Page 16 of Love Medley (Med Wreck Romance #1)
Chapter eleven
Lucy
O n Friday morning, I’m fiddling with my coffee cup at Coffee Conglomerate waiting for Jake. Why am I so nervous? It’s not like this is a real date. We’re just two coworkers working towards a common goal.
This coffee shop is one of my favorites—the coffee is fantastic, the staff super friendly, and they carry fresh scones from Bakery Bonanza, Dessert Debauchery’s daytime counterpart, not that I eat those anymore.
Coffee Conglomerate is emblazoned with orange and brown colors, glass cases filled with baked goods, and cans of coffee beans.
The aromas of the brewing dark liquid and the sounds of the heating cream fill my senses.
I’m sitting at one of the scattered tables in the side room while the buzz of conversations rise and fall around me.
Glancing at my watch, I see that it’s a couple of minutes after ten. Maybe Jake got confused about the time? How long should I wait before I give up?
But just as I’m wondering if I should text him, Jake bursts through the front door, out of breath. “Oh my God, Lucy, I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
I take a minute to take him in. Jake’s cheeks are rosy from exertion, and there’s a sheepish smile on his face. His dark hair is mussed, like he only had time to run his fingers through it, and his earring winks in the light.
Ignoring the butterflies swirling in my stomach, I wave at him dismissively. “No, you’re fine! Go get some coffee if you want.”
Jake shakes his head. “I downed some before I left my apartment. Just a warning, I’m horrible at being on time. I’ll try hard not to be late, but it’s one of my worst habits.”
Grinning, I think to myself that if being late is Jake’s biggest shortcoming, then he’s exactly as sweet as I think he is. “That’s okay. As long as I know you’re not ghosting me, it’s all good.”
Jake’s gray eyes turn serious. “Lucy, I’ll always show up. You never have to worry about that. ”
And suddenly, the butterfly swarm in my belly ramps up to a new level of frenzy.
How does this guy affect me so much? I remind myself he’s just helping me to get rid of Weston, and I’m his wing woman for winning back Sam’s heart. She was so lucky to have this man in the first place. How could she have ever let him go?
Clearing his throat, Jake continues, “You know way more than you ever wanted to know about the skeletons in my closet. What about your deepest, darkest secrets?”
Even though I know he’s teasing, I blanch a little at the thought of revealing my innermost thoughts to Jake, who is still effectively a stranger.
He immediately notices and backs off, an uncertain look appearing on his face. “I just mean, like you said yesterday, I should probably know a little more about you so I’m not floundering in front of Weston.”
Oh, Jake. Like when he second-guessed how well he taught me the breathing techniques, I’m reminded that the confidence he shows the world is just a mask. Underneath, he’s worried like the rest of us.
“Sorry. I’m just not used to talking about myself,” I say, trying to ease his discomfort.
Jake’s lips turn downwards. “Because…of Weston?”
Oh man. I mean, I’ve never been a super open person to begin with, but when I think back about my relationship with Weston, I’ve definitely shut down more.
And because I’m only starting to remember how to have social interactions with people other than Weston, I still feel rusty.
“I guess, yes? I’ve never thought of it that way before. ”
Weston really messed me up in ways that I’m only starting to understand.
His effect on me was more encompassing than just his increasingly outward expression of rage.
I thought things were bad because he was becoming increasingly physical, but his impact on me was more insidious than I ever imagined.
And somehow Jake noticed that right away.
“Well, we’ll have to work on that,” Jake says finally. “What’s your favorite color?”
I snort out a laugh. “That’s what you want to know? Wow, we really suck at this.”
Jake shoots me the most endearing, sheepish smile. “Tell me about it.”
“I love blue,” I say. “You?”
Jake scrubs his head with a hand. “Blue works for me too. To be fair, I don’t really know what my favorite color is.”
Suddenly overcome by a fit of giggles, I say, “Wait, you asked me about my favorite color when you don’t even know what yours is?”
Jake groans and buries his face in his hands, his response coming out muffled. “Case in point.”
Suddenly, I realize that it’s been a long time since I’ve laughed or smiled this much. I never even realized how unhappy I was when I was with Weston. How did everything in that relationship become so routine and normal for me?
“Blue it is,” I continue, pushing down these uncomfortable revelations. “Where did you grow up? ”
“Here in Blackwell,” Jake says. “I’m a home boy.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Wow, really? Did you leave for school?”
