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Authors: Ali Parker
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and slipped his hands into his pockets as he glanced down at the ground. "I'm sorry."
"What? For what?" I let the door close behind me and walked toward him, stopping at a comfortable space between us.
"I don't know." He glanced up and took a long breath. "Fuck me. She's all I have left."
"Where are your parents?" I shouldn't have asked. It was none of my business.
"Mom's dead from MS and dad left us a long time ago." He shrugged and pulled his hands from his pockets to wipe at his face. "It should be me in there."
"Why do you say that?" I reached out and touched his shoulder, knowing that I shouldn't but I couldn't help myself. I was an empath to a fault.
"Amanda would live her life to the fullest. She'd find someone to love and change the world beside him. I can't even match my socks most days." He laughed, but the sound fell flat.
"You wanna grab a cup of coffee? She's going to be resting for a few hours at least."
He didn't respond right away, but instead searched my face as if looking for the meaning to life. I met his stare, unwilling to shy away for fear of seeing something I could come to covet. So much passion and life lay trapped behind the dullness in his eyes. The promise of losing someone had the power to overshadow all else.
"I'd like that." He moved around me and held the door open. "Help me get my mind off of all of this. I'm close to cracking for the first time in a long time."
"Right. It's understandable." I swallowed my questions about his mother's bout with MS and walked beside him to the cafeteria. "I'm an intern here, not sure if you knew that."
"An intern? Really?" His expression softened a little. "And you're studying to be a nurse or a doctor?"
"A nurse for now, but I think I might move to New York next year and try to get into premed." I shrugged. "It's a pipe dream seeing that we're not exactly teeming with money, but who knows."
"No boyfriend or husband to hold you here?" He opened the door to the cafeteria and moved back to let me through. His dark brown hair always seemed to be a little messy, which made me want to reach out and run my fingers through it. The man was dangerous.
"I have a boyfriend, but if we're not talking about any of your depressing stuff, we're certainly not talking about mine." I forced a smile and stopped in front of the coffee machines. I grabbed two cups and handed him one as he moved up close beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine. He was far too handsome not to be swept up in some fantastical love affair.
"Your boyfriend is a depressing conversation?" He smiled down at me. "I almost want to hear this story."
"Misery loves company?" I laughed and pumped the coffee machine as I let my imagination run wild.
His phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. "Damn. I need to get this. Rain check?"
"Of course. Any time." I took the cup back and forced my disappointment to fade. It was stupid.
"Dinner? Friday night?"
"Just friends?" I turned and lifted my cup to my nose, breathing in deeply.
"Of course." He winked, turned and walked back toward the belly of the hospital.
Could anyone be just friends with a man like Kendal? I doubted it, but I was determined to try.
Chapter 9
Three Days Later
Kendal
Prepare for end of life? How the fuck did someone do that?
I hadn't told Damon or anyone else about my conversation with Dr. Lewis. I just couldn't handle the sympathy that would come from such a conversation, especially from Damon. Bethany had ignored me on Tuesday when she showed up for her TA duties, which was fine. It was easier than having to talk about bullshit when the real stuff that mattered sat on the tip of my tongue.
I needed to get the dark emotions rolling inside of me out, but I wasn't quite sure how.
Having lunch with Damon and dinner with the pretty young nurse from the hospital would help. Maybe.
Eliza was waiting outside of my office as I approached that morning, a smug look on her face.
"There you are." She lifted her
"What? For what?" I let the door close behind me and walked toward him, stopping at a comfortable space between us.
"I don't know." He glanced up and took a long breath. "Fuck me. She's all I have left."
"Where are your parents?" I shouldn't have asked. It was none of my business.
"Mom's dead from MS and dad left us a long time ago." He shrugged and pulled his hands from his pockets to wipe at his face. "It should be me in there."
"Why do you say that?" I reached out and touched his shoulder, knowing that I shouldn't but I couldn't help myself. I was an empath to a fault.
"Amanda would live her life to the fullest. She'd find someone to love and change the world beside him. I can't even match my socks most days." He laughed, but the sound fell flat.
"You wanna grab a cup of coffee? She's going to be resting for a few hours at least."
He didn't respond right away, but instead searched my face as if looking for the meaning to life. I met his stare, unwilling to shy away for fear of seeing something I could come to covet. So much passion and life lay trapped behind the dullness in his eyes. The promise of losing someone had the power to overshadow all else.
"I'd like that." He moved around me and held the door open. "Help me get my mind off of all of this. I'm close to cracking for the first time in a long time."
"Right. It's understandable." I swallowed my questions about his mother's bout with MS and walked beside him to the cafeteria. "I'm an intern here, not sure if you knew that."
"An intern? Really?" His expression softened a little. "And you're studying to be a nurse or a doctor?"
"A nurse for now, but I think I might move to New York next year and try to get into premed." I shrugged. "It's a pipe dream seeing that we're not exactly teeming with money, but who knows."
"No boyfriend or husband to hold you here?" He opened the door to the cafeteria and moved back to let me through. His dark brown hair always seemed to be a little messy, which made me want to reach out and run my fingers through it. The man was dangerous.
"I have a boyfriend, but if we're not talking about any of your depressing stuff, we're certainly not talking about mine." I forced a smile and stopped in front of the coffee machines. I grabbed two cups and handed him one as he moved up close beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine. He was far too handsome not to be swept up in some fantastical love affair.
"Your boyfriend is a depressing conversation?" He smiled down at me. "I almost want to hear this story."
"Misery loves company?" I laughed and pumped the coffee machine as I let my imagination run wild.
His phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. "Damn. I need to get this. Rain check?"
"Of course. Any time." I took the cup back and forced my disappointment to fade. It was stupid.
"Dinner? Friday night?"
"Just friends?" I turned and lifted my cup to my nose, breathing in deeply.
"Of course." He winked, turned and walked back toward the belly of the hospital.
Could anyone be just friends with a man like Kendal? I doubted it, but I was determined to try.
Chapter 9
Three Days Later
Kendal
Prepare for end of life? How the fuck did someone do that?
I hadn't told Damon or anyone else about my conversation with Dr. Lewis. I just couldn't handle the sympathy that would come from such a conversation, especially from Damon. Bethany had ignored me on Tuesday when she showed up for her TA duties, which was fine. It was easier than having to talk about bullshit when the real stuff that mattered sat on the tip of my tongue.
I needed to get the dark emotions rolling inside of me out, but I wasn't quite sure how.
Having lunch with Damon and dinner with the pretty young nurse from the hospital would help. Maybe.
Eliza was waiting outside of my office as I approached that morning, a smug look on her face.
"There you are." She lifted her
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