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Kara’s no snitch. Try again big boy.
I put my phone back into my pocket and entered a patient’s room to check on them. Mrs. Foley was old, but strong. I checked on her medicine and chatted a bit with her daughter. Her daughter was here nearly every day, even though she had a family of her own. Seeing the easy way they finished each other’s sentences made me ache. I missed my mother. She would have kicked Tim’s ass and known exactly how to get away from him without giving up her whole life. Mom wouldn’t have settled for a life of being on the run, scared and alone. But I wasn’t her.
My phone vibrated twice in my pocket. I ignored it and continued onwards down the hall. After I turned Mr. Reiter and washed my hands, I lifted my phone out of my pocket and peeked at the new message.
Clever girl. A gentleman never stalks and tells. You’ll just have to tolerate me for a while.
Flattery, but bordered on creepy a bit. I didn’t need another obsessive man in my life. One stalker ex-husband was enough for a lifetime. I decided to put my cards on the table. Although I spent quite a bit of time with Jared and his brothers over the last few weeks, they knew extraordinarily little about me. I always kept the conversation focused on light-hearted topics or the hospital. We never discussed my past. In fact, I purposely never even mentioned my daughters.
Listen, I want to be straight with you. I’ve got two daughters and they’re my number one priority. I’m not looking for anything serious at the moment because I don’t have time to take care of myself, let alone anyone other than my girls. We can have fun, but that’s where I draw the line. Falling in love is too complicated.
Reset your boundaries. This is getting too personal. That should scare him away. Things could get awkward if he felt rejected and Frank would only be in the hospital a few more days. I could be friendly with him, but I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. Jared, Frank, and Wes were all sexy in their own ways but I wasn’t living in Goldilocks land. I couldn’t sample triplets to decide which one was “just right”. If you were a man, it wouldn’t be a problem. That’s true. Maybe I could simply keep it light and friendly with them all. No kisses, no commitments. Once Frank leaves the hospital, I’ll make a decision which one I want to pursue. Right now, I was leaning towards Wes’s sensitivity, but Jared was clearly the more aggressive of the three. There was something to be said for a man that knows what he wants and goes after it. But Frank was recovering in the hospital, I hardly figured the situation to be a fair play. Listen to yourself. You sound like an arrogant ass. How are you even sure they’re interested in you? It’s not like men and women can’t be friends. You’re their brother’s nurse for crying out loud. My cheeks burned as I repeated what I sent to Jared. Falling in love is too complicated. Was it possible that I was misunderstanding this entire ordeal? This drama might be in my head. What if instead of being angry because he was jealous, what if Wes found me unprofessional and was upset that I was taking a break with his brother instead of staying within the hospital? You’re always in your head making up fairy tales. That’s how you got into trouble with Tim in the first place. You always see what you want to see instead of what’s actually in front of your face.
My stomach churned with embarrassment. I groaned and checked my phone. He hadn’t responded. Great. I wanted to scare him. Not let him know I was inches away from falling in love. I took a deep breath and compiled another text. I need to explain myself. If I provided context, maybe I wouldn’t sound presumptuous. There’s no way you’re wrong about this. Have you ever done this before? This is something new. And special. Don’t lose it because you’re afraid.
My ex-husband was violent. I’ve moved all over the country to try and out run him. Somehow, he always finds me. I’m afraid of what he would do if he knew I was in a relationship. I’ve got to protect my girls.
I pressed send before I could change my mind. Spilling my guts to a stranger was risky, but I wanted him to know where my mind was. My hesitancy towards intimate relationships had nothing to do with him. Almost immediately, my phone buzzed.
Your ex-husband’s a tool. You want me to take care of him for you? I can be a real knight in shining armor when I want to be. Rough him up, make him regret the day you met?
I was relieved to realize his sense of humor carried over through text. He was taking my admissions lightly. A little harmless flirtation wouldn’t hurt.
Knights are fun, but that’s not what I really need.
My stomach flip flopped. It had been so long since I engaged in a flirtation. I forgot how fun it was. The rush of emotion and then a stab of anger. Tim had stolen more from me than I ever realized. It was all his fault. My life would be so much better if he didn’t exist. If I didn’t have to deal with him, hide from him, keep his secrets, and worry about the girls. Not only did I have to worry about him, I had to remain a single mother. Everything was on me. All the time. My entire life revolved around other people. Who’s life revolved around me?
Well what do you need, pretty girl? Let me know. I want to be it. Even if I have to shapeshift to do it.
As slick as he was trying to be, Jared was being extremely sweet. Tim was only like that in the beginning. I thought he was the greatest catch. He was dangerous, sweet, funny, and incredibly sexy. Until he wasn’t. To keep me on the hook, he would resurrect the old Tim for a few days, weeks, months on occasion. However long he needed until I dropped my guard again. I finally learned that Tim didn’t exist. It was a mask. He didn’t care about anything other than getting what he wanted. And what he wanted was to hurt me as much as possible.
Ever think about a career change? I think what I really need is a hitman.
How simple and easy I made it sound. One bullet and I would be free. What percentage of contract kills are ex-spouses? As soon as I hit send, a rush of panic enveloped me. Not everyone has the same sense of humor. Would he think I went too far? I also didn’t want to come off sounding bitter. That was almost worse than homicidal. He responded almost immediately. It felt good that he was waiting for my messages. Wherever he was.
I’m probably overdue for a mid-life crisis. Why not? Are the benefits good?
I ducked into the lounge to text him again. Baby trust me. I’ll make it worth your while. :P
Was he still in the hospital? Sitting next to Wes at Frank’s bedside? I felt a bit guilty. Jared now had an unfair advantage against his brothers. And he wasn’t afraid to use it. He was a guy used to winning. His response echoed my sentiments, almost as if he read my mind.
I’m a numbers guy. Spell it out for me in black and white.
He couldn’t be serious. Could he? I decided to continue with the humorous angle.
Numbers huh? Well, maybe you can be a magician instead. Fancy making someone disappear for me?
If only my life could be cleaned up with such a simple transaction.
I’ve got all the magic you’re looking for and more. You just gotta give me a chance.
Damn. I was in trouble. I need to cut it out. I’ve been staring at my phone for too long today. If I kept this up, I was going to be unemployed. Maybe with a boyfriend to drown my sorrows, but penniless, nonetheless. Ugh.
Okay Houdini. I need to get back to work. Your brother is next.
I exited the lounge and went to the bathroom and fluf
fed my hair. Pinching my cheeks until they became rosy, I smoothed my worn scrubs and headed to Frank’s room. Most of the nurses wear scrubs that show personality; their favorite cartoon characters, adorable doodles, bright colors or flowers. I wore the standard hospital issued plain green. Saving money where I can, I usually skip the vanity exercises. But lately I was wondering whether that was a mistake. Hopefully, Jared stuck around. It was possible he left already. I’m sure he has other things to do all day than to sit and flirt with his brother’s nurse. A girl could hope though. As soon as I entered, I found Wes and Frank playing cards. My heart sank a bit. Jared was good at the game. I wasn’t even sure whether Wes and Frank were playing. I decided to throw out some banter and see if they were in the mood. “How much is the buy-in? I’ve got some cash to throw around.”
