Page 43 of Accidentally Fudging the Beast
"Why am I not surprised?"
She beams at me. "Did you actually take Trent to the ER, or did you just try mouth-to-cock resuscitation while playing nurse?"
"Both," I say, and then instantly want to bite off my own tongue. She's never going to let me live that down. Ever.
Liz cackles, then throws an arm around my shoulder and hauls me deeper into the suite. "After you rushed him out of here, the entire team was convinced you'd quit. And then one of the rookies started taking bets on how long it'd take for you two to end up in bed together. Then someone sent pictures of the two of you at Colt's party to the staff group chat on Christmas Eve. When you called out yesterday, the other therapists started taking bets on how long it'll be before you turn up pregnant."
If there's a prize for most traumatic workplace romance, Trent and I just might winit at this rate.
"We need to destroy that group chat," I groan, letting her drag me past the break room, which smells like someone tried and failed to cook bacon in a Keurig.
She ignores me and pulls out her phone, scrolling with one thumb. "It's everywhere, Dani. The locker room. The staff lounge. Even the Zamboni guy placed a bet."
I roll my eyes, but my stomach is in knots. "So, what you're saying is that I'm basically screwed and should immediately start packing my stuff."
"No," Liz says, her voice softening. "No one's mad. Honestly, everyone thinks the whole thing is kind of hilarious. The only person who's even mildly pissed is Coach, and that's just because I think he's only just figuring out that Trent has been faking his back pain for weeks just to see you."
She opens the door to my office and practically tosses me inside, then parks herself on a little rolling stool, arms crossed, waiting for me to spill all the details.
I drop my bag on the floor and sink into my chair, hugging myself because if I don't, I might shake apart. "It doesn't even feel real, Liz. I mean, it is. It's definitely real. But I don't even know if I'm allowed to have a real thing."
She snorts. "You're allowed to have whatever you want, unless it's a positive attitude before 10 a.m. In which case, you're dead to me."
I laugh, then look down at my hands, nails chewed to shit and cuticles a disaster. "I'm in love with him," I admit, my voice so low I barely hear it myself.
Liz is silent for a second, which in Liz-time is basically an eternity.
She leans in, her eyes wide. "Did you just say love?"
I nod.
"Holy shit," she whispers, and for once, there's nothing but awe on her face. "You're really in love with Trent Kirk."
"Yes," I say, a little louder this time. "I just… I never thought it would happen this way. Or ever, honestly." I blink wide eyes at her. "He wasn't supposed to love me back."
She's quiet for another beat, then reaches over and squeezes my forearm. "Of course he loves you back. Are you nuts? That man is wild about you. And, honestly, if they try to fire you over this, I'll set the place on fire. We'll open a bootleg PT clinic in the back of a donut shop or something. I'm serious."
The knot in my stomach loosens just a tiny bit. "Thanks. You're slightly unhinged but totally on my team, and I love you for that."
She grins at me. "Don't mention it. Now, go do damage control before Coach has a coronary. He's been pacing like a caged animal for an hour."
My blood goes cold, but Liz slaps me on the back so hard Inearly choke.
"Go, woman. Fortune favors the brave."
I try to steel myself, but my legs are so wobbly I nearly fall on my face three times on the way to Coach's office. With every step, I rehearse how I'm going to explain this, how I'm going to beg him to keep administration from firing me, how I'll apologize for nearly killing Trent and then sleeping with him.
By the time I reach his door, I'm sweating through my scrubs.
What if he fires me? What if I get banned from every team in the league?
What if Trent loses his shit and tries to fight Coach in the parking lot?
I almost turn and run, but Liz is lurking at the end of the hall, her arms crossed and her brow raised, as if she's silently willing me to go fight for my man.
So, I swallow my fear, square my shoulders, and reach for the doorknob.
It swings open before I can touch it, nearly smacking me in the forehead.
