Page 2 of Room One Hundred and Nineteen: Watching Her

But as I glanced at Rick, concern and worry were etched on his tanned face and lines marked his skin. He couldn’t hide what he felt when he looked at her. I knew that was impossible. Our waiting time was finally coming to an end.Thank fuck!

My gaze drifted back to her.

We loved her. We just had to figure out a way for her to love us back.

Elena chose that moment to look over at us. Rick and I stood side by side. I could only imagine what she thought. For a moment, I watched those gorgeous dark eyes sweep over us with appreciation behind the wire-rimmed glasses she wore. But as soon as it appeared, she wiped it away, her beautiful face masked with stern indifference. Indifference I knew she was trying to hide behind. Indifference she used to protect her heart.

“Ready?” Rick asked under his breath.

“For her? Always,” I muttered as we made our way toward her, hoping like hell we could talk her into going home early.

Working in the ER, we saw all sorts of things. Minor stupid shit to things that would sear your brain in a way you knew no matter what, it would never leave your head. And today’s call, a domestic abuse call where not only the mom but the kid had been in the asshole’s crossfire, was one of those calls.

And it had not ended well, no matter what we tried.

“Dr. Montoya, Dr. Silver.” She tightly smiled up at us. It didn’t reach her sad eyes. “Did you need?—"

“Mind if we sit?” I asked, cutting her off. She pressed those perfect lips of hers together and shook her head. Rick and I didn’t play fair either. Instead of sitting in front of her, we flanked her at each side. Her head turned back and forth like she couldn’t believe we were surrounding her.

“You okay?” I asked. The cafeteria was quieter than normal, and thankfully, there were no eyes on us to take in how we sat together.

“I’m fine,” she quickly answered. Just like I knew she would. I heard her breath hitch. I looked down and realized why. Rick, fucking greedy-as-hell Rick, had grabbed her hand and was gently holding it in his big inked-up paw.

“You sure?” he asked. I watched her give him her attention. I was always so damn surprised when I saw her next to one of us. She was so small next to him. Next to me. Next to Miles.

I remembered that first time I saw her. Walking down the hall and straight to that damn conference room in her light blue scrubs. Her long, dark brown, almost black hair set in a low bun at her neck. Those cute little roundish wire-rimmed glasses on the tip of her nose.

I’d felt like something shot me.

Like a blue-flamed arrow pierced right through me and not just knocked me out but pushed through my heart. A heart I hadn’t been sure I actually had. Then, when she’d walked straight to us and introduced herself, I took liberties of my own that day. Reaching and taking her hand in mine. I’d wondered how someone so small with such delicate features could handle working not just the tough hours of an emergency room but be strong enough to deal with the shit that happened there.

I had learned fast just how strong she was. Not just mentally but physically. Then it was like a goddamn domino effect. Every little morsel I discovered only made me hungrier and needier for more.

“It wasn’t a fun call, that’s for sure,” she admitted, with an edge to her voice. One that made it feel like all my senses went on high alert.

“I’d rather have that guy with a Hot Wheels stuck inside of him come in again,” Rick teased, and that earned him a small smile and sigh.

“Yeah, me too,” she said. “That could have been me. With the twins,” she said out loud, probably what had been bombarding her brain since she ran off on her break. And whether she knew it or not, she had just given us a little bit of herself. A part we had suspected but hadn’t been sure of until now.

“It wasn’t,” I said steadily, confidently. “You got out of that situation,” I reminded her, and because I was an asshole who was starving for her touch and couldn’t help himself, I grabbed her other hand. Instead of looking at me or pulling it away, she rested her head on my shoulder and stared outside.

Somehow, by some stroke of luck, Elena was drawn toward us, too. We had quickly become friends, sharing meals and breaktimes. Shit she thought was just coincidental when we had actual fucking meetings at home, arguing and fighting over how to get our next hit of our favorite little addiction.

One night, she had surprised us by asking us to join her for a beer at the bar closest to the hospital. There, after two drinks, she shared all about her rocky marriage. The shit show it had been and the asshole who had sired her babies. She’d gone on and on about her twins. I was pretty sure that just seeing the love she had for them, how softly she spoke about them, and the adoration she felt for them made us fall in love not only with her but them as well that very night three months ago. After dropping her off, we went home and made a decision.

She would be ours.

The missing piece in our lives, the one we thought we would never be lucky enough to find.

We knew she was attracted to us. She might not have admitted it to herself; that was still yet to be seen. But it didn’t matter. Rick, Miles, and I were not afraid of hard work. We knew the guts it took to be dedicated. Disciplined.

For the last ninety days, we had been watching. Waiting for our moment. And I had a feeling it was finally inching closer.

Rick kept talking to her softly. Stroking her hand the same way. Wet hit my shoulder and burned through my scrub top from her tears.

“You should go home and take the rest of the day,” I gently coaxed. She scoffed.

“I can’t do that. I can’t run off after every tough call.” She sniffled. Her words sounded almost like she was angry with herself. Our beautiful tough girl was so damn strong. And so damn hard on herself.

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