2X The Hear

by Nicole Elliot

  Twenty- Nine

  Logan

  As I walked around the back of the house that afternoon, Mr. Prewitt’s words were still echoing in my ears. I could still see the look on his face as he scrutinized me in the dim kitchen light. He didn’t trust me. That much was obvious. But, what was worse, was the fact that he was right. It was ridiculous that I hadn’t figured out some sort of plan for being in my daughter’s life. How could I have let the night pass without discussing the logistics with Piper? When were they leaving for New York? How often would they come back to Bradberry? How many times would Piper allow me to visit them in the city?

  These questions and more whirled a destructive path through my brain as I stepped into the backyard. I glanced around until I saw Lilliana running toward me. She threw her arms around my waist and grabbed my hand.

  “Come on,” she said. “There’s food.”

  “Sounds great, kiddo,” I told her. “But I need to find your mom first. Do you know where she is?”

  “She’s talking to her cousin or something,” Lilliana said. She pointed toward the back fence. I followed her finger and saw Piper standing in front of a young woman. They were talking animatedly.

  “I’ll be right back,” I promised Lili.

  “Okay,” she shrugged and ran off to play. I made my way across the backyard, nodding and smiling to people as I passed. I recognized a few people there, but most of them were strangers. It was a full-fledged Prewitt reunion. There were people everywhere, but I only had eyes for Piper.

  “Hey!” she said when she saw me approaching. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  I smiled and hugged her quickly. Her cousin was still standing in front of us and I didn’t want to talk with her there.

  “Mel,” Piper said. “This is Logan, Lilliana’s father.”

  “Oh my God, so nice to finally meet you,” Mel said. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she extended her hand to me. I shook it and smiled widely. Suddenly, everything began to click into place.

  Hearing Piper call me Lilliana’s father made everything seem clear. There wasn’t anything I wanted more than Piper and Lili. I couldn’t imagine my life without the two of them in it. In that moment, I knew that staying in Bradberry wasn’t an option. I knew exactly what I needed to do.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I said to Mel before I turned my attention to Piper. “Piper, can we talk somewhere?”

  “Sure,” she said. She waved at Mel and led the way over to the garage. We slipped inside and she turned to face me with a worried expression. “What is it? Is everything okay?”

  “It’s more than okay,” I smiled. “I just realized something.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  I took a step forward and grabbed her hands. I held them tightly and stared into her face, memorizing the way her blue eyes looked in that moment.

  “I want to come with you,” I said bluntly.

  “Come with me?” She asked blankly.

  “To New York,” I explained. “I want to go with you. You and Lili.”

  “Logan…”

  “Just listen, okay?” I said. “After everything that’s happened this week, I can’t stand to be away from either of you. We already agreed that I would be in Lili’s life, but that’s not enough. I don’t want to see her on weekends or holidays. I want to be with her every day. I want to watch her grow up. I want to help raise her.”

  “I want that, too,” Piper said with a smile.

  “And I want you,” I said quickly. “It’s not enough to just be Lili’s dad. I want to be with you, Piper. I’ve always wanted that. No matter what has happened these past few years, that’s always been true. You are the love of my life. You are the reason I’m here, the reason I’m still alive after everything I’ve been through. I can’t lose you again.”

  “Logan,” she said. She stepped closer to me and smiled. “I was already going to ask you to come.”

  I laughed and lunged forward. I grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground.

  She was mine.

  Epilogue

  Piper

  One Year Later

  “Lili, get a move on,” I yelled up the stairs. “You’ll be late for school!”

  “I’m right here!” she yelled back as she bounded into view. Her backpack was thrown over her back and her hair was falling all over her face.

  “Did you brush your hair?” I asked. Annoyance seeped into my voice.

  “Um…”

  “Come here,” I ordered. I grabbed her quickly and ran my fingers through her hair, forcing it to lie flat. It didn’t look much better, but it wasn’t in her face anymore. “Go on. Your dad is waiting.”

  I followed her into the kitchen where Logan was making her lunch. He threw a bottle of juice into the lunchbox and zipped it up quickly.

  “Morning, kid,” he said, tossing Lili her lunch. She caught it easily and grinned at him.

  “Is it peanut butter?” she asked.

  “What else would I pack?” he asked. “Let’s go. We’re late.”

  “Okay, okay,” she rolled her eyes and gave me a quick hug. “Bye Mom!”

