Page 56 of Love Medley (Med Wreck Romance #1)

A fter countless scheduling conflicts, I finally get Jake and my three best friends together at Dessert Debauchery.

I smile at each of them in the dim candlelight. Zoe is scowling at something Isabelle is saying—I’m pretty sure that they must be arguing about another rom-com. Amelia is sitting next to them with a little smile on her face. She glances at me, and we roll our eyes in unison.

Jake has his arm slung over my shoulders, and I snuggle into his embrace.

We’ve been inseparable for the past month.

I finished up my month-long ER rotation and dropped my dermatology rotation, since I was never truly interested in that specialty.

I’m currently on an anesthesiology rotation learning how to do intubations and IV starts, and my schedule is outrageously easy.

Jake told me that if I need to learn how to do IV starts, I can just ask him. I told him to stop showing off.

Unsurprisingly, I’m specializing in ER. I have a few more key clinical rotations this year, and then I’ll be spending the rest of the year working on my research project with Dr. Simons.

We’ve sent in our study application to the IRB, resulting in overall favorable reviews, and only need to make a few adjustments before resubmission.

Dr. Simons assures me the IRB committee should approve it within the next month, and then we can start enrolling patients.

While I have some residency interviews lined up for November and December, I’m ranking Blackwell as my top choice.

With Dr. Simons as my mentor, I’m a shoo-in.

But I’d like to see what other programs are like, so Jake and I are planning a road trip together, combining my interviews with sightseeing.

Jake’s mom was horrified when his father cut Wyatt and Jake out of the family, and it was the last straw on a long list of slights she’s endured during their marriage.

She’s initiated divorce proceedings. The lawyer Wyatt found for her is an absolute shark, and we all predict she’ll receive quite a sizable windfall.

As for my mom, I guess my letter to her made a bigger impact than I was expecting, because she came for an impromptu visit last week and met Jake for the first time.

I was worried but shouldn’t have been. To my great amusement, I'm pretty sure she likes him more than Weston. In fact, she might like him more than me . He got her some daisies, made her dinner, took her out shopping, and basically treated her like a queen. At this point, he’s practically her second son.

But I still haven’t entirely forgiven her for backing Weston—we’re working on it.

Speaking of Weston. The article that Sophia wrote for the Blackwell Times was beautifully written, quoting all the women he abused and threatened, me included, detailing the damage he wreaked on us and our lives.

Since the issue’s release, it’s gone viral.

Multiple papers and blogs picked up the story after that, and for once, Weston’s dad couldn’t suppress the story.

Because of all the bad press, Weston was forced to withdraw from Blackwell School of Medicine and was blacklisted from other medical institutions.

Fortunately, he won’t be embarking on a medical career.

Sometimes I wonder if Weston told his father about his bloody nose. It’s become one of my friends’ favorite stories to tell.

It is such a relief to be free of Weston.

Now, I can focus on my relationship with Jake.

I know it hasn't been long, but I already know I want to marry this man. It may seem fast, but when you know, you know. It’s not like when I was with Weston, who kept dictating our future until I gave in to his vision.

Jake never pushes me towards one thing or another.

He just wants to be there by my side, supporting me no matter what I decide.

In a twist that shouldn’t be surprising to anyone, Jake’s dad decided Sam wasn’t good enough to be part of the Whitlock family, so Sterling dumped her a couple of weeks ago.

In a recent conversation, Sam told Jake how she’s finally starting to understand how difficult his father is, and that she was sorry that she didn’t try harder to see things from his perspective.

Sam’s not a bad person, but part of me wants to tell her “I told you so,” for not valuing Jake for the amazing person he is.

But then again, I’m also grateful they broke up when they did so that when Jake and I met, we were both single.

When I told Jake this, he shook his head.

“There is no world in which I wouldn’t find my way to you,” he said.

I’m going to have that quote carved in wood and hung up in my apartment.

Jake still seems surprised when people admire him, but I think he’s coming around to the idea that he has a lot of valuable insight that he can share with others.

The mentorship program he’s working on is taking shape.

He’s also planning to start a master’s program in Science of Nursing, with the goal of becoming an instructor at the Blackwell Nursing School.

Both are ideal paths for him, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.

Suddenly, Jake stands up and walks over to the upright piano. “I asked the restaurant if it was okay to play a little night music, and they agreed,” he says. “I’m dedicating this song to my beautiful girlfriend, Lucy, whom I love with all my heart. It’s my turn to sing this to you, babe.”

Jake takes a seat on the piano bench, and after the cheers from my friends and the rest of the restaurant die down, the beginning notes of “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” pour out of the piano.

As he sings the lyrics I love so much, I melt, my heart full to bursting.

Jake’s always spoken to me in song, but tonight, the words hit particularly hard.

Six months ago, I was hiding in a bathroom.

Tonight, I’m in a pastel blue confection of a dress celebrating with my best friends and the man I love.

While part of me wants to freeze-frame this moment so I can remain in this perfect sliver of time forever, my future is calling.

And for the first time, I can’t wait to decide what comes next.

THE END