Page 47 of The Doctor's Simple Life

“A girl from a small town isn’t going to be a big prize where he comes from, you know,” Giselle says.

“I’m not a prize. I’m an adult making a choice,” I huff.

She sighs and sits up straight again. “I know you are, hon. But you know he’s not going to stay, don’t you? Please tell me you’re not getting it into your head that he’s going to give up his life in Miami for you.”

“Guys like him don’t do that for girls like me,” I say, bile rising in my throat.

It’s true, isn’t it? Reece could have any girl he wanted, and he’s choosing me right now. But he won’t commit to me. I’ve tried to ask him a bunch of times, and every time he’s brushed me off like he doesn’t want to think about it. I just can’t decide if he doesn’t want to think about me, or if he doesn’t want to think about leaving me.

I hope it’s the latter. Somewhere in my heart, I want it to be.

But Giselle’s words are chiming a cold bell inside my chest.

I’m fun for now, but what about when he leaves?

“He might be great now, and I’m genuinely happy that he’s fitting in great here. Honestly, that should be all I care about. But you’re my friend, Sienna, and I love you. Have you really, actually thought about what’s going to happen when he goes back?”

“No,” I snap. “Because that’s a later problem. And you never know what’s going to happen.”

I’m being contentious for the sake of it now, but this is starting to annoy me. How is it any of her business what I do with my life?

She gives me a pitying look, and I take a deep breath. This isn’t the time or place to be discussing my personal life. “Look,” I say. “He’s doing great as a doctor here. Is there anything else you need to know? He’s even gotten used to doing paper charts again, mostly.” I try to give a little smile and add some levity to the conversation.

“Good,” she says, deciding not to push me any further. “Let me know if anything does change, okay?”

“He’s not going to stay, all right?” I blurt before I can stop myself.

Because, dammit, she’s right. I have been fantasizing about it. I can’t help it now. Even though Reece doesn’t want to be mine, I can’t help but imagine his change of heart.

In my head, it’s like a movie. I wave him a tearful goodbye, and he hits the road, watching out of his rearview mirror as I wave and get smaller and smaller. Then, he barely leaves the town before he realizes he’s wrong. He has to stay here with me because he loves me, and he loves Gramma, and he wants the family and life he never could have before. He turns right around and falls into my arms, and I tell him he’s dumb, but I forgive him.

There’s never an ending where I don’t forgive him.

I take a sharp breath and add, “But if he was to stay, I’m professional. It’s not hospital policy to disclose anything. If it were, I would, but I can look after myself. I’m not going to let anything happen if I don’t want it to.”

“I know, hon,” says Giselle, getting to her feet. “Let me know if you need anything, okay? You know I’m always here for you.”

“I know.” I sigh. Even if this has wound me up, I can’t stay mad at Giselle. She is a good friend really. “I will.”

She gets to her feet and squeezes my shoulder once. Then she straightens up and says, “Right, back to work. Come on now. We have patients to deal with.”

I smile at her and say nothing as I follow her out of the room. My mind is too busy churning with possibilities that will never be.

CHAPTER 23

REECE

Everything in this house is boring and sucks. I didn’t bother to decorate when I moved in because I knew I wouldn’t be staying long. I just bought basics — plain towels, a new toothbrush, a new gray hoodie.

Hell, for some reason, I even bought the blandest bed sheets I could find in the store.

Not that I really had too many options. It was bright blue, dark blue, or a kind of greenish blue that I think was aiming for teal but, in reality, looked way too much like an accident had happened with the dye mix.

I picked the dark blue ones.

It’s a move I’m starting to think of as a mistake because it just makes the whole house seem darker, more dismal.

None of this is helping my mood at all. When Sienna was in my bed, she brightened everything up, but now that I’m back to just me, all this gloom is the opposite of what I need.

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