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“He’s all set, Dr. Sholly,” one of them informed.

“Was a full-body examination conducted?” I asked.

They all paused to look at me. “His only injury was in his side and we’ve—”

“Standard procedure is to do a full body examination. You all should know that,” I said, feeling mildly agitated. They all muttered awkwardly around me, apologizing as I finished the full body examination and then sent out a request to get the patient to roll up to surgery.

Sherly stayed behind to help me organize the patient’s files and waited to accompany me in updating his family.

“Are you sure you’re feeling all right, Dr. Sholly? I can tell something is up.”

“Do you know Nurse Kennery, Sheryl?”

She titled her head to the side and glanced up at the ceiling, jogging her memory. “The name sort of rings a bell…”

“Tessa,” I said. “That’s her first name.”

“Tessa Kennery…Oh! Is that the one who just saved that woman a couple days ago? Rode in the ambulance with her, administering CPR?”

“Yes.”

Sheryl nodded. “Yes, I’ve seen her a couple times. She’s really pretty, and a damned good nurse from what I’ve heard. I don’t know much about her though. I think she only works the day shift. Why do you ask?”

I stared at Sheryl for an instant, no longer sure why I had asked. What did I expect? For someone to fill me in on Tessa’s whole life story? For someone to let me know if she had a serious boyfriends in the past and whether I stood a chance with her, or if I was nothing more but a passing fling?

I shook my head. “Never mind. No reason.”

Sheryl narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me, but didn’t push it. She knew me enough not to.

Naturally, for the rest of my shift, I hadn’t been able to get Tessa out of my head. It occurred to me once and for all that walking away from her just didn’t seem like a viable option, no matter how much I wished it was. It wasn’t just physical, as it had been with so many others before her. Those, I had easily been able to walk away from afterwards without a fleeting thought. But Tessa—she had a hold on me that I just couldn’t shake no matter how much I wanted to.

I needed to see her again.

To be with her again.

Although I was so tired that I bordered on the point of delirium, I decided to stick around until the day shift came in so that I could see Tessa. I didn’t know what I planned to say to her, but I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied until I saw her face. If I didn’t see those baby blue eyes of hers, I thought I might go crazy.

But as the day shift continued to roll in, Tessa wasn’t amongst them. I watched the steady shift of doctors, nurses, technicians, and interns. Each time someone entered the hospital, my heart gave a hopeful leap, only to be disappointed again when each face I saw did not match the one I was craving to see.

Nearly an hour after the day shift began, and unsuccessfully dodging questions regarding why I was still there, I decided there was no use in sticking around. So I left with another plan brewing in my mind.

CHAPTER 19

Tessa

I knew I shouldn’t have taken another day off from work, but I just couldn’t muster the energy to go in. I hated myself for feeling the way I did, but I couldn’t help it.

Lucy had entered my room for the third time this morning, clearly protesting the fact that I was lying around in a nearly comatose state.

“In a minute, Lucy,” I said, as she stood at the foot of my bed. After hearing this twice before already though, she wasn’t falling for it any more. She was ready for her morning run, and she let me know it by the loud and frustrated whine she gave me. Agitated, she began to pace the apartment, while I continued to lie in bed like a pathetic lovesick teenager.

I reminded myself time and time again that I hadn’t known Evan Sholly for long and it made no logical sense for him have such an effect on me. It was embarrassing, especially knowing that he didn’t feel the same way. Here he was, re-enlisting in the military without thinking of me even a little, not even to let me know he was leaving. And in contrast, I was lying in bed, depressed and ignoring my dog.

Pathetic.

“Get a grip, Tessa,” I said out-loud to myself.

Lucy whined from the front of the apartment. I could hear her scratching at the front door, ready to take herself for a walk if she had to.