Page 45 of Love Medley (Med Wreck Romance #1)

Chapter thirty-four

Jake

L ast night, something happened between Lucy and me. Somehow, the topic of Sam wedged a barrier between us.

My heart clenches in my chest. Does Lucy believe the same thing Sam does? That I should do everything in my power to make amends with my father, no matter what it takes?

If that’s how I can keep Lucy in my life, maybe I should think about it.

And if that’s what Lucy wants—does that mean she aligns with my father’s ideals after all?

Maybe now that she’s had more time to think about our future, she realizes she wants…

mo re? After all, if I had a more prestigious job, Lucy would never feel like she was missing out on someone better, someone more impressive.

Even though Weston is a total ass and doesn’t deserve to kiss the ground Lucy walks on, he does have a pedigree that my father would approve of.

After being with someone like that, maybe she just went for the first guy who was the complete opposite of him.

While I don’t think this was her intent… maybe I was a rebound after all.

I’m a nurse who’ll be taking orders from someone like Lucy the rest of my life. But even if I wanted to go back to medical school, which I don’t, I don’t have the same drive as Wyatt or Sterling. There’s no way I’d be able to stick to something I know in my heart isn’t for me.

Maybe I should let Lucy go. Set her free to find someone she can be proud of.

That said, I think it’s already too late for me.

As soon as I met Lucy that day in the ER, I was destined to fall head over ass for her.

And now after all this time with her, the thought of losing her feels like a rib cracking in my chest.

I crave Lucy like my lungs need air. When she’s there, I feel like I can breathe easily for the first time in my life. When she’s not, every inhale is labored like I’m a miner trapped underground, gasping in the last dregs of oxygen.

I can't let her go.

Before I can stop myself, my hands are typing out a text.

Me: Are you around? I miss you. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms.

Lucy: Please come over. Something’s happened. I need you.

Me: I’ll be over in 15.

Lucy’s response tightens the knot in my stomach. What just happened?

But even while I think that, my mind clears for the first time today. Lucy’s in trouble, and I’m going to be there for her.

And I’m not going to be late this time.

When I arrive ten minutes later to Lucy’s apartment (possibly sliding through a couple of stop signs), she flings the door open and buries herself in my arms.

“What happened?” I ask immediately.

Lucy grabs my hand and leads me to her couch. “I’m thinking about getting a restraining order against Weston. Do you know anything about them?”

Anger fills me. “What did he do this time?”

“He showed up here a little while ago.” Over the next few minutes, Lucy details her terrifying encounter with Weston .

I tug her close to me, feeling her pounding heart against my chest. “Thank God you got away. I am so goddamned proud of you for standing up to that asshole.”

I move her to arm’s length to see her eyes again. “I swear the more I hear about fucking Weston, the more I think he should be put away forever.”

“I’d definitely feel safer if he were locked up.” Lucy’s bottom lip is quivering.

“I did a deep dive into Reddit hell the other day, researching restraining orders, just in case,” I continue, grabbing her hand and holding on tight.

“Apparently, you require a clear, documented history of continued threats to your wellbeing, which most people don’t have—stuff like dates and times, police reports, hospital records. Proof. Do you have anything like that?”

Lucy immediately tears up. “No. Nothing’s documented. I have no proof any of this happened. It’s my word against his, and the Ashcroft name carries way more weight than mine. Jake, what am I going to do? I just feel so drained by all of this. Why won’t he just leave me alone?”

I take a beat and think. How can I help Lucy? It’s clear she doesn’t have enough for a restraining order. Is there anything else I can do?

And then a thought occurs to me. I don’t have any particular skills that can help Lucy, but I know someone who does.

“Do I have your permission to talk to Trix about this? She’s an expert at finding dirt on people. Maybe she can find something on Weston that we can use for a restraining order. ”

“Yes, ask her,” Lucy urges. “I need to get my life back. Right now, I never know when Weston is going to show up, and I’m terrified.”

“I promise to do what I can,” I vow, squeezing her tightly. “Just leave it to me.”

I’m going to do my best to fix this, but maybe Lucy and I are already broken.

But it doesn’t matter. Only she matters.