Page 91 of Undeniably Enemies

Wynter tells me she’s on her way, and I send her a copy of the wrist X-ray.

I read my message from her and drag a stool over to the side of her gurney. “Wynter just told me she’s clearing the OR for your wrist. May I please call Dr. Fritz or anyone else to be with you?”

“I already called Dr. Fritz. He’s traveling in France as a keynote speaker at a conference, but he’s going to fly home tonight.”

I take her good hand. “Someone local then? Please, Octavia.”

“Your sister makes my grandson and great-granddaughter very happy.”

I smile. “She does. They make her very happy. It’s why Owen’s allowed to live.”

She laughs lightly, her blonde bob swaying around her shoulders and still perfect despite the day she’s had. “You were very upset that night.”

I frown, thinking back to that night last year at Children’s when Willow was having an emergency surgery, and I found out Estlin and Owen were screwing around with each other behind my back. “I was. I apologize you had to see that side of me.”

“People of honor have difficulty tolerating less than that in others, especially in those they love. But there’s nothing we value more than love, and it makes ordinarily honorable people do less than honorable things.”

Fuck if she didn’t just take the wind from my sails.

“Yes.” Because that’s all I’ve got.

“Now they’re happy, and you’re happy for them. Not a very difficult thing to be when you love people.”

“Yes,” I repeat a bit warily this time, wondering what she’s getting at.

“I’m sure Owen would feel the same way.”

I squint, my eyebrows furrowing. “Pardon?”

“Would you be a dear and let Wren off early from her shift? I wouldn’t mind some company, and she’s very good at alerting the troops without overdramatizing things.”

I stand. “Of course. Is there anything else you need? Anything I can do?”

“No. I’m fine. Thank you, Jack. You’ve taken the best possible care of me.”

I give her a gentle hug. “Same to you, Octavia. You’ve taken the best possible care of all of us.”

I leave Octavia’s room and have Margot tell Wren so I don’t have to talk to her again. Then I text Owen and Stone to let them know. I have no doubt the entire Fritz family will descend on this hospital tonight. A point proven when they text me to say they’re all on their way. I stick around and join them in the surgical waiting room. And though I don’t talk to her, I don’t blatantly ignore Wren either. I simply give her the space she requested.

She said goodbye. It’s time I finally listen.

27

Cold air whips along my face and neck making the sweat dripping in both places prickle. It’s not even four yet and the sun is already almost fully set. As pretty as fall and the holiday season are, I wouldn’t mind skipping over winter and hitting spring again. Going to work and leaving work when it’s dark sucks. It makes me feel like a vampire. A real one.

Today is one of my rare eight-hour instead of twelve-hour shifts and I’m taking advantage, running from work to the gym so I can lift some weights and not have to head directly home. It’s been a week since Wren and I became friends of a sort, and though it seems to be working well enough, with her leaving early from work today as she normally does on Tuesdays, I didn’t want to risk us being next door with nothing but hours to fill.

I haven’t avoided her, and she hasn’t avoided me, but that doesn’t mean I seek her out or go out of my way to talk to her or spend extra time with her. I’m taking this one day at a time and slowly adjusting myself to the notion that whatever we had truly is over and won’t happen again.

It’ll be easier when her rotation is done so that means I only have to get through one more week or so.

Turning the corner, I spot the gym and slow my pace to walk. I’m barely breathing heavily at this point, and I can blame the sprinting into work and home for that. Well, that and obviously the girl who has me running sprints twice a day.

Entering the building, I swipe my fob on the pad and wave hi to the kid who works behind the counter. The smell of rubber and sweat and the sound of clanking metal from the machines hits me and I sigh. I miss this. I haven’t had as much gym time as I’d like and I’m looking forward to pushing my muscles for an hour or so.

My feet carry me toward the weight machines, my eyes naturally scanning through the gym when I spot Wren running at a good clip on a treadmill. Of course she’s here now. That’s how my life works when it comes to this woman. She spots me and with a smirk on her lips, she shakes her head at me as if thinking the same thing I am.

I throw her a wave but leave it at that.

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