hadn’t been sore before. She’d just have to grit her teeth and bear it.
“Could you go ask the nurse about my clothes while I use the bathroom?”
“Certainly, sweetie. I’ll be right back.”
Bethel left the room and Sage climbed slowly from the bed. To her surprise, she had to stand there gripping the bar on the side. Her head had begun spinning, and the resulting nausea forced her to take several deep breaths to avoid passing out. When the nausea went away and she took her first steps, pain sliced down her spine. Nope. The next few days weren’t going to be fun. At least her residency didn’t start for a week.
That would give her plenty of time to study up on her specialty, emergency medicine, while she was recuperating. She was actually looking forward to it. When it came to books, Sage was a pro. She had an incredible memory, which in medical school, at least, was an advantage. In love, not so much.
But there was no time to dwell on romance, or in her case, lack of romance. She’d signed up for years of school and continuing education when she’d decided to be a doctor. She didn’t regret that decision. It was just that seeing her old crush after all these years was messing with her head.
No. It couldn’t be that. Her head must still be foggy from the wreck. Yes, that was it, she assured herself. Her grandmother returned promptly and handed her the clothes, then gave her privacy as she put them on very, very slowly.
Home, hot chocolate, and bed. That was all she needed. Sure it was, her mind said mockingly, but Sage quickly shut off that traitorous thought and then sat and waited for her grandmother’s return. In a few days she’d be right as rain . . .
“I can’t believe you’ve been in town for two days already and you haven’t called me. I thought I was your best friend.”
The ridiculously beautiful Grace Sinclair glared at Sage from the doorway of the small bedroom at her grandmother’s house.
Rest just wasn’t going to happen, not with what felt like everyone she’d ever met since moving here at the age of four showing up and wishing her well. If one more person held her hand and told her how sorry they were, she’d give them a reason to be sorry. All right, she could admit how petty and unappreciative that sounded, and she was thankful that she’d never said such a thing aloud.
“It’s so great to see you, Grace. I can’t believe it’s been almost a year,” Sage said, guilt consuming her that she’d let so much time go by without even a phone call to her dearest friend. “I guess the only excuse I can come up with is the last year of medical school was grueling and I barely found time to breathe, much less speak to anyone outside of the classroom.”
“I don’t care about any of that. I’ve just missed you like crazy, darling. I can’t believe, number one, that you were moving back home and didn’t bother telling me, and then, number two, that you get in a near-fatal car crash and still don’t feel I’m worth a phone call.” Grace’s long fingers sat stiffly on her shapely hips, and her dark brown eyes shot fire.
“I was planning on calling you soon, but last I heard, you were still in New York,” Sage said, hoping she looked apologetic enough to appease her friend.
“I moved home a couple of months ago,” Grace told her, her shoulders slumping as she entered the room and plopped down on the mattress, just as she’d always done when they were girls.
“What? Why? I thought you loved it there. Whenever we talked, you said New York was a place people came to and never left, and that’s where you were determined to stay.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too, but you know, life just happens, whether we want it to or not,” Grace said with a sadness in her eyes that Sage couldn’t recall seeing before.
“It looks like we should have talked a long time ago.” Sage reached out and took her hand—Grace seemed to be the one who really needed comfort.
“Yes, we should have—not because my life went to hell, but because we’re best friends and we should never forget it. I love you, Sage, more than any other person in the world, and I’ve missed you so much.” Grace pushed her long, dark hair behind her ear.