Page 160 of Wicked Grumpy Heart Doc

He still wasn’t a hundred percent convinced he was going to go, but at least he’d have the option.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Aiden

He walked into the hospital locker room at five in the morning, holding his garment bag over his shoulder. After the little pep talk he gave himself last night, when he woke up in the morning, he decided he was going to head to the Dragonfly Inn after all. It wouldn’t be the same without Dakota—frankly, it was going to suck. But he needed to move on and start living life and not hiding by working sixteen-hour days like he’d done for the last ten days.

He was also going to be better to the people who cared about him—and James was one of those people. He needed to support his friend.

He noticed Miles standing in front of his locker, tying the waistband on his scrubs.

“Hey, Miles. I thought you were on paternity leave?”

“Hi, Aiden. You know that’s not possible, we’re so fucking short staffed. But I am trying to keep it to forty hours, so my wife doesn’t leave me and take my baby girl with her.”

Miles sat on the bench and bent over to lace up his shoes but lifted his head toward the bag Aiden hung in his locker.

“What’s that?”

“My suit and tie. I’m headed to the Cape after my shift for James’s wedding reception.”

“James Rudolf?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t even know he was engaged.”

Aiden chuckled as he closed his locker. “Says the guy who got married and had a kid without hardly anyone knowing.”

The cardiothoracic surgeon sat up and shrugged. “The people who matter know. Are you still seeing Dakota?”

Aiden felt his face fall. “No. We called it quits on New Year’s Day.”

“Fuck, dude. I’m sorry. I gotta tell you, I’m surprised. You two seemed great together at the Halloween party.”

“Yeah, we were,” he said wistfully, then caught himself and pulled his shoulders back. “Until we weren’t.”

Miles stood and closed his locker. “Don’t know what that means, but I’m still sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.” He sounded pathetic, so he made sure to add, “But life goes on.”

“You think you’re going to try dating again?”

“I’m not looking, but I’m not going to rule it out, either. If it happens, it happens.”

“There’s someone out there for you, and you’ll find her when you least expect it.”

Aiden knew that scenario all too well. His mind flashed back to the parking lot at World’s End, then fast forwarded to Steven’s house over the Fourth of July. That hippy chick was the last thing he’d expected.

Then he fucked it up and fell in love with her—even when he assured her and himself that he wouldn’t.

“You’re right. It’ll happen when it’s supposed to.”

Look at me, all philosophical and shit.

“Have a good time at the reception. I’d say tell James congratulations for me, but, you know…”

He left the “but I swooped in and took James’s brother’s girl from him a week after they broke up, so they all hate me” part out.

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