Page 10 of Love Medley (Med Wreck Romance #1)

Chapter eight

Lucy

C rap, I’m a complete disaster. I should know by now that my lack of impulse control will be my complete undoing. Not only that, but I dragged an innocent bystander into my mess. Did I really just enlist poor Jake into a fake dating scheme to get Weston to leave me alone?

But even as the self-recriminations float through my mind, I recall how Jake’s strong fingers curled around my hips protectively when we were talking to Weston.

I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so reassured by another person’s presence.

It gave me the strength to finish my conversation with Weston.

What would it be like to have someone like that as a constant in my life?

Unbidden, the image of his twinkling, gray eyes on mine sends a thrill through my body.

Then I immediately berate myself for my thoughts.

Why am I even thinking about Jake like this?

I basically coerced him into this situation in the first place, and he’s just being a nice guy.

I can’t forget what a total circus my life is right now.

While Jake is fun to fantasize about, that's as far as this will ever go.

As I continue to see patients during the rest of my shift—a standard cold here and a case of indigestion there—I realize I haven’t seen Jake since the Weston debacle. He must have left soon after.

That’s probably a good thing.

Stuck in my thoughts, I accidentally run into one of the nurses, a pretty, curvy Black woman with a great smile. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I wasn’t even looking where I was going.”

The woman shrugs, grinning. “No problem!” Then she peers at my badge. “Wait—did I hear that you’re dating Jake Whitlock?”

My mouth falls open.

She laughs. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I’m just a big gossip, and you don’t even know who I am. I’m Denise Waters, one of the nurses here.”

I’m floundering. “But…how…?” This literally just happened a few hours ago. How does Denise even know about me and Jake?

Denise squeezes my arm. “Oh, honey, the grapevine here moves faster than a tsunami. There was a PCT and nurse nearby who overheard part of your conversation with that other medical student—he sounds like an absolute jerk, by the way. You’ve definitely leveled up with Jake. You two been dating long?”

“Not long at all,” I say, still floored by how fast the gossip spread after our encounter. “Just a month.”

Denise nods. “I’m just so glad Jake found someone. He’s had a rough go of it.”

I blink. Okay, now this I need to hear. “What do you mean?”

Denise’s eyes widen. “Oh, you don’t know?” She glances around. “Maybe I should let Jake tell you himself.”

There’s no way I’m letting this woman go without getting some info.

“No, please, tell me. If everyone else knows already, I can’t be left in the dark.

” And then I have a stroke of inspiration.

“Plus, from a few things Jake has said, I think he assumes I already know. So please spare me the embarrassment of revealing that I actually have no idea what he’s talking about! ”

Denise takes a moment to think, but I can already tell she’s caving. This woman is dying to tell me. “Okay, sure, I guess this is common knowledge. And I can see how asking about this might be awkward, especially at the beginning of a relationship.”

She pauses, probably for effect. “Jake was dating one of the ER secretaries, Sam, I think her name is, and they broke up soon after he started working here. Poor guy, I think he partially picked this ER to be closer to her. But get this—” Here Denise lowers her voice to a whisper.

“Now she’s dating Jake’s brother, Sterling, one of the cardiothoracic surgeons on staff.

Just the next one in Dr. Whitlock’s lineup, I guess. ”

I thought I couldn’t be more shocked by this conversation, but apparently, I stand corrected. And then, I think—oh, poor Jake. “Wow,” I murmur. “Wait, Sam. What does she look like? Long blond hair? Blue eyes? About my height?”

Denise grins. “That’s her. You’ve seen her around?”

That must have been the woman that Jake was waving to. The look on his face… the consternation, the redness creeping into his cheeks. There are feelings there that aren’t resolved, that’s for sure. For some reason, my stomach twists uncomfortably.

“I think so," I say. "Also, what do you mean, the next one in the lineup?”

Denise laughs. “Oh, Dr. Sterling Whitlock has dated so many nurses, scrub techs, and secretaries in this hospital, I’m surprised there are any left! Plus, he’s been divorced twice. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s prowling for a third wife.”

“Wow,” I say, flabbergasted.

“You’re telling me. But don’t you worry, Jake is the biggest cinnamon roll you’ll ever meet. I’m so glad a sweet thing like you is dating him. Good for him.”

With the new knowledge that Denise has given me and the revelation that Jake is probably still not over Sam, the wheels in my mind start to turn. Could Jake benefit from this fake relationship too? That’s a good thing, so why does the possibility make me ache inside?

