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“What?”
Clearly, she didn’t fill him in on our session.
“I started rehab yesterday for my leg. She was my therapist.”
He huffs. “How did that go?”
“Not great. Think she might have pressed on my knee harder than was necessary.”
Greyson bursts out laughing. “Serves you right for ignoring her all those years.”
I get it. I was a terrible human being. How long will I have to be reminded?
“Brinn makes her own decisions. Why are you talking to me about this?”
I hang my head. “I may have walked out on our session early and been a tiny bit unkind to her.”
“You are the worst.”
“I know, I know. I need you to convince her to help me out, though. I’m sure she hates me now.”
“Brinn never hates anyone. But this isn’t a good time. She’s trying to finish up her doctorate. She doesn’t need any distractions.”
I grab his shoulders. “It’s only for one night, I promise. I just need time to convince my grandfather a wife isn’t necessary. Brinn pretends to be my fiancée for the retirement party and then it’s over."
He plops down on the beach, looking out at the ocean. I take a seat next to him.
“I need this Greyson. I’m trying to crawl out of the hole I’ve been in since I came home. But it’s a struggle every day. I need something positive to focus on.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll talk to her. But I can’t promise you anything. She’s not a little girl anymore. She doesn’t listen to everything I say. She’s a grown woman.”
Believe me, I noticed.
“One night and that’s it. You’re not going to fall for her, are you?”
I laugh. “Of course not. One night won’t change a thing.”
Chapter three
Brinn
I am not a morning person. Early classes always have me rushing to be on time. Searching for an outfit is like a scavenger hunt. Putting away clean clothes has always been last on my to-do list.
After finding a shirt hanging from my lamp and some jeans under the bed, I head to the kitchen. Coffee. I need coffee. I start a pot brewing and throw some bread into the toaster oven.
My mind drifts back to the session with Jackson. It brought up so many old memories, seeing him again, and none of them good. I never let it show how he affected me as a kid, but his treatment hurt. You always want your brother’s best friend to accept you. Jackson not only rejected my presence but made me feel insignificant. That’s hard to get over.
When I saw he was my patient, I promised myself he wouldn’t faze me as an adult. I’m a successful professional, one step away from a doctorate in physical therapy. His opinion of me no longer matters.
Sure, his perfectly groomed dark hair and chiseled jawline make him mildly attractive. Ok, a lot attractive. But I won’t let his good looks distract me.
The smell of burnt toast pulls me from my daydream. I grab it without thinking, scalding my hand. Ugh. I don’t have time for this. I run my fingers under cold water until the pain subsides.
I can’t waste another second thinking about Jackson, I need to get to class. This is my final semester, and my grades need to be stellar. My parents will accept nothing less. I’m an adult but still seek their approval because truthfully, I’ve never had it.
My brother Greyson is a cardiologist, the best of the best. He’s always been the center of attention in the family. But he didn’t ask for the spotlight. He tried to downplay it all to spare my feelings.
Greyson is an amazing older brother. He always makes me feel important, unlike his best friend. On more than one occasion, I saw him let Jackson have it for treating me the way he did. Unfortunately, it never made any difference. I learned to just stay away entirely when Jackson was around.
