Page 48 of Stay With Me

The chatter shifts to Liam, another new man in town and I lean back, satisfied as they start gossiping about him. Mostly trying to figure out who he should marry.

“Elise Cooper?” a deep voice calls for me.

Turning, I see Hudson Wright for the first time. It makes sense why he’s the topic of chatter. Tall, dark hair with a hint of gray appearing, he is an attractive man.

Standing, I wave at the crowd, but they hardly notice.

“I see what you did there. I will have to take notes.” His voice is full of humor, which I meet with a grin.

“You don’t grow up in a small town without learning some tricks.”

I follow him into an exam room, where I proceed to fill him in on what’s been going on. He listens, taking notes on the computer.

“I think we will start with some bloodwork. I’m sending it over now and they will fit you in right away. Then come back tomorrow afternoon and I will have the results. It’s the best place to start.” He finishes typing before turning to look at me.

Appreciating how quick he is, I follow and head next door to get my blood drawn. It doesn’t take long and soon I’m home, on the couch, with Kimchi curled between my legs. I pick up the new book I’m reading and settle in for a lazy afternoon.

I wake up to Young Jae crouched in front of me, pulling my book off my face. “You okay?”

Tucking my hair behind my ears as I sit up, careful not to disturb Kimchi. I clear my throat. “Yeah, I’m good. I went to the doctor today and got some bloodwork done to check my levels. Maybe I’m low in iron or something, making me tired.”

He doesn’t look convinced that would be causing my sudden exhaustion, but if I dwell too long, I can’t help but think of my mother’s cancer diagnosis. I don’t remember a lot about her, but I do remember she was tired a lot.

“Yeah, maybe. Dinner will be a quick and easy ramen tonight. I was in a ton of meetings all day and I think maybe we both need a night of vegging on the couch.” He kisses me, before letting Kimchi outside.

Stretching, I stand up and join him in the kitchen. “Sounds good.”

I grab everything I need to make lemonade, craving the citrusy goodness. “The new doctor is nice. Maybe we should introduce him to Ari?”

Young Jae laughs. “Ari said she would die alone rather than date someone who looks at other women’s ‘hoo ha’s’ for a living. So I think family doctor makes that list.”

Chuckling, I respond, “I can absolutely see her saying something like that. He’s probably a little too old for her anyway, I would guess he’s around forty.”

I finish the lemonade, pouring myself and Young Jae a glass and take a sip. Groaning, I look at him. “I don’t think lemonade has ever tasted this damn good.”

He grins wolfishly, his eyes heated. “I thought that sound was reserved for me.”

Meeting his gaze, I take another sip and moan teasingly. “Maybe later, when you earn it.”

I sashay away to let Kimchi in the house and feed her dinner before sitting on the couch, setting our lemonades on the coffee table. Young Jae comes in, bringing the ramen and handing a bowl to me.

“What do you want to watch?” He turns on the TV.

“You pick, it’s your turn.” My stomach rumbles, so while he searches, I start eating. The spicy broth hits the spot, and by the time he finds some cop show, I’m done eating.

He gapes at me. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat that fast. There’s more on the stove, I made a couple packs.”

Excited, I head into the kitchen to serve myself some more, glad my stomach seems to be enjoying the ramen. It’s been a little hard to eat the past few days, not everything agreeing with me. I must have some bug, which is why I don’t think the bloodwork will come up with anything except maybe a high white blood cell count.

Rejoining Young Jae on the couch, we watch the show and to my surprise I really like it. Cop shows aren’t usually my go-to, but this one has a good mix of humor and drama, with maybe a little romance mixed in.

I finish my second bowl, finally full. Patting my stomach, I say, “That really hit the spot. Some days you just need a good ramen reset.”

We snuggle on the couch, watching the show, and at some point, I must fall asleep again because I wake up to Young Jae carrying me to bed.

“Damn, again. I must be getting sick. Thank you for carrying me,” I mumble, kissing his neck.

His eyes are concerned, but he gives me a small smile. “Anytime. Just make sure you go back to the doctor tomorrow to ensure everything is okay.”

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