  “Bye! Have a good day!”

  Logan gave me a swift kiss and hurried out the front door with Lili following close behind. I waited until their footsteps faded completely before I let myself sink. My stomach was tied in knots as I checked the clock above the stove. I still had two hours before my first meeting of the day.

  I walked back to the bathroom and dug underneath the sink for the pregnancy test I hid two days before. When I pulled it out, I felt my heart race wildly. I had a horrible sense of déjà vu, only this time, I wasn’t entirely dreading a positive result.

  It had been over a year since Logan moved in with Lili and me. He moved to New York and took a private security job, which meant he was able to take Lili to school and pick her up. His job only kept him busy in the evenings and it paid great.

  Things at the law firm were better than ever. I was working like crazy, but I with Logan’s help I was able to spend more time with Lili. We were a family. It was hard adding Logan to the mix at first, but he made Lili so happy that I couldn’t help but feel the same way. Having him around made me believe in the fairytale again

  As I opened the box and pulled out the stick, my hands began to sweat. I sat down quickly before I talked myself out of it and took it. When I was done, I set it on the counter and waited. I paced back and forth in front of the counter, not knowing which result I was hoping for.

  ***

  Logan

  I dropped Lili off at school and hurried back home. For weeks, I’d been planning this moment. It was the anniversary of the day Piper and I met seven years earlier. There was no better day.

  With my heart racing, I ran through the city. I hurried up our street and hurled myself into the apartment building. I took the stairs two at a time, not slowing down until I made it to our front door. Once outside, I paused for a second.

  I took a deep breath and reached my hand into my pocket. I gripped the ring box tightly, turning it over and over in my hand. It felt heavy. Like the most important thing I’d ever held in my life. For weeks, I’d been picturing this moment. I wanted it to be perfect. Piper deserved for it to be perfect.

  When I pushed open the door, I was barely breathing. My hand was still stuffed in my pocket, my fingers wrapped about the box. I walked through the apartment, quietly looking for Piper. I wanted it to be a surprise.

  I finally found her sitting on our bed staring at the wall. She looked lost in thought, her face pale and her eyes round. I sat down beside her and took her hand in mine. She jumped and looked around at me. She hadn’t noticed me come in.

  “Hey,” I said. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m good,” she said with a determined nod. “Just about to get ready for work.”

  “Before you do,” I said. My hands began to shake as I stood up in front of her. I slipped my hand back inside my pocket and held tig
htly to the ring box. “There’s something I need to ask you.”

  “Okay,” Piper said uncertainly. “What is it?”

  I pulled the ring from my pocket and slowly lowered myself down onto one knee. When I opened the box, Piper’s eyes flew open even wider. She stared at the ring like she’d never seen one before. Her eye flicked back up to mine.

  “Piper,” I said slowly. “This past year with you and Lili has been the best year of my life. I never want to lose either of you. Ever. I love you so much. I can’t even tell you how much. Will you marry me?”

  The question hung between us for a few seconds. Everything was silent. We were both frozen in that moment. Even the air felt stiff, as if the world itself was suspended just waiting for Piper’s answer.

  Tears filled her eyes slowly as she pushed herself away from me. She stood up and paced around the room, not looking at me. Fear flooded my veins as I watched her.

  “Piper?” I asked. “Piper?”

  “I’m pregnant,” she said, spinning around to face me. “I just found out this morning. I was going to tell you tonight, but after you proposed I thought…”

  I didn’t let her finish her sentence. I skipped over to her and picked her up. I kissed her fiercely, laughing and spinning her around in circles.

  “A baby?!” I asked.

  “Yes,” she chuckled. “Does this mean you’re happy?”

  “Does this mean you’re saying yes?” I asked quickly.

  Piper didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Of course. Yes.”

  My child, my fiancée, and now a baby.

  My mission was finally complete.

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  xxx

  Nicole

  His Naughty Nurse

  A Bad Boy Doctor Romance

  By Nicole Elliot

  Prologue

  My skin burned from the cigarette.

  “Don’t you cry again, you little weasel.” She sneered at me and took a puff of tobacco.

  “I’m… I’m not crying.” The truth was I was trying hard not to, but I could feel the tears stinging the backs of my eyes, threatening to betray me.

  I wouldn’t let them, I couldn’t.

  If I did she’d just hit me again.

  That wasn’t going to happen, not tonight.

