I felt that fucking rotator cuff rip when I was showing the boys my speedball. I wanted to lie on the field and cry like a baby but I held it together in front of them. No way I’d let those kids see me like that.
“They put a block in your shoulder for pain control and immobilization.” Explains why it feels so good right after surgery.
“Which means it’s going to hurt like a motherfucker when it wears off, right?”
Emma swats my leg. “Ryan.”
“Yeah, it’s going to hurt but the doctor will send you home with a prescription for pain meds. You’ll be fine if you don’t wait until it starts hurting to take it. But we’ll talk about that when I give you discharge instructions.”
This was an outpatient surgery so she’ll be sending me home soon. That means I have to work fast if I’m going to score a date with her before I go.
She isn’t wearing a ring on her finger but that doesn’t mean she’s not married or dating someone. I don’t know if nurses are allowed to wear jewelry at work. “Are you single?”
She doesn’t crack a smile as she peels my gown back to inspect my bandage again. “Yes.”
“Why don’t you give me your number so I can call you later? I’d really like to take you out to dinner or something.”
“Or something?” Her veil of hair has fallen again so I can’t see her face as she draws on my bandage. “I don’t go out with patients.”
No way I’m taking that for an answer. “Then it’s a good thing I won’t be your patient much longer.”
This is crazy as hell. I wake up from surgery, see this angel standing over me, and lose my fucking mind because I’m scared I’ll never see her again. I won’t let this be the last time I ever see her.
She releases my gown and steps back. “Dressing still looks good.”
“And so do you.” I know I’m coming on strong but the countdown is on. I need to convince her to go out with me before she kicks my ass out of this bed.
“I don’t date players.”
I point to my injured shoulder. “Mets put me on the bench. Not a player anymore.”
“I think we both know you are.” Her eyes lock with mine and I see her. I mean I really see her.
“Wait. I know you. You’re…her.” Ashlyn, from five years ago.
She quickly looks away without a reply. “Doc will be in to round on you in a bit and we’ll see about getting you out of here.”
She’s the one. I’m certain of it.
The girl I met five years ago at a party.
The girl in my bed who slipped away in the middle of the night.
The girl I haven’t been able to forget.
Holy shit. I walked into that recovery room to take care of my patient, never expecting it to be him. Ryan. One of two people who without fail I’ve thought of every day for the last five years.
Ryan Briggs. I didn’t know his last name until now. Not that I couldn’t have found out if I wanted. But I wasn’t interested. I wanted to forget him. Forget that night. Forget those eyes.
Those pale blue eyes. I’ve seen them every day of my life since that night. Hard not to when you have a daily reminder.
You are beautiful. I knew it was him the minute I heard those three words leave his mouth. They’re the same ones he told me that night. And I believed him.
I’d just had the hardest nursing exam and skills check-off of my life. Passed by the skin of my teeth. I needed to blow off some steam and escape the stress so I could get my head in check for what was coming next. I swore I was going to do better. I had to. I couldn’t afford to flunk out of nursing school when my family was depending on me.
It was homecoming weekend at UT. My best friend, Brittany, invited me over for the game and all the festivities. Huge mistake. I shouldn’t have gone.
No. That isn’t the truth. Going to that party was the best decision of my life.
Brittany scored an invite to a shindig being thrown by her classmate, Brantley, and his friends, Ryan, Ben, and Drake. Ben and Brantley were a pair of big-fucking-deal baseball players for Tennessee. Sounded like the perfect kind of fun before returning to nursing classes the next week. Cardiac. I wasn’t looking forward to starting that unit. The class ahead of us said it was hell and about half failed the exam.
I was surprised when I caught the attention of one of the hotshot baseball players. Not that I wasn’t a catch but I pegged him and his buddy as the kind of guys who’d go for the sorority-girl type. Not someone with a serious agenda like me. But Ryan overlooked every one of those sorority girls to see me. Talk to me. The girl from a community college nursing program, praying she graduated so she could take on some of her family’s financial burden.