Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Luke being the man he is holds the back of my arm near my elbow. If I were anybody else, he’d probably have his hand on my lower back, except I have a growly alpha bear who likes to roar even though the men I’m surrounded by are his best friends. He’s such a pain in my ass, yet I love the pain in my ass all the same.
“We’re going through the back,” he states as we go through the door leading to where we see patients and the rest of the nursing staff are.
“Am I being led to the principal’s office?” I finally ask when we’re out of hearing distance of the others.
“Nope, I’d move you back here for work any day of the week, but you’re still pretty new here, and I don’t want the others to talk. I will say, another few months, and we’ll do a report, then I’ll move you where you should have been hired all along.” Well, that’s exciting news and not what I expected at all. It still doesn’t tell me why we’re heading further inside the building, bypassing Luke’s office, the employee breakroom, or where we stock the supplies.
“Umm, is this about my test results?” I’m wracking my brain on what’s going on.
“No, but we will be going over those soon enough. We’re almost there, and you can find out for yourself. I’m just the glorified errand boy.” I ponder this answer the entire time he waves his badge in the hospital employee-only entrance. Mainly used for doctors, nurses, and higher-ups. When I go to the hospital cafeteria for a once-a-week splurge and don’t pack my lunch, I’m only able to use this entrance with someone else. Otherwise, it’s going out the front and through the hospital doors others use as well. It’s inevitable I’ll get stopped to ask for directions or if I work there, then it’s a long rigamarole that usually takes up a good chunk of my time to get to the cafeteria, run through the line, pay, head back to the office, and eat.
“Hmm.” We walk through one unit after the next until we’re at the emergency department door. Luke waves his badge again, and I’m finding it hard to shuffle my feet to follow after him.
“Everything is okay, I promise. The faster we get there, the better, okay?” Luke stops in front of me, drops my elbow, and cajoles me to get my rear in gear again. My family is in Colorado and Wyoming, I know that from the group chat that happened bright and early this morning. Plus, I talked to Minnie on my way to work. That means it could be Kennedy, Briar, Asher’s parents, his best friends, or it could be Asher himself. He’d have texted me, though, or at least I think he would, if what Luke says is true and everything’s fine.
“I hate to tell you this because, well, you’re my boss and my boyfriend’s best friend, but I’m going to say it anyways.” I pick up the pace, trying to keep up with his long strides. What is it with all these men in my life being so damn tall with legs up to their ears?
“What’s that, Lennon?”
“You’re a shit liar.” Luckily, I get that out just as he comes to abrupt stop. Power walking while trying to catch your breath is near impossible.
“Well, you can blame Asher for that. He swore me to secrecy.” Luke opens the door. “Here’s your woman, signed, sealed, and delivered. You owe me, big time. Lennon, you’re off for the day and however long he’s down for. I figure you’ll be the one to actually make him recover.” I’m scooted into the small room. Asher is lying on a stretcher, shirtless, with a blood pressure cuff on his arm, an oxygen monitor on his finger, and soot on different areas of his body.
“Asher.” I drop my purse, the contents clattering to the ground. It doesn’t matter. The only person that matters is my man, who’s currently in the hospital, and I have no idea why. No, I take that back. I know why. His job. It’s hard, it’s ruthless, and it can take away the person you love in an instant. I also know he wouldn’t be half the man he is without the job he loves so much.
“Come here, Lennon.” I see him wince when he lifts his arm.
“What’s wrong? What happened? Why didn’t you have someone call me right away?” I fire off questions at rapid pace.
“I tweaked my back, or at least that’s what I’m thinking. They’ll take me to get an MRI just to be sure. The stairwell gave way while we were coming back down. I was the last and took a nasty fall. They wouldn’t let me come in after work since it happened on a call. Hopefully, this is all precautionary and nothing is wrong. Now, you gonna stand over there all day or come to your man, Lennon?” I still have so many questions running through my mind. The worry that this could be worse than he’s playing it out to be takes hold. I mean, I know he’s not paralyzed because he has shifted his legs a bit. Yet, a bulging disc or a herniated disc, that’d put him down for a while.