Page 58 of Devoted

“Seems I’ve missed out on a lot this past few years.”

“Yup. And you’re going to miss out on one hell of a woman if you push her away. Just tell her, Brooks. You won’t regret it.” Ethan clasps his hand on my shoulder.

“Fuck. I know. I will. Thanks, man.”

“Anytime. I’ve got to go, but let me know how it goes. Still on for a run next week?”

“Definitely. Be safe out there.” I pull him in for a quick hug and then release him.

He winks over his shoulder at me as he waves me off. “Always.”

I stand there and try to catch my bearings, preparing myself for having a tough conversation with the woman I know needs to hear it, but then work interrupts my thoughts.

“Hi, there. I’m Dr. Bennet. What’s going on?”

The middle-aged man peers up at me from his seat on the bed, holding pressure on his wrist that’s covered in blood. “Sliced my wrist open, Doc.”

“I told him not to cut a zip tie with a knife, but what do I know?” A woman sitting in the chair adjacent to the bed rolls her eyes in the way only a wife can master. I’ve seen enough married couples in the ER to pick up on that dynamic. “Next thing I know, he’s running into the house with blood dripping down his arm and I’m leaping into the car with no bra on, hoping he doesn’t pass out on me.”

“I see. Well, let’s have a look here.” I reach for his wrist and gently lift his finger off of the point where he was applying pressure under some gauze.

“I already cleaned the outside of the wound,” Jess’s voice surprises me as she re-enters the bay we’re in. “Looks like a clean cut. No veins or arteries nicked. He got lucky.”

“Yes, it appears so.” Being back near her is making it hard to focus, especially as she whips around me and her hair brushes my arm. I’m not sure if this couple can sense the tension between us since we’re trained to be professional around each other, but I can feel her frustration as she moves around the area and places materials on the silver tray beside me. “Looks good then. Just irrigate the wound and dress it, and then Mr. Michaels and his wife can be on their way.”

“Sounds good, Dr. Bennet.”

“Thanks, Doc.” The man says as I stand and remove my gloves, looking back over my shoulder at Jess, her eyes trained on the man’s wrist and avoiding mine at all costs.

“No problem, sir. Just be careful. And cut away from yourself next time.”

“There won’t be a next time,” his wife chimes in, warranting a grin from me as I exit the bay and move on to the next patient.

I spend the next few hours watching Jess out of the corner of my eye. Usually when we’re on shift together, she’ll smirk in my direction or we’ll playfully brush our fingers against one another. But the cold front coming off of that woman today tells me I need to fix my mistake—and fast.

When the traffic subsides in the ER and I catch her alone for one minute, my hand finds hers and pulls her in the direction of the on-call room.

“What the hell, Brooks,” she grates as I close the door behind us and lock it.

“We need to talk.”

“Seems you’re too busy to talk to me and explain what’s going on anymore.” She’s indignant with me and it shows all over her face—but her eyes give her away. I hurt her. She’s scared. And the last thing I want is for her to look at me like that.

“Well, I’m making the time now. Can you hear me out, please?”

She crosses her arms over her chest, but her body relaxes slightly as she waits for me to continue. “Okay. What’s going on?”

I run a hand through my hair and then start pacing around the room. “I’m sorry I brushed you off two days ago.”

“Okay. But why?”

“I—I don’t want to explain that right now.”

She raises her brow like I’ve shocked her. “Then—then what are we doing in here?”

My feet move towards her, my hands find her hips, and her arms fall to her sides as I pull her close. “I need to tell you something. But I don’t want to rush it. It’s not a conversation to be had in five minutes, Jess.”

“Brooks,” she starts as her eyes fill with worry. “You’re scaring me. You have me thinking you have a wife and kids or something. First, there was the phone call at breakfast that clearly upset you, but you told me was nothing. Then on the night you cancelled our dinner plans, you told me your mom needed you, but I saw you talking to a woman outside of CVS. And then you blow me off and give me a half-assed text as an explanation. I need answers.”

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