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“Max, you look like Two-Face!” Johnny yells out, running past with a black Batman cape streaming behind him. “From Batman! Because his face is normal on one side and all beaten up on the other side! Like yours!”
“Thanks, little dude,” Max salutes him. “Does that make me a superhero, too?”
Johnny rolls his eyes. “No, Two-Face isn’t a superhero! He’s one of the bad guys! Batman’s the hero!”
Max nods, and his vacant gaze flickers back to me. “Sounds about right. I guess I’ll see you around.” He nods at Steven. “Good to meet you, Doc.”
“Will you be back tomorrow?” Johnny trails Max toward the exit.
Max gives a high-five to Johnny. “I sure hope so, bud.”
What’s that supposed to mean?
I tuck a stray strand of hair back into my bun and look up at Steven with probably the most artificial smile I can muster. I clasp my hands, my voice rising about three octaves. “So, I’ll meet you around twelve in the lounge?”
Steven nods. “Yeah. Sounds good.” He rubs the back of his neck and gives me a quick smile before retreating to the end of the ward for rounds.
Clara picks that moment to return to the desk, her lips curled into a wide grin. “Sweetie, how does it feel?”
I furrow my brow, dropping my arms over the top of the desk. “How does what feel?”
She leans closer, her blue eyes sparkling. “How does it feel to have two strapping young men drooling over you?” Her light chuckle rings out amid the excited chatter and caroling. “My, my, I loved the days when handsome men would chase me like that.”
I let out a snort. “Nobody is chasing me, Clara. You’re misreading things.”
She cocks a thin eyebrow. “Is that so? I may be an old lady, but I sure ain’t blind, dear. Now, tell me, which one are you going to choose?”
My shoulders droop. “There isn’t exactly a choice to make. Dr. Kiley and I work together, and Max…Max is just a friend.” Damn, it hurts like hell to speak those words.
“I think you’re mistaken. And I think we need Jules to straighten you out.”
Speaking of… I frown and pull out my phone. The text I sent her is showing as delivered, but not read. That part doesn’t alarm me since I know she adjusts the setting on her messages to she can read messages from guys without them knowing it.
The fact that she hasn’t shown up for work is the part that’s worrying me. And she would have been the first to grill me about my night with Steven, too. I rub the back of my neck. I don’t want to think about Steven right now.
I just want to find Max.
Dammit.
I’m in love with him, but he doesn’t want me. He’s made that pretty darn clear.
“Argh!” I throw my hands in the air. “I have no choice!”
Clara snickers as I head in the direction of Eli’s room. “That’s what you think, dear!” she says in a sing-song voice.
I roll my eyes and walk down the hallway toward Eli’s room. I don’t know why. It’s not like he was overly excited to see me the last time I showed up ready to chat. He’s bitter. I get it. I know I would be. But Max was able to crack his seemingly impenetrable shield. Max was able to get through to him on some level.
Max has had his fair share of father issues. Maybe that was how they connected?
Part of me just wants to hear someone talk about Max, to reinforce why I fell so hard for him, why I keep falling, and why I can’t seem to stop myself even after last night.
Did he tell Eli what happened to him last night?
That may have a little to do with why I want to drop in. There are a lot of dots I need to connect, and if Max won’t give them to me, maybe someone else will.
Squeak, squeak, squeak.
Eli’s brother Tommy looks up, an alarmed look on his face. He pulls his cell phone from his ear, covering the mouthpiece with his hand. “Hey,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck and looking very uncomfortable.