AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, I just mean…you, as you are, you’re amazing.”
I snuggled in tighter. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.”
He held me close, and I could feel myself drifting off. The past two days catching up with me.
Then Jordan spoke softly, “I could be happy here.”
I blinked awake again, unsure what he meant. “Yeah?”
He waited another second, as if he didn’t know whether or not to respond. “If you picked Seattle, I could be happy here, too.”
My eyes widened in the bed, and I looked up into his perfectly sincere face. “What are you saying?”
“I think you know.”
“You’d move here with me?” I asked.
He nodded once. “If this was what you wanted.”
And I didn’t have words for that gift, so I kissed him and let my body say everything I couldn’t bring myself to say.
27
Annie
Returning to normal life was a struggle. I wanted the life that we’d had together in Seattle. The wave of fresh and new, Jordan’s friends nearby, the incredible team at the University of Washington residency. I wanted it all.
And Jordan had just offered it to me on a platter.
He’d said that he’d actually move with me.
It felt…too good to be true. I’d avoided dating for so long, thinking that I couldn’t get with anyone that I was going to have to leave behind…like Chase had left me behind. But now, Jordan was saying that I could have it all. That he’d go with me.
I just had to get together my list of residency programs for selection. It was the single most important decision of my career, and I didn’t want to fuck it up. I’d been moving programs up and down the list since I started interviewing.
In a week, I had to make my final choice.
And I’d just moved Seattle to the top.
* * *
Seattle—University of Washington
Baltimore—Johns Hopkins (unlikely but necessary)
Atlanta—Emory
Los Angeles—University of Southern California
Dallas—University of Texas, Southwestern
…
* * *
The entire list was sixteen total schools with Texas Tech at the bottom. I’d probably partner with a school before Tech, but it was good to have a safety school on the list, just in case.
I stared down at the list on my phone as Jennifer pulled up to the soccer complex. I’d missed a few indoor meets because of interviewing and overnights at the hospital. Isaac had said that it was fine and that they’d gotten someone else to sub in. But I’d gotten texts from Cézanne and Julian, asking if I was coming today. Apparently, Blaire had gotten Piper to sub, and she and Hollin had been at each other’s throats the entire time. Everyone was glad to have me back.
I hopped out of Bertha—Jennifer’s wreck of a car—grabbing my bag out of the back, and walked with her into the complex. Jordan and Julian were standing near the entrance, huddled together with the woman I recognized as their mother. I’d seen her around at Wright events, though I wasn’t sure we’d ever been formally introduced.
“Annie,” Jordan said, waving me over.
Go ahead,” Jennifer said.
“See you after,” I told her.
Then, I headed toward Jordan as she walked toward Blaire and Piper since Sutton wasn’t at this game.
“Hey, babe,” Jordan said.
He reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together. I flushed at the easy contact. Things had changed in Seattle when we got to be ourselves without any other eyes on us. But here, I still wasn’t entirely used to it…even if I didn’t mind.
“Hey,” I said with a smile.
“I wanted to introduce you to my mom,” Jordan said.
“You must be the Annie I’ve heard so much about. I’m Helene.” She pulled me into a hug in lieu of shaking hands. “It’s so nice to meet you. Jordan and Julian speak so highly of you, and I’m glad to see Jordan finally happy again.”
“I’ve been happy, Mom,” Jordan said with a laugh.
Julian eyed him skeptically. “Yeah, right.”
“You’ve been pouting since we left Vancouver,” Helene said.
I covered my laugh. “I didn’t really know the difference until we went to Seattle and I saw him with his friends.”
“Cush?” Julian guessed.
Helene sighed in exasperation. “That boy! He can eat you out of house and home. Did you see Tye, too? He’s such a sweetheart.”
“Yes, Mom, We saw Cush and Tye. Georgia was with them, too.”
“You should invite them down,” Helene said. “I’ll make that peach pie they all devoured.”
“I’ll let them know,” he said with a laugh.
“And you’re welcome to come to dinner, dear,” she added to me.
“Thank you so much, but I actually have a hospital shift after I leave here.”
“Next time you’re free then,”
“I’d love to.”
“See now, Jordan, you can’t hide her from us anymore,” his mother said. She winked at me and then headed into the stands to watch the game.
Jordan shook his head. “It’s so fun when you guys gang up on me.”
Julian shrugged. “Only way we know how to show our love.”
