Winning my Best Friend's Girl - Piper Rayne Page 0,4

five, so I knock and walk in. A woman lies in the bed with her husband at her side, on his phone.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Harrison. I just wanted to check up on you.”

“Margie,” she says, “and this is my husband Mark.”

I think of M&M’s and repeat their names in my head once more. I smile and nod at them both.

“That other doctor said they were waiting on labs, but it’s been hours,” she complains, which isn’t uncommon when people are in pain. In high school, my mom had a gallbladder attack that had her keeled over in agony, and that woman can handle pain like a UFC fighter.

“Let me look at your chart. How is the pain level?”

I go through everything with her and see that her labs aren’t back yet, so I send them a quick note to see what the holdup is. We talk for a little while and I promise her we’ll get some stronger pain meds in right away. Allie’s walking by as I leave the room.

“Can you get the patient in room five—”

“You’re in luck. Romeo just came in,” she says.

“Well, I have patients to see.”

“He’s a patient.” Her eyes widen. “Got injured on the job.”

“Okay, Allie, this isn’t The Bachelor. Can you please put the patient in room five out of her misery and get her some more pain meds? The notes are in her file.”

She nods. “Okay, but I suggest heading to room eight.” She shrugs like I’m stupid if I don’t.

I shake my head and continue on my path to room six. If I get to eight, then so be it, but I have a feeling whoever this Romeo guy is, he doesn’t hold a candle to some guys I’ve seen walking the streets of New York.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Harrison,” I say, walking into room six.

Twenty minutes later, I’m outside room eight, and for some reason, butterflies hit my stomach. I don’t even know if this guy is actually good-looking or what he does that they know him so well at the hospital, but he was injured on the job according to all the details Allie gave me. I really need to get better at asking more detailed questions about people who aren’t my patients. Life in Anchorage is slower than New York. I can take a moment to breathe here.

I knock and walk into the room, my hand reaching for the antiseptic dispenser. It shoots cold liquid onto my hand.

“Hi, I’m the resident overseeing you today.” I scribble my name on the board. “How’s the pain? Anything I can get you?”

I look up to finally get a good look at this Romeo guy, and my heart skips a beat. I should have guessed he’d be their Romeo.

“Stella? Jesus, how hard did I hit my head?” He puts his hand on his head.

I step back. “Kingston.”

But even I hear the lack of surprise in my tone. I feel a sudden wave of relief that the moment I’ve been anticipating and dreading is over. It will come out that I’ve returned. Now I just have to pull up my big girl panties and be clear about the reasons I returned—and they weren’t for him.

“Stella, dear.” Grandma Dori hugs me, her arms tight and welcoming. She never judged me as the girl who tore two best friends apart. She’s treated me almost like a grandchild—to the point of sending me birthday cards while I was away.

“Hi, Dori,” I say, my eyes unable to pull away from Kingston’s. I’m not even close to prepared to see him again.

His gaze holds mine, and a soft smile crosses his lips.

“I’ll be right back.” I leave the room and press my back to the wall outside the door, inhaling deep breaths.

Allie whistles as she passes me. “Told you the minute you saw him, you’d be sighing.”

I say nothing but continue to mentally give myself the pep talk I need to go back in there and be a professional. Get through this, Stella, and it’s smooth sailing from here.

Three

Kingston

I try to get up but cringe when my brain feels like scrambled eggs in my skull.

Savannah pushes me back onto the pillow. “You can’t get up.”

“But—”

“I’ll go so someone else can come in.” Colton bolts from the room as if someone screamed fire.

“I think this is wonderful. She’s a doctor. Did you hear that?” Grandma Dori says.

I say nothing. I knew she was going to medical school. Following her on Instagram allowed me to know things about her that aren’t