Page 28 of Dirty Doctor
“Keep the key.” His voice is rough. Flattening his on the table, he looks up at me with a darkened expression. “Do you think I’m done with you?”
His words stun me, though, they probably shouldn’t. There hasn’t been one instance this past week of him not wanting a relationship with me, or not being committed to making this work. When I look at it objectively, I’m the one being daft. He’s asking me to accept the key—probably so that I can stay overnight more often—and all I can think to ask is when I can give it back.
“No,” I say quietly, watching him as he removes the napkin from his lap. “I know you’re not done with me.”
Luke’s brows knit together. “Good. Because this isn’t over.”
I swallow. “I know.”
He stands suddenly. “I want to show you something.”
I follow him as he walks to one of the closets near the kitchen, pulling out a black leather cylinder. It’s large, and he drags it to the back porch.
“What the hell are you doing?” I ask, wrapping my arms around myself. It’s not cold, but the summer evening is cool and brisk. It’s dusk, and the sky is dark blue. The sounds of crickets echo off of the trees. All I can see is the dark forest in front of us.
Luke sets the case on the ground. “A few years ago, some buddies of mine started gifting each other weird gifts,” he starts, pulling out something that looks like a telescope. “One of them gifted me a star,” he adds, pulling the legs apart and setting it up. He looks into one of the scopes, adjusting the large body to point up at the sky. “Anyway, I nerded out and bought this telescope. You can program it to find any star, as long as it’s the right time of day.” He pushes a button and turns to face me.
I walk over to him. “That’s cool,” I answer, unsure of what this has to do with anything.
Taking my hand, he pulls me to the scope, wrapping his arms around me. The telescope stops moving and beeps once. “Take a look. What do you see?”
I look inside, my eyes adjusting to one of the bright spots in the sky. It’s cool, but it’s nothing spectacular.
“Um, I think it’s a star,” I say slowly. “I’m confused. As lovely as this is, why are you showing me your star?”
Luke squeezes my side. “Because we’re looking at your star.”
My breath hitches. “What?” I spin around to face him. “But I thought—”
“I haven’t finished,” he chides, smiling. “After I got this, I decided I wanted to name a star after someone. I probably should’ve named it after my mom, since she’s gone, but I didn’t.” He pauses, taking my hand. “I named it after you.”
My throat constricts. “When?”
“Two years ago,” he answers. “I don’t think I realized it until today, but I’ve been in love with you for a very long time, Langley.” He brushes my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I don’t know what I have to do to get you to understand that this is it for me.”
I let out a choked cry, pulling him close. “I’m just scared,” I answer, whispering into his neck. “I don’t want to lose you.”
He pulls away, gripping the side of my face with both hands. “If I don’t make you happy, fine. I’ll let you go. But I’ll be damned if that ever happens, because now that I have you, I don’t ever want to lose you.”
I nod. “I feel the same way. So where do we go from here?”
Luke smiles, grabbing my hand and pulling it to his lips. Kissing my palm gently, he shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess, we just take it one day at a time.”
I rest my head, listening to the crickets chirping in the forest, and the birds winding down for the evening. I could get used to this life here with him. It’s crazy how my life seems to fit perfectly within his, and his within mine.
Now, it’s just a matter of making sure everything—and everyone—is accepting of it.
EPILOGUE
LANGLEY - FIVE YEARS LATER
“Where is he?”I yell.
Darcy continues to push the gurney down the hallway of Eastport General, and I grip the metal bars as we swing around a corner.
“I paged him, Mrs. Hastings. He’ll meet us in the delivery room.”
I scoff as another contraction hits me, and I squeeze my eyes shut, blowing air quickly through my lips, in and out, in and out.
