the damage I caused.
Instead, he’s standing there with a broad grin and determined eyes. I’m afraid I may have started a war.
2
Mila
“No Ren, I can’t babysit this weekend,” I say into my cell phone, as I stare at my watch. I have exactly one minute left of my break, and I don’t have time to argue with my sister.
“Why not? I thought you said you had Saturday off?”
I sigh and close my eyes trying to keep my heart rate calm. I should start practicing yoga or meditation or something with the amount of stress I deal with.
“I have Saturday off, but I work a twenty-four-hour shift on Friday. I will spend my Saturday sleeping. There is no way I can babysit.”
“Fine, fine. I get it. The kids just haven’t seen you in forever. You should stop by Sunday at the very least to have dinner with us.”
I roll my eyes. What my sister really wants is to check up on me and make sure I haven’t lost my mind again. She tried to get me to come over on the anniversary, but I couldn’t. I love my sister, but she has everything I want. A wealthy husband who loves her. Two children: a boy and a girl. Her own private practice as a pediatrician. Her life is perfect.
I can’t handle seeing her when I feel like my life is falling apart. It’s not really, but every year, on the anniversary of when my life as I knew it ended, I feel how easily I could lose everything again. But I won’t let it. I’m in control. I can make my life anything I want.
“Okay, I’ll stop by on Sunday,” I relent. “But only for dinner! I’m not going to play board games or any of the family time afterward.”
“Great! I’ll see you on Sunday!” Ren says, ignoring my conditions.
I pocket my phone in the front of my blue scrub pants and then head toward the nurse’s station as my twenty-minute break ends. I didn’t even have time to pee; Ren took up all my time talking on the phone. But I need to sit down and rest my ankle. It’s better now that I’ve iced it, taken some pain medications, and wrapped it.
“Any new patients?” I ask Felicity, my clinical supervisor. She’s been manning the desk while I’ve been on break.
She frowns. I think she permanently has a frown on her face, or she hates me. I bite my lip. Felicity is grumpy, that’s just the way her face is. I shouldn’t take it personally. I’ve been doing a great job. It’s just too bad Felicity is the one who will determine whether I pass or fail.
Felicity rolls her eyes like she can’t believe I asked the question.
I ignore her and force a smile on my face. She can be grumpy all she wants, I’m happy. I’m positive. I’m in line for getting a job offer here. Just keep working hard, and this will all be worth it.
Felicity huffs as I sit down in the chair next to her.
“What?” I ask.
She nods her head in the direction of the waiting room.
“You shouldn’t have your boyfriend showing up at work. Get rid of him,” she says.
“I don’t have a boyfriend…”
She eyes me again. “Oh, sorry, lover, hookup, one night stand, whatever he is, he needs to be gone. I can’t have him hogging my waiting room.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend or any kind of guy friend.”
Felicity ignores me, typing on the computer.
I bite my lip again as I try to think who could be in the waiting room. I won’t know until I walk over to see. So I force myself up even though I just want a moment to sit. I’m toward the end of a twenty-four-hour shift, and I just want to relax and rest.
Instead, I’m storming to the waiting room, sure whoever is there isn’t for me.
“Henry,” I say when I open the door and see my brother pacing like he’s waiting to find out if I made it through surgery or something.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I make a mental note of telling Felicity later he’s my brother, not my boyfriend.
He frowns. Why does everyone do that? Do I have one of those faces that need to be frowned at?
“You know why I’m here. I left you a message yesterday on your cell phone.”
I shake my head as I grab his arm and lead him out of the waiting room. If he’s going to