Page 118 of Undeniably Enemies

I blow out a breath. “Listen, I appreciate you all trying to make me feel better, but it doesn’t change what I did.”

“No,” Callan agrees with a heavy breath. “It doesn’t. Jack, you were getting chief.”

I stare at Callan, the wind knocked from my lungs. “I was?”

“That was the decision the board made. We were going to let you know Monday and then announce it Wednesday.”

Fuck. That’s quite possibly the worst news to hear.

I nod slowly, utterly sick. To know I had it and lost it is just a punch to the gut.

“Wow. I don’t know what to say…” I trail off, at a loss for words.

Another heavy silence fills the space.

“Thank you for telling me.” I swallow and lick my dry lips. “I’m honored I was your candidate. I can’t begin to tell you what that means to me. I understand that’s all changed now, but what about Wren? I don’t want this to impact her ability to match. If I have to move hospitals?—”

“Move hospitals?” Bennett practically spits out. “What are you talking about? You’re not moving hospitals.”

“Bennett, that all sounds good and fine, but I won’t fuck up Wren’s future or her career.”

Layla rolls her eyes, comes to the other side of me, and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Wren will be fine. She’ll match for sure. Hell, I’m not even sure if she’ll have to interview.”

“She won’t?”

She laughs. “She’s a Fritz, Jack, and is graduating top of her class. I didn’t interview either. I told them I wanted the ER, and I got it. By that point, my relationship with Callan was public knowledge.”

I shake my head. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure I’m understanding.”

“What we’re saying is, we’ve been where you are and all plan to help.” Katy smiles at me and looks at Callan for confirmation on that.

“Yes,” he agrees. “That’s what we’re saying. I’m glad you told me tonight because they’re actually meeting first thing tomorrow morning. We’re going to go to that meeting and speak to them before Harrison can do his worst.”

“You realize the timing of it is all bad. It looks like I’m trying to cover my tracks.”

“Yes.” Layla shrugs. “Not much we can do about that other than have you throw yourself on your sword and hope for the best.”

“What I did was unethical.”

“And there’s a chance the board will side against you. There isn’t much I can do about that.” Callan gives me a sad expression.

“I doubt anyone would consider your treatment of Wren as a student favoritism,” Layla asserts.

A wrecked laugh flees my lungs. “No. There was nofavoritism there. And we didn’t technically start seeing each other until her last day as a student.”

“Then that’s what we’ll tell the board. And we’ll see how it goes.”

I leave Callan’s not feeling a whole lot better than when I arrived, other than the fact that my secret isn’t such a secret anymore. By the time I return home, I go straight to Wren’s and find her vacuuming her sofa in only her bra and underwear because she splattered brownie batter all over herself. This is what happens when Wren Fritz is nervous and out of sorts. She does weird shit.

It would be comical, but nothing feels that way right now. Despite everyone saying they have my back, I can’t imagine the board hearing about my screwing around with a student—a student set to be an intern—and still giving me chief. Callan wasn’t chief when Layla matched in the ER, and Bennett went and spoke to the board and removed himself from decision-making on fellows.

I sleep like shit, and Wren isn’t much better. Both of us toss and turn, too worked up even for sex, which is saying a lot for us.

By morning, I’m resigned. I’ll be okay if I don’t get chief. I will be. I’ve managed disappointment before, and as long as I have her, I can weather any storm. Wren will match in the ER because, as Layla said, she’s a Fritz and is top of her class at Harvard. Each alone carries a ton of weight, but combined, she’s unstoppable.

If they give chief to Harrison, well, that’ll suck. And he might be a dick and hold this over my head or use it to his advantage. There may come a time when I do have to move hospitals, but I’ll manage that too. Life is bumpy. It’s ups and downs, but it’s the people who take the ride with us despite those bumps that make the difference.

Wren gets up before I do but isn’t much better than she waslast night. She’s a mess. More so than I am. I’ve never seen her this jittery or on edge.

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