I walk in to find Thomas sitting behind his desk, reading some sort of legal brief.
“I need you to go to Children’s hospital today and check on a little girl named Emily Jones. Get a firsthand account on how she’s doing.”
“Sure. Why is she there? Anything I should be aware of before I go?”
He looks back down at his paperwork. “She has cancer and as if her life isn’t shitty enough, she’s also an orphan.”
I gasp, “That’s awful. Is she the case everyone has been working on around here?”
“Yes Addison, of course she’s the case. Now get going, time is money and you’re wasting mine.”
Sometimes I really hate that man.
Pushing Thomas to the back of my mind, I get in my car, knowing this assignment is going to break my heart. Seeing my dad suffer from a terrible disease was crushing, having to visit a child fighting something similar is going to be the end of me.
Starting up my Jeep and hating every second of the drive to Children’s Hospital, I’m sick to my stomach. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to have to see a child in so much pain. I’m not strong enough to deal with it.
Finding the nurse’s station and asking about a little girl named Emily, I’m ushered down a corridor by Susie Springer, a bright-eyed nurse with curly blonde hair who looks like she’s been working here a long time.
She’s leading me to a room at the end of the hall, and the entire two-minute walk down the white corridor feels like it takes an hour.
I hear giggling and my dark mood lifts slightly. “Her room is in the far corner. She has a visitor right now, but he’s set to leave in five minutes. You can go in when he comes out.”
I nod and lean against the wall, waiting my turn as Susie leaves me alone. I’m taken off guard when a deep male voice talking in a gentle tone ripples out of that room.
“Would you rather swim with sharks or killer whales?” he asks.
“That’s too easy. Of course I’d rather swim with the whales. Who wants to swim with a big fish that tries to eat you?”
I smile to myself then peer into the room to see who has this orphaned girl in uncontrollable giggles. It’s impossible to miss the sight of Damian, sitting next to the bed of a little girl who can’t be older than eight. She’s lost her hair and her big blue eyes are round with wonder as his attention is focused solely on her. His feet are propped up on her bed, his shoes off and he looks relaxed and content.
His face lights up in amusement and he belts out a laugh. “Your turn.”
“Would you rather eat a chewed up piece of gum stuck to the bottom of a desk, or lick a dirty diaper?”
“Emily, that’s disgusting.” Damian’s forehead wrinkles with a horrified look, and I stifle a giggle.
Emily. He was going to meet an Emily the first day I’d met him.
“I never said this game was pretty, answer the question.”
“I’d have to say the gum.” The girl coughs and Damian is instantly on his feet, his voice laced with concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I just choked on a little of my spit.” His shoulders shake in silent laughter at her honesty. “Can I have another turn?”
Rubbing her back gently, he sits down. “Go for it.”
I’m holding my hand over my mouth trying not to laugh. Damian looks so big compared to this little girl and she’s got him completely wrapped around her tiny finger. Why has he never told me about her before?
“Would you rather walk around with no pants or no shirt?” the girl asks.
His lips turn up in a knowing grin. “No shirt. It seems to catch the attention of a pretty woman who lives next door to me.”
“That’s weird. Why would she want to look at you without a shirt?”
Ha! How is he going to get out of this one?
“No clue. She’s a difficult woman to figure out.”
“Well please don’t come in here without a shirt. That would be highly inappropriate.”
He straightens her pillow for her. “Don’t worry Sweet Pea, I will always have a shirt on when I visit you.”
She wipes the back of her hand across her forehead and sighs out a big, “Phew. I was worried for a second.”
They both giggle and my insides melt. Flooded with emotions for this man and immersed in a feeling of warmth that’s running through my veins. Clearly there’s been a physical attraction, but I’m mesmerized at his awesomeness. He . . . he’s magnificent in every way. “Excuse me ma’am, I need to get into the room.” A nurse says from behind.
“Of course. I’m so sorry.”
As I turn to leave them in private, Damian’s calm voice stops me. “Well, what do you know? Emily, this is my neighbor.”
Emily’s eyes grow wide. “Hi,” she says with a giggle.
I hesitantly step towards her, wondering if I should be wearing a facemask or protective gear so I don’t spread any germs to this sweet girl. But the nurse waves me in.
“Hi, I’m Addison.” I walk towards Emily and hold out my hand, she shakes it softly, her small fingers weak, her bones noticeable through her slight frame.
“Emily and I were just playing a round of Would You Rather? Do you want to join us?”
“I’d love to, but I have to get back to work. Can I take a rain check?” I can’t be here. I didn’t get any of the information Thomas wanted except that this girl is so lovely and she doesn’t need a family to adopt her when she has Damian to take care of her.
“What’s a rain check?” Emily asks innocently.
“It means she has to come back or something evil will happen to her.” Damian’s face is scrunched up and his teeth are bared like a villain. We both laugh at his silly face.
“Bye Addison. I’ll see you soon and you can tell me why you like Damian shirtless.”
The nurse covers her laugh with a cough and Damian sends a wink my way.
“I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can.” With a slight wave in Damian’s direction, I head towards the exit.
“Sweet Pea, let Nurse Mary do her thing. I’m going to talk to Addison for a minute.” Emily yawns and snuggles into her bed as the nurse takes her temperature.
Damian ushers me out of the room, his hand placed firmly on the small of my back.
His smile vanishes the minute we are out of sight. “What are you doing here?” His voice is cold and hard and I want to throw myself at his feet and beg for forgiveness, but not here. This isn’t the right place for that.
“My boss asked me to visit an Emily Jones. I had no idea you’d be here.” I stop and study him. “Why are you here?”
“Your boss is an asshole.” He runs his hands over his face. “I’m here because that little girl needs someone to love her, and right now, I’m it. Tell your boss to go to hell, he has no idea who he’s messing with.”
He talks like he knows Thomas, has known him for a while, and my brain starts to scatter in a million different directions, until it lands on one very important fact.
“Wait a second. How long have you known I work for Thomas Feeley?”
His blank stare and deep breathing does the talking for him.
“Is that why you moved next door to me? To get an inside track on her case?”
He shakes his head and begins to speak, but I don’t hear much of what he says. I’m so angry my pulse is beating between my ears. I make out words like after, no clue, bad situation, but this only confirms my gut reaction as to what a monumental mistake sleeping with Damian really was.
“You do know I could get fired right? That you, me and my job have just become a huge conflict of interest.” I can’t see straight I’m so angry. He had to have known this and yet he still tried to pursue a relationship with me. What a selfish bastard. “I’ve already lost enough in my life Damian, did you want me to lose my job too, the only other part of my life that’s all mine?”
I’m seeing red, furious that he would put me in this position. If Thomas found out I had some sort of connection with Damian, let alone started dating him, he’d fire me on the spot.