I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. “I know that too.”
His eyes drop to my mouth one more time, and for a second, I think he’s going to kiss me again, but he doesn’t. He opens the door and steps into the hallway.
I wait a few seconds before following. I smooth my clothes and pat down my hair because I’m sure it’s sticking up all over the place.
I take a deep breath, and when I step into the hallway, Nurse Jenner looks up from the desk. Her eyes move over me, then toward Penn as he disappears around the corner.
I lift my chin and keep walking.
Penn Brody is jealous and is coming home. No, we’re not fixed, but for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like he’s trying to let me go.
CHAPTER 17
PENN
It’s two o’clock in the morning when I finally get home.
I shower and go straight to bed.
I’m careful when I pull back the covers, trying not to wake up Aria, but the second I lie down, she rolls toward me. Her arm slides across my stomach, her leg hooks over mine, and her face presses against my chest like she’s been waiting for me.
My whole body goes still. “Aria,” I whisper.
She doesn’t answer. She’s asleep, but she’s holding on to me.
I close my eyes, and something in me finally settles.
I wrap my arm around her and pull her closer.
I sleep better than I have in a long time. It’s not enough but definitely better.
When my alarm goes off, it feels like I’ve only been asleep for five minutes. Aria is still wrapped around me, and it takes everything in me to slide out of bed without waking her.
I stand there for a second, looking down at her. I hate leaving.
But I’m determined to make it to dinner tonight, so I’m getting up early and heading to the hospital before she wakes up. The sooner I get there, the better chance I have of getting everything done on time. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
By ten, I’ve already been pulled in three different directions. By noon, I’m behind. By two, I know I’m going to have to fight like hell to leave on time. And by four, I lose a patient.
Mr. Harley. He’s seventy-two years old. He’s a husband, father, and grandfather. The halls of the hospital have been filled for days with his family, all worried about him. He had complications from surgery, and every time we thought we were getting ahead of it, something else went wrong. We did everything we could, and that’s what I tell his wife and his daughter. But even knowing I did all I could, I am hit with a heavy weight because it still wasn’t enough.
I go through the rest of my shift with a heavy weight on me. Losing a patient is never easy, and this one is even harder than most. I sign what needs to be signed and check on everyone who needs to be checked on.
By the time I make it to my office, it’s already five. I have forty-five minutes to get home, shower, change, and be ready to go.
For one second, I think about calling her. I’m not going to cancel, but maybe I should warn her about my state of mind. But quickly, I decide against it. Aria deserves more than my excuses, and I will not let her down.
I grab my bag and leave. I make it home in record time. Aria is upstairs when I walk in, and I can hear her moving around in our bedroom.
I don’t have a lot of time, so I shower in the downstairs bathroom. Wrapped in a towel, I walk upstairs to the closet and get dressed. I’m coming out of the closet, buttoning my cuffs when I stop in the doorway.
She’s wearing a dark green dress that hugs her in every place I want my hands. Her hair is down, and when she turns and sees me, her lips lift into a smile. “You made it.”
I sit down on the edge of the bed and put my socks on. “I said I would.”
She comes to stand in front of me. “I know. But I also know your job.”
Guilt settles in my chest. “I’m here.”
