“The actress Hannah Morgan’s in town.”
My eyes widen.“What for?”
“Filming a TV series.And fuck, she’s beautiful.”
I roll my eyes and take a big pull of my drink.Because the mention of a beautiful woman has Regan’s face flashing behind my eyes, and that’s exactly why I’m here.So I redirect him.
“Look at the scores!”I say.
Nate’s gaze follows, squinting at the numbers.“Holy shit.The Dragons are smashing them.”He leans back in his chair, shaking his head in disbelief.
I take another sip, watching the replay.“I heard Teddy is trying out for them.”
“No way.”Nate sets his beer down.“It would be nice to see a good kid from here make it big.”
“Shit turned around for them when Coach Jaxton took over.”I drag a hand through my hair, gaze back on the screen.
“True.That man’s a miracle worker.”
I check my watch.It’s been thirty minutes, and I’m still sitting here, pretending I’m fine.
The next morning, I don’t have a shift.But I can’t sit around doing nothing, so I head in anyway.Paperwork never ends, and it gives me something to focus on.
A couple of the nurses chuckle when they see me.God knows why.Probably because I’m here on my day off again.
I’m in the break room and start making a coffee.But as I open the fridge and see the creamer, it dawns on me that I haven’t even had to buy a new one in a week.No one else drinks it.And sometimes, I catch myself picking one up at the store anyway.Just out of habit.Or maybe stupid hope that she’ll come back and need it.
Closing the fridge a little harder than necessary, I take my coffee back to my office, where the silence presses in on me.I pull up charts, review schedules, draft emails, anything to keep my hands busy and my mind occupied.
After an hour, the distraction isn’t working anymore.The office feels empty.And staying here, on my day off, pretending to be productive when I’m really just avoiding going home alone?That’s pathetic.
I grab my keys and head out.
Elvira’s already here, folding my laundry.
She glances up as I come in, gives me a warm smile, then goes back to work.I head into my bedroom to change, and that’s when I notice it.
She’s not curled up in my bed.I quickly dress, ignoring the tightness in my throat, and head back out where Elvira looks up again, like she’s reading the shift in me.
“No girlfriend?”she asks gently.
She’s asked before, but I brushed it off with vague work schedule excuses, but she’s too perceptive for that.
I shake my head.“She left.Went to the city.”
I don’t bother correcting her about the girlfriend title because it’s too hard to explain our situationship.
She nods slowly, folding a pair of socks.“I thought so.House feels different.”
“It is.”
“She was nice,” she adds, not pushing.Just… remembering.“Had a good energy about her.”
“She did.”
There’s a quiet moment between us, nothing but the sound of fabric being folded.
Then she says, “What will be will be.If it’s meant to be, she’ll come back.”