“Nope,” Jake says, rubbing the back of his neck.
His awkwardness with this lighthearted conversation is strangely charming. It makes me want to reach out and squeeze his hand, letting him know that I don’t bite. Maybe I’m not the only one who's navigating new waters here.
But no, I shouldn’t touch him—for once, I’m going to squelch down my impulses. I don’t want to give Jake the wrong idea, and anyway, he’s hung up on Sam. Still, the thought of my fingers on his skin sends an inexplicable tingle down my spine.
“I remained here for college too,” Jake continues, unaware of my inner thoughts. “I received a partial scholarship, so it just made sense. Where did you grow up?”
“Texas,” I say. “Where everything is bigger and better. The BBQ, the size of burgers, the trucks.”
Jake grins. “That stereotype is true then, eh?”
“Yeah,” I say. “The guns and football fever are no joke either. Not that I’m interested in either of those.”
“Good to know. Do you have any siblings?”
Jake doesn’t know what a minefield he’s stepped into. “One. A brother named Peter.”
“What does he do?”
I sigh, turning my coffee cup a few times before I answer. What do I say? The answer is complicated. “Peter is…he’s currently in an alcoholic rehab center detoxing. ”
“Oof,” Jake says, his forehead wrinkling in sympathy. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, me too,” I say. “My parents are really hard on him. In Chinese culture, the boys are sometimes spoiled, but in my family, my parents have super high expectations of Peter. Every time he failed to meet their standards, everything got worse.”
I omit the part where I toppled the first domino.
“I definitely understand parents who have super high expectations,” Jake says, staring off into the distance.
I recall Jake’s troubled words a couple of days ago when he told me about his difficult relationship with his father. “Your dad?”
“Yeah. I have two brothers—one you’ve already heard about, Sterling.
He’s the oldest, and also the golden child who can do no wrong.
It’s hard to follow his act because he’s a well-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon.
He’s probably going to be next in line for chief of surgery whenever that post opens up. ”
I’ve sensed there was some tension in Jake’s relationship with Sterling even before Sam complicated the picture. “Were you two ever close?”
Jake sighs. “Sterling is eight years older than I am, so even though we played some as kids, he quickly outgrew me. And then by the time we were adults?” He shrugs, a gesture that I somehow find infinitely sad.
“He parrots a lot of what my dad says, and my dad has a lot of issues about my life choices.”
My brow furrows. “What issues?” And then immediately I add, “Oh my gosh, please don’t answer that if you don’t want to. I’m just confused why anyone would have trouble supporting your decisions, because you have a great job and are amazing at what you do.”
Jake gives me a half-smile. “No, it’s okay. I was originally a medical student like you, but I realized pretty quickly that I was only in medical school to please my dad. I dropped out after two years and started nursing school instead.”
My eyes widen. I cannot even imagine going against my parents. “Wow, how did your dad react when you told him?”
Jake laughs, a harsh sound I’m not used to hearing from him. “I didn’t tell him anything until I graduated nursing school and got a job at Blackwell ER. But yeah, when he found out…he wasn’t happy.”
My jaw drops. If only I had half of Jake’s courage. “You kept it from him? Wow! That must have been so tough. But I completely understand why you did it. You probably didn’t want him to stand in the way of what you wanted to do with your life.”
Jake’s lips upturn slowly, his eyes glowing.
In this moment, we seem to be connecting in a way that digs deep.
“Exactly. I’m pretty sure my dad would have made my life a living hell if he knew I dropped out of medical school and entered nursing school.
So I just took him out of the equation. Once I got the degree, there was nothing he could do about it. ”
I’m still piecing the puzzle of Jake’s life together. “Was he angry because you didn’t go through with medical school or was it because you decided to be a nurse? ”
Jake runs a hand through his hair. “Both. He wanted me to have a prestigious career, of course. But becoming a nurse? He took that as a personal attack.”
“Why?” Because I have Asian parents, I think I know the answer already.
“Having a male nurse in the family is a total embarrassment to my father.”
I inhale sharply. Even though I knew what was coming, still hearing the words out loud packs a punch. Jake pursued nursing—his true calling—even though it would go directly against his parents’ desires. That's just…unbelievably courageous.
“I hate that for you. I think parents sometimes forget that kids aren’t just an extension of themselves. We’re our own separate entities.” I reach over to touch his hand, unable to resist after all.