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“Revenge of the Nerds? Really?” I groaned as she turned it on. “I told you that being called a nerd is not an insult.”
She nodded, patting my leg. “Keep telling yourself that, Law.”
I sighed and settled back into the couch, adjusting the deep green pillow behind my head.
She watched me, one brow arched. Her lips twitched, but stopped when I gave a quick shake of my head.
“Don’t say it,” I grumbled.
She laughed loudly, the sound washing over me.
And that felt good too.
17
Piper
“I don’t know, he’s just…different.” I took a sip of my water, wincing as it burned on the way down.
Hampton looked up from his lunch that was spread out in front of him and asked, “You okay?”
I shook my head and tried another small sip. “I feel like crap.”
“Maybe it’s all that singing you’ve been doing lately,” he teased.
We’d just finished triaging a patient and had escaped to the doctors’ lounge for a quick break and I’d just told him about how Lawson had teased me the other day, actually making a joke instead of his normal surly attitude he’d had toward me. It had been a few days since then, and things in the house had been strange.
But in a good way.
I was feeling less like I was behind enemy lines and more like I was actually welcome and wanted in Lawson’s house.
He pushed the plate away and leaned back in his chair, scrubbing a hand over his face. “So you and Lawson actually spent time together? Without him chewing your ass about something?”
I nodded.
We’d watched the movie I picked and I’d even managed to get an ‘I told you so’ in when I’d caught him wrapping up in the blanket I’d bought for the couch. Then we’d gone our separate ways and I hadn’t seen much of him since. But he hadn’t grumbled about my clothes in the bathroom or my socks by the door.
I wrapped my arms around my waist, trying to still the shivering. “I still think it might be a good idea for me to look for another place to live. I’m probably making him miserable.”
“I’m sure you are, just not the way you think,” he muttered, grabbing his phone from the table when it chimed.
I cocked my head. “What do you mean?”
Lifting his head, he gave it a shake. “Nothing. Hey, you wanna grab dinner with Smith and me?” He waved his phone in my direction. “Whatever he had going on tonight got cancelled.”
Checking my watch, relief washed over me when I realized my shift was almost over. Only another hour of feeling like I was going to die and then I could go home. “I’d love to, but I’m exhausted. I need to get in bed.”
He eyed me suspiciously. “Yeah, you do look terrible. How long have you been sick?”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks a lot. Just a few days. But I can’t miss any of my shifts. I’ll be fine, just need some Tylenol, I think.”
I pushed out of my seat, my muscles protesting. I was achy all over, and the movement had caused my head to pound even harder. I groaned and began coughing.
Hampton stood. “Go home. Get in bed.”
“I only have an hour left,” I protested. “I’ll be fine.”
He gave a firm shake of his head and narrowed his eyes at me. “Doctor’s orders, Pip. Go home.”
