Page 2 of A Love That Broke Us
“I have a boner,” I blurt, laughter bubbling out of me.
“Is that so?” The same woman’s voice responds, amusement in her tone.
My eyes flutter open, adjusting to the blinding brightness. Shapes blur, then sharpen, until I lock onto a pretty blonde standing over me. Her lips twitch, barely fighting back laughter.
“That’s pretty normal,” she says, patting my arm. “Welcome back. I’m Alley, your nurse. How was your trip?” She winks. “Sounds like you were having some pretty wild dreams.”
Is this the blonde from my dream?
“What’s your pain level?”
I stare at her as the haziness in my brain clears.Oh, yeah. Knee surgery. God, my throat feels like sandpaper.
“Um…” I croak, my voice rough. “Can I have some water?”
“No, sorry. But you can have some ice chips.” She hands me a cup filled with ice—the kind that crunches perfectly between your teeth and tastes like childhood summers—red cups, and Dr. Pepper at Pizza Hut. “Do you have any pain?”
I shake my head, distracted by her smile and the one dimple in her cheek. “God, you’re pretty,” I say, the words spilling out, my drugged brain betraying me.
She grins. “Oh, yeah? Is that why you still have a boner?”
I glance down, the blanket tenting over my lap.
I nod.
“I’m sorry,” she says suddenly. “I shouldn’t have said that. I hope you’re still loopy enough to forget this conversation.”
I chuckle. “No chance. I’m going to remember this forever. I have a hot nurse.”
She laughs softly, meeting my gaze with amused eyes, then ruffles my hair like I’m her kid brother. “Yeah, well, I’m not your nurse for much longer. You’re in PACU. We’ll be taking you down to your recovery room in a minute.”
“No, don’t go,” I murmur softly, the words slipping out unfiltered. I’m awake, but still disoriented. I can’t hold them back.
She smirks but doesn’t reply, helping me sit up as another nurse approaches, an older woman with a kind face.
“How’s he doing?” the older nurse asks, her gaze landing on me. “Can you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?”
I clear my throat, swallowing against the dryness. “A four, I guess. It’s not bad.”
“That’s good. I’m Cindy. We’re going to take you down to recovery now. Ready for a ride?”
I nod, then glance at Alley. “Are you coming too?”
Her grin lights up her face. “Slow down, lover boy. I’m coming.”
The gurney rolls forward, the ceiling lights blurring above me as I’m wheeled down the hallway. The soft hum of wheels on tile lulls me, and I close my eyes for what feels like just a second. When I open them again, I’m in a different room, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, nurses, but none of them are Alley.
“I can’t stop thinkingabout that nurse,” I say, pulling Matt’s attention away from the TV. We’re about a month into fantasy football and my team’s holding pretty strong.
“So, ask her out,” Matt says, as if I haven’t considered it a hundred times.
“Yeah, because walking up to the PACU floor like a creep is totally normal.” I groan, running a hand through my hair. “Not that it matters, I don’t know her schedule anyway.”
He glances over, one eyebrow raised. “How hot are we talking?”
“Hot. Like a ten out of ten. But not obvious-hot. More girl-next-door hot.” I grin, remembering her teasing me about my hard-on.
“That’s the best kind of hot,” Matt says, taking a swig of his beer. “Go find her. A hospital unit’s never stopped you before. Remember when you stalked that bartender in college? You spent every Friday night at her bar for, what, a month?”
