“I root for the Mets as well.” He smiled warmly at the boy.
A few minutes later, he finished and the boy seemed better, all patched up. His loud cries had turned into soft whimpers.
Dr. Klein patted Billy’s shoulder. “All done, buddy.”
Clary stepped away from the bed and, without warning, pulled my doctor into a half hug. He moved away, but not before she squeezed his big arms. “Thank you,” she said in a tone that didn’t match her real voice. “You saved my son.”
His eyes widened as though he wasn’t expecting such an overly affectionate gesture.
My fists bunched at my sides, annoyance rising within me.
Saved her son? He needed stitches on his damn knee.
I didn’t know why this surprised me, though. Clary had always reigned as queen of melodrama in high school. I doubted things had changed.
“You’re welcome,” he replied, backing away, looking slightly uncomfortable.
I bit my tongue before a snippy comment fell out of my mouth, and I was turning to leave, when the bling on her ring finger caught my eye. It was massive and gaudy in a way that said ‘I’m a gold-diggin’ hoe’.
So she was married. And flirting with Dr. Klein. Figures.
“So, who’s the lucky guy who brought you to New York?” I asked sweetly to disguise my disgust.
She seemed taken aback as Dr. Klein cleaned up, disposed of his gloves, and moved to the sink. “His name is Arthur Jennings the Third.” Her tone oozed with arrogance as she turned her nose up. “He’s into real estate.”
Now that Dr. Klein was blatantly ignoring her, not interested in her trying-too-hard self, she felt the need to brag about the poor loser who’d won her.
I forced a smile as I gritted my teeth. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve to be happy after Tommy left you for your sister. How is Abigail, anyway?”
Clary blanched, and I tried my hardest not to laugh. If looks could kill, I’d be dead on the floor.
Dr. Klein moved into Clary’s line of sight. “He’ll be fine. The stitches should dissolve within a week or two.”
“Thanks so much.” And there it was, that annoying fake tone, which sounded like a squeaky irritating little mouse. The one that made me want to puke my dinner all over her Louboutins.
He offered her a small smile, one that usually made my heart swell, but not today, when Clary was all up in my face, dampening my mood.
I propped one hand on my hip. “I’m sure your husband will be so glad your son is okay,” I called out as Dr. Klein waved to Anne and Billy Bob and then exited the room.
Clary’s eyes turned murderous as she flipped toward me. “Oh, boy. I see Kendy has her sights on a certain doctor.” She picked up her designer purse and glided it up to her slender shoulder. “I wonder if I should warn him about you. Does he know?” She flipped her long red locks off her shoulders. “That you can’t keep a man?”
My muscles tensed as I fisted my hands at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. The next second, I charged toward her, mere inches from her face. I had a sudden urge to knock her cold on her ass. But that wouldn’t have hurt her as much as she’d already hurt me.
She reeled back, but I moved even closer, just so she understood that she had messed with the wrong girl. “What did you say?” I tilted my head to egg her on.
She took a step back.
When she didn’t speak, because she was a chicken shit, I narrowed my eyes as I threw words out at her like stones. “Expensive clothing, designer bags, and even a new city won’t take the sleaze out of Bowlesville’s biggest skank.”
At that, I turned around and walked out the door, but not before she yelled out, “You know Cole was sleeping with me the whole time you two were together.”
My fingers twitched as I stopped mid-step. Their indiscretion had hurt me, but the pain Cole had caused went above the cheating. Something only Beth knew . . . because she was the only one I’d told.
It took all my self-control not to lose it in front of her. I gritted my teeth, stomped down the hall, and tried to calm my breathing. I walked into the supply room, shut the door behind me, rested against the wall, and slid down to the floor. My chin trembled as I tried to calm the emotions brewing inside me.
Breathe. Just breathe.
I pulled my knees up, dropping my chin to my chest as painful memories paraded through my mind. A lump formed in my throat, and my body trembled as a glimmer of my past resurfaced. It was amazing how one experience with a man could alter your view on every man in your life.
Every relationship post-Cole had been short-lived. Though I didn’t know if I could call my quick hook-ups real relationships.
My eyes fell shut. I couldn’t do this now. Not at work. I couldn’t let him affect me. He’d already taken too much.
My phone buzzed in my pocket again, thankfully breaking me from my thoughts and bringing me back to the present. Standing up, I swiped the budding tears from my eyes. I was bigger than this. I had my eyes set on someone new now, someone perfect for me. And tonight I’d drown myself in work and forget about Chlamydia Clary, Cole, and anything remotely related to my past.
***
BRIAN
The chemical smell of the hospital wafted through the room as I applied pressure to the cut.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay here? Hold your hand or something?” Trey smirked, though his eyes narrowed in concern.
“Nah, go ahead. I wouldn’t want you to cry or pass out from all the blood,” I joked back, though my own sole focus was on not passing out. Once Trey left the room, I rested against the hospital bed, focusing on the ceiling.
When the door opened, I couldn’t help but take in the attractive woman in the blue scrubs. The cotton fabric hugged her hips and accentuated her well- endowed chest. Even lightheaded, I could appreciate the curves. Then, when my eyes landed on a familiar pair of blue eyes, I couldn’t help but sigh at my luck.
Fucking-A!
What were the chances that the nurse in front of me was the best friend of the girl who’d broken my heart?
“Kendy?” I had to make sure my luck hadn’t just gotten worse.
At her name, her head flipped up from the clipboard, and her eyes flew to my chest then up to meet my eyes. I knew when she recognized me, because a swift shadow of shock swept across her features before she threw me a mean girl look.
I clenched my jaw and stifled a laugh. If I hadn’t wanted to see her, the expression on her face indicated she wanted to see me even less.
“It’s Kendall.” Her tone was harsh, and the scowl on her face implied she was already in a foul mood. She lifted her head and started talking to the ceiling. “Seriously? What have I done? Is this some cruel joke? Am I getting punk’d here?” She scanned the room, looking for filming cameras, which clearly weren’t there, then she fixed me with another glare. “I’m getting you another nurse.”
A deep chuckle escaped my mouth. Too weird. What were the chances?
I found this situation unlikely, too coincidental, but even more humorous. I forced the smile off my face. Even annoyed, I had to admit she looked adorably cute. Her eyes wavered on what to do next as she bit down on her bottom lip.
The blood continued to drip down my face, onto my bare chest, as the sticky T-shirt I held soaked it up. “I’m bleeding here, Kendy.”
“I. Am. Not. Kendy. My name is Kendall,” she huffed and charged toward me, her temper rising with her words. “Forget it. The sooner I do this, the sooner you’ll be out of my hair.” She ripped my T-shirt from my hand and slanted toward me.
The sweet scent of peaches entered my nostrils. Shampoo or perfume? Whatever it was, I angled closer to get another whiff. The scent was intoxicating, or maybe it was the loss of blood causing my head to spin.
“How small is New York City?” she mumbled to herself. “To the point that I’ve seen two people from my past . . . well, sort of . . . and in my hospital?”