“No,” I said. “Just do it.”
“It’s going to hurt,” she warned.
“I don’t care.”
“You got it bad,” she said, shaking her head.
“What are you talking about?” I ground out as she directed me to lie back.
“Piper. Only a lovesick fool would refuse numbing.”
“I’m not lovesick,” I demanded as she stuck the needle in and began to stitch me up. It hurt so much I almost asked for that numbing shot.
She made a sound like she disagreed, but I gritted my teeth against the pain.
I wasn’t lovesick. I’d never loved anyone in my entire life. I wasn’t about to start now.
* * *
When Piper let herself back into the room, the nurse was applying a bandage over my stitches. The whole upper half of my face hurt and I was rethinking my plan of getting her out of the diner. Why did my plans always end up with me getting hurt?
“I hear you had some morning!” the nurse exclaimed to Piper.
Piper glanced at me, then back at the nurse. “How much did you tell her?”
“When a woman has a needle in your head, you tell her whatever she asks,” I said, wincing and pushing myself into a sitting position.
Piper shifted and I noticed she was holding something in her hand. She came farther into the room and handed it to me. It was a cold pack.
“Here, this’ll help with the swelling.”
I took it gratefully.
“Now, tell me why you look so tired,” the nurse questioned her.
“It’s nothing,” Piper protested.
“Working too hard. Between school, work and this place, you never have any time to breathe.” She nodded her head.
I took advantage of the moment to set my plan into action. “I think she needs a vacation. After today, I think I need one too.”
“Ooh, yes! A vacation is what you need.”
I almost forgave her for jamming a needle in my head repeatedly.
Piper smiled. “That would be nice, but I don’t have time for that.”
“It’s the weekend. Why don’t we drive up to that resort I keep hearing people talk about… you know, the one northeast of Fairbanks…?” I snapped my fingers like I was trying to remember.
“Chena Hot Springs Resort?” The nurse supplied the name.
“That’s the one,” I agreed.
“I hear that place is nice. You can see the aurora borealis up there.”
“The what?” I said.
Piper smiled. “The northern lights. They’re supposed to be beautiful.”
