Chapter 17

Clara

I cannot believe Luke dropped off my damn lunch and then fucking kissed me in front of the nurses.

Ugh!

In the break room, eating said lunch, I angrily chew on the sandwich I made for myself, practically tearing the thing apart with my teeth.

Another resident and the closest thing I have to a friend, Jessica, comes up to the fridge and takes out her food to join me at the table.

"Hey, Clara." She sits, unzipping her bag before looking up at me with a mischievous grin that I know spells trouble. "So, the nurses are saying your boyfriend dropped off your food. Is that true?"

It's such an innocuous question, but I know Jess is looking for gossip to entertain her while she eats.

"Jess, I'm not here to validate rumors. I just want to eat and then get back to it."

She sighs, shaking her drink at me. "Oh, come on. It's been a slow day in internal medicine land. I'm bored."

I sigh. I'm not sure which would benefit me more. Telling Jess the truth or giving her the line that Luke came up with about dating him.

"I…" Her eyes go wide, and I can see her hanging on the edge for a bit of the tea. "He did."

"What?" She swats at me playfully. "You got yourself a boyfriend, and you didn't tell me? How dare you!"

Smiling mournfully, I set my sandwich down, knowing I'm not getting another bite until I give her enough gossip to chew on herself.

"It just sort of happened. With the whole break-in thing."

"Wait, is he, like, a cop or something?"

I laugh. "Ha, no. Far from it. Luke just helped out. He was in the right place at the right time, and it just sort of happened."

"So, that's where you've been staying while they comb your apartment. Makes sense now." She takes a sip of her Gatorade before pulling out a yogurt. "That's so sweet."

Hiding a sigh with the accompanying eye roll, I mumble to myself, "It's something."

I go back to my sandwich, eager to finish up before I have to head out to the floor again.

"So, he brings you forgotten lunch bags, helps when your apartment is broken into by some thug, and is apparently ‘really freaking hot,' according to Melody. This Luke person sounds like a damn catch."

With a chuckle, I pause, actually struck by the comment.

Luke the catch, huh? I guess…yeah. But he still started out as my patient, and I'm supposed to be working for him. It's weird.

I also know for a fact the man is a giant flirt and is actively about to, in fact, pay me for my "services" so I can put a chunk of change away for Beth's surgery.

It's far too complicated for my liking.

I catch Jess staring at me as I come out of my thoughts, and I just smile at her. I don't want to be talking about this anymore.

"So, how's Kevin?"

Jess snorts, finishing up a bite of her yogurt. "He's a damn troublemaker. The school has called me twice this week."

"Oh, no. Really?" I know Jess has been having some issues with her son because he's being picked on, but this sounds different.

"It's not his fault. He said the teachers weren't doing anything to stop Billy Colton from teasing him, so he shoved him away."

Putting a hand on her shoulder, I rub gently. "That sucks. I was picked on, too, and it's like this a lot. It's the kid at the butt end of it all that gets in trouble when they snap."

"It's going to be fine. I know it." Jess sighs. "Kev has a note from the kid bullying him, and we're going to bring it to the principal. I didn't want to do it because I knew it was going to escalate things. But the time's come."

"Hey, I'm here for you. If someone was picking on my kid, I wouldn't mess around."

"You planning on having kids with this Luke fellow?"

I nearly choke on my drink.

"Um, no. Absolutely not. I have enough on my plate, thank you very much." My chest pinches as I think about the other thing standing in my way. "Plus, I…I can't get pregnant."

Jess immediately sobers, and now I'm the one getting the shoulder rub.

"Oh, no, babe. I'm sorry. It's different when the choice is taken away."

Fighting back the sudden need to cry, I'm a bit shocked by how thoroughly Jess hits the nail on the head. "It really is."

We both sit there in silence for a moment, and then I sigh, doing my best to change the subject.

"It's fine, though. I've never been particularly nurturing, and besides, the patients I've dealt with are big enough babies to squash any curiosity. I like my life exactly how it is."

Jess tilts the corner of her mouth up in a sarcastic grin, and I narrow my eyes at her as I take a sip of my drink.

"What?"

She shakes her head. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking that if I had that kind of hottie paying attention to me, I'd be pretty happy with my life, too."

"Jessica!" I laugh through an eye roll. "Well, you know, if you want him that much…"

I let that hang before Jess elbows me in the arm playfully.

"You better watch out. If I thought you were serious, I'd snatch him up."

My chest pinches, and I want to just tell her it's all fake, that I don't want Luke, and she is more than welcome to him.

But…

I can't.

And I'm not ready to examine why that truly is—because I know it has nothing to do with my reluctance to tell her about the Cobras.

So, I just laugh it off—like I have been doing with everything lately—and we finish our lunch chatting about more stuff that just doesn't really matter.

* * *

My shift over,I drive back to Luke's and I'm ready to completely avoid him when I get home.

That stunt he pulled at the hospital has followed me all day, and I need a damn break from it.

From him.

As soon as I step foot in the door, however, I'm greeted by Luke wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts as he stands at the kitchen island.

Damn those muscles and all their glory. I wish he wasn't such eye candy.

I try to set my keys down quietly so he doesn't turn around from his laptop where he's set it on the marble, but they jingle too loudly against the catchall basket.

Luke spins around, smiling at me. It's gorgeous and genuine, and for a split second, I can see him doing this for me every day when I get home from the hospital.

The doting husband.

"Hey, doc. How was the rest of your shift?"

That ring of mischievousness in his voice snaps me out of my head, and I glare at him.

"Fine. I'm eating alone in my room tonight. Thank you very much."

He puts a hand to his chest like he's been wounded. "Oh, zinger. You still that upset?"

I just raise my brows at him, not saying a word as I slip off my white coat and ditch my sneakers.

He looks on, a little shocked, and then leans back against the island, folding his arms over his chest.

It makes his pectorals flex, and I have to quickly blink my eyes away from staring at him before I start drooling.

"All right, then." He flicks his hazel eyes down to the floor and then back up at me with a sheepish grin. "Well, I'd at least like to get in a bit more attention for ye old side injury since I am paying you to help me."

My eyes flare at that, and I want to cross the room and smack that smile off his face. But I know he's doing it to get a rise out of me, so I won't let him.

I'll stay above all this and act like the professional I am.

"After you."

I hold a hand out toward the living area, and when I meet Luke by the couch, I take a quick look at how he's healing.

"No pus, no swelling. Pain?" I poke just enough to know it'll be uncomfortable, and Luke flinches. "Oh, just a little. You'll be fine. Touch your toes."

There's real frustration in Luke's stare now, and he clenches his jaw as he reaches down and grazes the tops of his socked feet.

"Good. All right. Session over."

I turn to leave, but Luke snags my arm and spins me around to face him. I crash against his chest, and he stares daggers down at me as his fingers press into my bicep.

"Need I remind you, I'm keeping you safe by allowing you to stay here."

Scoffing as my mouth falls open, I snatch my arm back.

"Allowing me? You practically begged me to stay here."

I watch as he runs his tongue over his teeth behind his lip, and then Luke sags.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude on your work."

Eyeing him with a cocked brow, I give a I don't buy that for a second look. Luke rolls his head back before holding his hands up.

"Fine. Fine. I did. I won't do it again. I'm sorry."

It's honest and forthright, and Luke isn't running away from my anger.

"Damn." I crack a smile. "You take all the fun out of a fight, don't you?"

His stupid, charming grin is back, and he reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone.

"Takeout?"