Page 21 of Let Me Love You

“Chuck, Daisy, and Luna,” Caity replies.

I sniffle. “Cute names.”

“Thanks. Me and my hubby, Alec, came up with them.”

I nod, thumbing my keys in my hand and looking at her again. “How’d they find out about my OF account?”

The same swell of pity swirls in her hazel eyes. “One of the nurse’s boyfriends was friends with a guy named…Shorty?” Caity shakes her head. “Not that it matters. Most hospitals and doctor’s offices do their research before interviewing people, let alone hiring them. Ms. Foster usually asks me to do a quick search on social media, and I tell her what I find.”

My head bobs up and down absently. She’s right. I should’ve known I wouldn’t have been able to keep my OF account a secret. It didn’t matter that I never showed my face in any of the photos. Didn’t matter that the majority of pictures were only of my feet or me in a bikini or lingerie. The damage is done. And if I’ve learned anything from my experience, it’s that once the photos are out there, they’re out there forever. There’s no going back.

And it fucking sucks.

I could always call Uncle Fender. After all, the guy’s a rockstar with more connections than some of our presidents. He’d probably be able to get most of the photos taken down. But the damage is already done, at least locally. If I want a real chance at being hired, I’m going to have to move away. And I don’t want to have to move away. My chin touches my chest as I take a slow, deep breath.

This freaking sucks.

“Can I buy you a coffee or something?” Caity asks. “Maybe an iced caramel mocha with whole milk?” she prods. “My treat.”

“It’s fine.” I wipe beneath my eyes with my forefinger, attempting to keep my dark eyeliner in place. “Thanks, though.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“I like your tattoo,” I add, my attention dropping to the same book tattoo with a rose through it I’d noticed earlier. “What does it say?”

She lifts her arm, dragging her fingers over the ink as if lost in thought. “It says to be continued…”

“I like it,” I murmur. “I like it a lot.”

“Me too.” Her hazel eyes meet mine again. “Don’t let Ms. Foster get you down. Or any of the other shit,” she clarifies with a reassuring smile. “You got this.”

“Thanks.”

And for some reason, as I watch her walk back into the hospital, I can’t help but think maybe she’s right. It might not be in the nursing field, but if I’ve learned anything in my life, I’ve learned I will get back up again. I have to. I think back on her tattoo.

To be continued…

I got this.

7

ASHLYN

The scent of garlic and parmesan hits me full force as Colt opens the restaurant door for me. He’s a little more on edge than normal. I don’t know why. He’s been shifty ever since I moved in with him, but a lot’s changing, so I get it.

And what better way to step back and enjoy the little things than to go on a date with the one you love?

Red leather booths and gold chandeliers greet us, giving us the perfect and most beautiful ambiance a girl could ask for, especially when my stomach is rumbling the way it is. I spent the day helping Blakely with a few kids at the basketball court, and I’m famished.

Food. I need food.

With Colt’s hand pressed against my lower back, he guides me to the hostess stand and tells her his last name so she can pull up our reservation.

Once she finds it, the girl grabs two menus and leads us back to our table. As I slip into the booth, Colt sits on the opposite side and laces his fingers in front of him, his eyes rolling over my curves and the white sundress I’d chosen for our date tonight.

“You look beautiful, Sunshine,” he tells me, turning me into putty with a single genuine compliment.

And it’s funny.

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