While these thoughts whirl in my head, I head towards the physician’s bay to check on the notes that Ortho left on Tanya.

After a few taps on the computer terminal, I see they recommended a cast and not surgery, since the break wasn’t severely displaced.

She’ll have a follow-up with them for cast removal. So it sounds like I can send her home.

After I fill out Tanya’s discharge paperwork, I stop by her room to hand her the papers and go over Ortho’s recommendations.

She’s having a little difficulty with collecting her belongings because her arm is immobilized by the cast. I help her gather her things, finish my spiel about her follow-up care, and turn to leave.

“Can you do me a favor?” Tanya asks before I make it to the sliding door.

I’m surprised because she hasn’t really talked to me since our first interaction. It’s mostly been nods and grunts.

“If I’m able to, of course,” I say immediately, turning back towards her.

“Can you thank that nice nurse for me? I was stuck here with an awful guy who came in a while ago—he was wearing a short white coat like you? But the nurse made sure he behaved.”

“Which nurse?” I ask, but I have a feeling I know who it is.

“He had dark hair and an earring?”

Of course. It’s Jake.

Guilt stabs my chest when I realize I was so self-absorbed with my own issues with Weston that I overlooked the fact that he would probably frighten Tanya.

But then, realizing that Jake looked out for her in my stead eases some of my remorse.

Without needing to be told, he instinctively knew to protect her.

Thank God for this amazingly insightful man.

“I’ll tell him,” I assure her.

After my ER shift ends, I head to the parking lot, envisioning my empty apartment. Honestly, all I’ve been doing lately is cleaning, and I’ve scrubbed all of the surfaces in my apartment several times over. The last thing I want to do is return home to the loneliness inside.

After I settle into my driver’s seat, instead of turning on the ignition, I pull out my cell phone and stare at it.

My fingers move of their own volition, tapping out a text to Peter. I reach out to him at least once a week, but this time, his silence has been deafening. I should do more, but the thought of adding one more thing to my plate is overwhelming—this will just have to be enough for now.

Sighing, I sag back against my seat. What now?

I still don’t want to go home—not yet. Do I reach out to one of the girls?

Amelia would definitely bring up Weston or Peter, and I rather not think about them right now.

And I’d like a bit more time to prepare myself before I meet back up with Zoe.

Iz is the safest choice for some lighthearted conversation.

Plus, Isabelle is a fierce romantic, and bringing up a new, cute guy will be the ideal way to bridge the gap between us.

My skin tingles at the memory of a flash of a dimple, the glint of an earring, and the electricity of a single touch.

I tell myself the sudden increase in my heartbeat has nothing to do with Jake.

Hoping she’s available, I fire a text.

Me: Hey, you still up?

Isabelle: Yeah!

Me: Just finished up in the ER, and I have the day off tomorrow. I could really use some girl talk and maybe a glass of wine if you have any.

Isabelle: Come on over! What’s up?

Me: I wanted to pick your brain about a new guy?

Isabelle: AHHHH! Get your butt over here! Drive safe! I’ll pull out some glasses!

I grin—Iz is adorable. I’m excited to see her, and not just because she’s the one friend who lives and breathes romance. I dump my heavy bag and my white coat, pockets heavy with supplies, into the back seat of my silver Honda Accord.

The act feels symbolic—just the thought of seeing one of my best friends makes me feel lighter.

“So, dish!” Iz exclaims after she pulls me inside.

I suppress a smile. She looks so sweet and totally on-brand in her silk pink pajama set covered with red hearts and fluffy pink slippers.

Her hair is up in a messy bun, and her eyes are brimming with warmth, for once not hidden behind her glasses.

It’s such a relief to see a friendly face after the dumpster fire that was today: breaking down after meeting Tanya, panicking in front of Jake, confronting Weston. .. and starting a fake relationship.

Wow. I’m a hot mess.

I refocus on Isabelle’s apartment. I haven’t been to her place in ages—the few times I’ve seen her recently were at coffee shops or at the movies.

With its honey-colored wood and white-ridged crown molding on the walls, Isabelle’s two-bedroom apartment is a welcome contrast to the cold concrete of my place.

It’s a gorgeous, large, and airy space, filled with old-world charm.

There are green tendrils curled over the edges of each windowsill—she has a huge penchant for living things.