’m not complaining, but you might be cutting off the circulation to my fingers,” Derek said teasingly. Justin realized he had the death grip on Derek’s hand.
“Sorry,” he loosened his hold, but Derek hung on tight.
“Not too far away. I like you here. Thank you. I was afraid this might not ever happen,” Derek said nonchalantly as they continued walking, bypassing all the cabs.