I hand her the coffee. She looks at it thoughtfully, then regards me for a few moments. “You should know I’m not going to sleep with you.”
My brows shoot up at her bluntness. “What makes you think I want to sleep with you?”
“Oh, come on. The drinks you sent to my table. The fuck-me eyes you were giving me.”
I try to look innocent. “That was you?”
“The knight-in-shining-armor act after my fall.”
“It wasn’t an act. I was being a good Samaritan. And for argument’s sake—not that I want to sleep with you—but why wouldn’t you?”
She looks me up and down. Parts of my anatomy tingle under her perusal. “Look at you. You’re in a rock band. You probably have syphilis or something, not to mention I don’t do one-nighters, nor do I sleep with arrogant men I’ve just met.”
“Arrogant? Who says I’m arrogant?”
“Okay, fine. Maybe you’re not. But you’d be one of the few who aren’t.”
“You know a lot of guys in rock bands, do you?”
“No, but they have a reputation.”
“You mean a stereotype. Not all musicians are narcissists.”
“Are you saying you aren’t?”
I shrug. “If I’m being honest, maybe I am a little, but it’s only because I’m confident in my abilities.”
Her lips curl in disgust. “You think an awful lot of yourself, don’t you?”
I realize what she must be thinking. “I’m confident about my guitar-playing ability. Get your head out of the gutter, Mrs. Campbell.”
She laughs again, then cringes.
I feel guilty causing her pain. “Sorry.”
“I might have lied to you a minute ago. The real reason I don’t want to sleep with you—or anyone—is because I recently got out of a long-term relationship. So, no offense, but I won’t be getting in anyone’s bed for some time. If that’s why you’re here, you’re wasting your time.”
Someone comes around the curtain with a wheelchair. “I’m here to take you up for your CT scan, Mrs. Campbell.”
We glance at each other in amusement.
Before they wheel her away, she stops the man pushing her. “Liam, I’m not sure I ever thanked you for everything you did for me tonight. It was very nice meeting you. I enjoyed your music, and I plan on downloading more, but I’ve got it from here. Goodbye, Mr. Campbell.”
She is taken away, and I have to lean against the wall because of all the fucking noise in my head. I go to the nurse’s station. “What time do patients usually get discharged after staying overnight?”
“If she’s transferred to another floor, it’ll probably be late morning or early afternoon, but it depends on how backed up they are.”
I check the time. Eleven thirty. That gives me nine or ten hours. I do a quick google search before racing out the door.
Chapter Four
Ella
I am wheeled back to the ER after my CT scan. The chair in the corner is empty. I’m not sure why it makes me sad that Liam isn’t here. I told him to leave, and I meant what I said. I’m not interested in a romp in the hay. Still, I feel the corners of my mouth turn down. I guess it was nice to have someone famous giving me attention, that’s all.
Dr. Stone comes in. “As I said before, I’d like to keep you overnight for observation.”
I glance at the curtain. “I have to stay here?”
“We’ll admit you, and you’ll be moved to another floor.”
“But I can leave tomorrow?”
“More than likely. I didn’t find anything significant on the scan. However, there’s still the issue of your hypertension. We’ll observe you tonight, but my best guess is it’ll resolve itself by morning, and you’ll be good to go.”
“When can I get back to running?”
“Take a few days to rest, but after that it’s largely dependent on how you feel. Take cues from your body. Start slowly and work up from there. Having a running partner might help keep you from overdoing it.”
I lost my running partner two weeks ago. “Okay, thank you.”
“Someone will be in to move you shortly.”
He pulls back the curtain to leave, and familiar brown eyes are staring at me. I turn away.
“Looks like you have another visitor,” Dr. Stone says. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“Jesus Christ, Ella. What happened?”
“How did you get in, Corey? I thought they only let family back here.” I momentarily think of Liam and how everyone thought he was my family.
“I saw something Jenn posted on Instagram about you being rushed to the hospital. I tried to