Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
“Okay, knock it off,” I growl. “Have a little fucking respect.”
Mack turns to me, still grinning. “Come on, LT—”
“I said shut the fuck up. I’ve known that girl for years, and I’m not going to sit here and let you all disrespect her like that, so shut the fuck up.”
A chill descends over the room, making the smiles and laughter dry up faster than a puddle in the Mojave. The guys all exchange awkward glances.
“Sorry, LT,” Mack mutters. “I didn’t mean anything.”
“Come on, fellas, let’s get out of here,” Darnell says. “The old man’s getting cranky and obviously needs a nap.”
“Get better quick, LT,” Ordonez says then grins as he gestures to Darnell. “Truck ain’t the same with this prick running the show.”
“Be back before you guys know it,” I say.
The guys say their goodbyes and shuffle out of the room, the good vibes from earlier seemingly restored. Darnell hangs back and gives me a strange look.
“What?” I ask.
He pointedly looks to the door and then back at me, a faux thoughtful look on his face.
“The nurse… Harlow,” he says. “It only just hit me. That wouldn’t be the same Harlow that was dating Micah a while back now, would it?”
“One and the same.”
“Interesting.”
“What’s interesting about it? She’s my nurse.”
“It’s just interesting the way you jumped to her defense,” he says. “Not to mention the way you were looking at her when she was in here. She’s also literally half your age.”
“You’re seeing things.”
“Am I?”
A wry laugh spills from my mouth. “Shut the fuck up and get out of here.”
“Kind of seems like you’re playing with fire here.”
I shrug. “Isn’t that what we do for a living?”
6
HARLOW
“I’ve got good news for you,” Marcy says, beaming as I walk into the nurse’s station.
“And what might that be?”
“Your boyfriend has been pronounced fit enough to go home today.”
“That’s going to make him very happy,” I say. “But he’s not my boyfriend.”
“Not yet. But I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him. I swear to God, you both have cartoon hearts floating above your heads.”
“That’s not true,” I say weakly.
My cheeks warm as a laugh bursts from my mouth. I let my gaze fall to the floor as Marcy looks at me with a sly grin and a knowing expression on her face.
“That unnatural shade of red your cheeks just turned tells me it is,” she says.
“Anyway,” I say. “Have you given him the good news?”
“Of course not. I thought I’d let you deliver it.”
“You really didn’t need to do that.”
“No. But I thought I’d give you one last chance to rope that man into a date.”
Try as I might, I can’t quite keep the smile from my lips, which only makes my face redden even more, which sets Marcy cackling. She really is enjoying this way too much. She tosses me a set of keys, which I almost drop because of how flustered I am. I somehow manage to hang on to them.
“What are these?” I ask.
“Your boyfriend’s bestie dropped off his keys,” Marcy replies. “I thought you might want to give them to him when you tell him he’s getting sprung today.”
“Not my boyfriend. And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t refer to Darnell as his bestie.”
Marcy shrugs. “Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.”
“They’re manly men. I think they’d make the distinction.”
“Well, why don’t you go ask him when you tell him he’s being discharged?”
I knew the day would come when Hunter was released from the hospital and would go home. Until then, I’ve been happy to exist in this bubble with him and pretend we could have something more beyond these walls. Knowing he’s going home today has popped that bubble. I’m realistic enough to know it’s all fantasy. Hunter is twice my age and is so gorgeous, he could have any woman he wanted. For all I know, he already has a long list of women.
Why would he want somebody like me who is so undistinguished and so unremarkable? He’s already established in his life. His career. And I’m still trying to figure myself out. It’s been nice flirting with him and pretending that those feelings were reciprocated. It’s been nice having somebody like Hunter lavish me with the sort of attention he’s been giving me. It’s made me feel special. Beautiful even. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. The fantasy is over.
“I see that big brain of yours working, Harlow,” Marcy says. “Stop overthinking this. That man has an eye for you, girl. Go in there and make him love you. Don’t spend the rest of your life with a nasty case of the what-ifs. As good at my job as I am, not even I can cure that.”
“Marcy, I—”
“Go. Now,” she cuts me off with a laugh. “Go tell that man he’s getting out of here.”