Page 11 of Doctor Second Chance

“I was helping set up for my friend Isabella’s engagement party,” she explains, her eyes dropping to her bandaged hand. “I don’t think you ever met her.”

“Name seems familiar,” I fib. I have a terrible memory with names. “Who is she marrying? Anyone I know?”

“No, a guy named Mark. He didn’t go to Florida.”

“Nice. So it was a dangerous party, huh?”

“Well, not for everyone. I fell off an eight-foot ladder and grabbed a huge crystal vase on the way down. I cut my wrist pretty badly. Looks like I’m going in for surgery in the morning.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I say, feeling a pang of guilt. “Are you in much pain?”

“A little,” she admits, “but they’ve got me on some good meds. I’ll survive.”

We fall into an awkward silence, and I can’t help but feel like a fish out of water. I can’t figure out why I’m being such a bumbling idiot. I’ve been with countless women since we broke up, but none of them have ever made me feel this way—like my heart is about to burst through my chest cavity.

“Look, I’m here all week. I was on call today and tonight and I’ll be back tomorrow. If there is anything at all I can do for you, ask your nurse to contact me. Sometimes, when you namedrop, you’ll get extra TLC.” Why am I such an arrogant prick? Goddammit.

“Thanks, Shep. That is good to know. I appreciate it.”

Another silence falls between us, and I can see the questions in her eyes, the unspoken words hanging in the air. But it’s late, and this isn’t the time for deep conversations. “I should let you get some rest,” I say reluctantly. “But I’ll check on you tomorrow if that’s okay.”

She nods, her eyes never leaving mine. “Looks like I’m not going anywhere, so I’ll be here.”

I am not getting the warm fuzzies from her. But that is understandable after things ended as they did. Now, I’m kicking myself for never reaching out all these years. As usual, I was wrapped up in my own life, unable or unwilling to venture out of my bubble.

As I turn to leave, I feel a heady mix of emotions—anger, regret, longing—swirling inside me. Seeing Elle again has stirred up feelings I thought I had left behind long ago.

THREE

Elle

1:04 am

What the actual fuck? Shep Duncan, the man I figured was relegated to the wax museum of my life, is a surgeon in the hospital where I’m being held prisoner. And he stopped by for a casual hello at one in the morning.

I could consider the fact that my ex from another lifetime is around here somewhere a plus. See, technically, I’m not as entirely alone as I thought I was.

I buried the memories of Shep, the feelings of abandonment and rejection many moons ago. I tucked them away in the dark corners of my mind where they couldn’t hurt me anymore.

But seeing him again, here in Birmingham, the city he left me for, brings everything rushing back. The love, the betrayal, the heartbreak.

We were so young, so full of dreams about what our life together would be like. We had just graduated from college, and both of us were ready to attack the world. I had just gotten this incredible job offer in Gainesville, where we both already lived. It was everything I had worked for.

I knew Shep had acceptance letters to three highly desired medical schools, all in the Southeast. He had his choice of where to go, but only one school would allow us to stay together and pursue our dreams as a couple.

When I told him about my job offer, I expected support, maybe even excitement. Instead, I got an “aw shucks, hate we will be in different cities.”

I was dumbfounded. He hadn’t said he’d decided where he was going to med school before I told him about my job offer. I accused him of choosing a school in a different city just to spite me.

“I’ve worked my whole life for this, Elle. I’m not going to pick a school willy-nilly just because it is convenient. I have to choose the right program for what I want to do. You should be willing to move if you really care about us.”

I-I-I. That’s all I heard. It was all about Shep Duncan. His words cut deep. How could he not see that my career and aspirations were just as important as his?

We argued louder and harsher than we ever had before. “You’re asking me to give up everything I’ve worked for, Shep,” I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. “I don’t have an offer or even a prospect in Birmingham. If you cared about us, you’d accept Florida. We could make it work. I will support you while you go to school, so all you have to think about is your studies.”

But he had already made up his mind. He had made up his mind, leaving me feeling like an afterthought. It felt like the only thing that mattered to him was him.

I still remember the look in his eyes when he said he was leaving. It was as if he was already gone, already moving on to his next big thing. There was never another word spoken. Even though he still had all his shit at my place. He asked me to leave the door open on a day when I would be gone so he could get his stuff when I wasn’t there.

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