Page 83 of Sparking Sara

I lean against the wall. “Sara, you’re going home with Oliver. It’s not like I can come over to the apartment you share with your fiancé and hang out with you all day.”

“I know,” she says. “But we can still hang out sometimes, can’t we?” She looks back in the direction of the suite. “Oliver is being great. And he’s trying hard, I can tell. But you’re the one I trust right now. I know you have Nora and your other friends. But we’re friends too, aren’t we?”

“Of course we are. And, yes, we can hang out sometimes. We’ll make it a threesome. You, me, and Oliver.”

Sara’s eyes close briefly and she sighs.

God, she’s beautiful.

Without even thinking about it, I raise my hand and use a finger to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. She grabs my hand and holds it to her face, but I quickly remove it when someone clears their throat. We look over to see Donovan coming towards the bathroom.

Shit. What if it had been Oliver?

I have to be more careful. And I definitely shouldn’t drink this much around Sara. I’m bound to do more stupid things. I don’t want to confuse her. I don’t want to confuseme.

“Game’s almost over,” Donovan says, nodding back to the suite.

I try to gauge the judgment in his eyes, but I don’t see any. I’m not sure if that makes me feel less guilty—or more.

“See you back in there,” I say, walking away from them both.

Before I turn the corner, I glance back and see Donovan putting a friendly arm around Sara. I wonder if he’s telling her to stay away from me. Then I think maybe he should. Despite the fact that Sara wants me in her life, it might be for the best if I’m not.

I get back into the suite just as the game is finishing up. “Come on,” I say to Nora. “Let’s get out of here and beat the rush.”

I quickly say my goodbyes to everyone before Sara comes back in the room.

“Where are we going?” Nora asks as we make our way to the subway. “Your place?”

I shrug. “Better not. Since I’m living at my sister’s place, I don’t feel right bringing guests home.”

“My place?” she asks.

I look back towards the stadium, wondering what Sara and Oliver will do tonight when they get back to the rehab center. Technically, this was their first date of sorts, albeit with Donovan chaperoning. Still, I find myself wondering if Oliver will kiss her before he leaves. Maybe he’s already kissed her. Maybe he’s kissed her like I did the other day.

The thought of Oliver kissing Sara—the thought ofanyonekissing her—makes my stomach turn.

“Mind if I take a rain check on that?” I ask. “I’m wiped out and I have to work in the morning.”

“So that means you’re up for going out again?” she asks, smiling.

“Sure. I’ll even let you choose the place since I got to pick the last two times.”

“Sounds good to me.”

On our walk to her place, she tells me about her roommates and her job. I tell her about an interesting medical call we went on the other day. Being a nurse, she can relate, because a lot of what we do is of a medical nature.

“This is me,” she says, pointing to her building.

We stop walking. “I had fun tonight,” I say.

“Me too. Especially when you stopped obsessing over Sara.”

“Sorry about that.”

“I get it. You saved her life and you want to make sure she’s okay. The same goes for me with my patients. That makes you compassionate, Denver.”

“Maybe next time, we’ll just make it a twosome,” I say.

---