Page 47 of Forever to Fall
She nearly felt guilty for the look on his face, but then she remembered their last interaction and shook away the guilt. “You wouldn’t believe some of the characters that come to the ER. Sadly, it’s worth noting when patients aren’t Ted Bundy.”
Beckett took a step closer, shoving his hands in his pockets as if he was afraid to get too close. “Sometimes I really worry about you, Mal. Are you safe here?” His eyes were unblinking, a pensive expression on his freckled face.
Mallory warmed at his concern but soldiered on. “Yes, as safe as anyone is anymore. The hospital has great security, and all the doctors are receptive to our concerns when we have them.”
“That’s something at least,” he muttered. He kicked at the tiled floor, scuffing his shoe.
An alarm sounded outside their room, and Mallory knew it was all hands on deck. “I have to go. That’s a code red.” She threw the door open and took a step before she felt Beckett’s hand on her shoulder.
“Have dinner with me tonight.” It wasn’t a question, and she wished she had the time to dissect this new expression on his face. Was that hope she saw through his crooked glasses?
“I—” Alarms rang all around them, and Mallory cursed her job of saving lives. Right now the person in dire need of medical attention was her.
“Please, Mal.”
Nurses and doctors raced past them, and Mallory had to move. “I don’t know if I have time to come out to the house.”
Beckett shook his head. “I’m back at my apartment. Stop by whenever you’re off work, I’ll be there.”
“Nurse Lawson!” someone shouted beyond them, and Mallory reluctantly pulled free of Beckett’s hold.
“I get off at six, but that’s only if this isn’t pure chaos.”
“Whenever you’re ready. I’ll be there.”
Mallory offered a quick tip of her head before she turned and ran toward the admissions area. As horrible as the scene was that greeted her, she was relieved to have a reprieve from Beckett—and his touch. Even his fingers grazing her shoulder had burned her like a branding. Her heart told her to stay away from him, to keep things platonic and focus on the wedding planning. But there was something about his tone, something about the soft expression behind his smudged gaze that drew her back in.
Once again, Mallory was powerless to stop the pull to Beckett Fox. At least she worked with one of the top medical teams in the Midwest. Perhaps it was time to find a cardiologist to address the issue of her erratic heart.
*
When Beckett got backto his apartment, he immediately slumped onto the couch. The apartment was nice, or nice enough, but after spending so much time back at the farm house, he wondered what the hell he was doing. It wasn’t that he was past his grief, far from it, but being back at the old place wasn’t as painful as he thought it would be. Granted there was a five-foot-four distraction with chocolate braids that helped, but she wasn’t there now.
But she would be here soon, and that was something.
Understanding that they couldn’t live on takeout alone, Beckett had stopped by the market for a few things to make dinner. He chopped vegetables for a salad and got the fixings for French bread pizza together. Was this a ploy for Mallory to lower her guard? Absolutely. Was he ashamed of his methods? Absolutely not. If the nostalgia of bread and cheese made her smile, he’d make it for her every day of his life.
When dinner was prepped and ready, Beckett’s watch told him he still had an hour until her shift was over. Unable to focus on the television, he booted up his laptop and logged into World of Warcraft and kicked up his feet. Getting lost in a world of magic and warriors felt like a vacation right about now.
His gaming buddy WickedWarri0rBr0 was on, and Beckett typed out a message.
FoxyMage96:Hey man, got time for a quick raid?
WickedWarri0rBr0:For you, Foxy, of course.
Beckett’s lips quirked as the nickname, knowing this stranger and Evan had never met. There was something to be said for having connections like this one, anonymous people who shared a hobby and generally kept the drama low. There were no expectations—save from keeping each other’s characters alive—and that was what Beckett loved about it.
When his parents divorced, they’d bought him a gaming console as a consolation prize at the end of his childhood. Within hours of logging into his first game, Beckett was hooked. As a pre-teen boy with a newfound distrust of the world, being able to kill faceless enemies made him feel alive. What he didn’t expect, and to this day still enjoyed, were the online friendships. WickedWarri0rBr0 was just one of the guys he’d met along the way, and he felt like a virtual version of Evan. Although there was one big exception—Evan didn’t know he was in love with Mallory.
WickedWarri0rBr0:What’s your plans tonight? Can’t imagine a single guy wants to spend all night on WoW.
FoxyMage96:You’d be surprised. I only have an hour. A friend’s coming over for dinner.
WickedWarri0rBr0:A friend or afriend.He helpfully added some NSFW emojis, causing Beckett to snort.
FoxyMage96:I wish, man. She’s really just a friend.
But even as Beckett typed the words, he knew they weren’t true. Mallory had always been more, and it was becoming impossible to pretend otherwise. His life made sense when she was in it, and not just as the sidekick to his and Evan’s shenanigans.