  “I don’t know why your father didn’t make a man out of you. Jesus, he’s as useless as you are, isn’t he?”

  “Don’t talk about him like that.” I was going to pay for that comment, I knew it. I should have kept my mouth shut.

  Just as she reached out to slap me, I woke up. Sweat dripped from my forehead.

  The military, being overseas, should have been the hardest moments of my life. But instead I had nightmares full of burns, pain, and harsh childhood memories.

  Fuck my childhood.

  And fuck everyone who ever hurt me.

  Someday, I would make them wish they didn’t.

  CHAPTER 1

  Tessa

  “How’s it going, Tessa?”

  Taking a sip of coffee from my thermos and breathing in the aroma of hospital air, I looked up to find one of the new medical students give me a quick wave and a nod. I couldn’t remember her name, and almost felt guilty about it until she redirected her attention elsewhere so quickly that I didn’t even have time to respond.

  “It’s going fine. How about you?” I muttered. I thought back to my own days in school. Initially, I had dreamed of becoming a doctor. But the more I studied in the field and learned the roles of the players within it, life as a doctor started to seem too distant and cold. Sure, doctors had one of the most important jobs in the world. Yet, in my time studying and working with them, I felt they spent too much time treating symptoms rather than people. I was drawn to the medical field because I wanted to help people, not just their symptoms.

  Fortunately, I came to the conclusion that nursing would allow me to experience the personal connection I desired in terms of helping those in need. I was well aware that when people walked out of the hospital doors after a prolonged illness, an accident, or a frightening brush with death, it was often the nurses and the care they received that they remembered afterwards. I wanted to be a part of those memories.

  That being said, caring for patients wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, particularly in the emergency department. That’s why every day, before I left home, I made a ritual of looking in the mirror, taking a deep breath, and saying to myself, “You got this, Tessa.” I’ve come to depend on this daily pep talk because constantly witnessing trauma after could quickly burn you out.

  In fact, the past week had been exceptionally busy. Even though I was just starting my shift, I was already praying for an easy day. But I hardly had time to sit my coffee down before I realized my hopes for an easy day weren’t going to be granted.

  “INCOMING GSW!”

  The announcement rang through the air and instantly sent my heart pumping. Nurses began to dash across the floor, hurrying to prep. Instinctually, I reached into my pocket for my hairband, quickly and efficiently twirling my hair up and out of the way. My body went into auto-pilot mode. Everyone working in the emergency department quickly learned to expect gunshot victims regularly, although that never made it easier to deal with. There was always pressure when someone’s life was potentially on the line, pouring from a wound.

  The typical questions started firing back and forth throughout the emergency department while we all scattered about, trying to prepare.

  “Male or female?” I asked.

  “Male,” someone yelled in reply.

  “Location of the shot?”

  “Lower back!”

  “How long ago?”

  “About fifteen minutes.”

  Shaking my head, I analyzed the information, trying to determine what would potentially be needed for the incoming patient. By the time paramedics rolled him through the hospital doors, I was ready. I followed closely behind them, noting the amount of blood collecting at the bottom of his shirt.

  My nerves were already starting to subside, confident that Dr. Nualli would be able to save this one.

  Dr. Nualli, a kind and caring Indian woman, was the doctor I usually got assigned to. Together, we made an excellent team. After some of the previous doctors I’d worked with, all whom had distant and aloof attitudes, it had been a breath of fresh air when I first got assigned to Dr. Nualli. Rarely did I encounter doctors who cared about patients just as much as I did. When I first met her, she smiled, looked at me with her warm brown eyes, took my hand and said, “Let’s save some lives, Tessa.”

  “You’re going to be fine,” I said, jogging alongside the patient as he was wheeled in to the emergency department bay. He glanced up at me through his pained expression. “What’s your name?”

  “Nate.”

  “Well, you’re going to be okay, Nate. I promise.”

  I didn’t leave his side until we reached the bay and the emergency room technicians began tending to him, preparing him for the doctor.

  I scanned the area in search of Dr. Nualli, coming to a complete halt at the sight of someone else in her spot.

  Standing at the sink was a doctor I did not recognize. Male. I saw the flash of tattoos on his skin as he scrubbed his hands and forearms with antibacterial soap.

  “Where’s Dr. Nualli?” I asked the room at large, though I instantly regretted doing so. I didn’t want to make the patient nervous.

  “She’s not in today. Dr. Sholly will be covering for her.”

  At the sound of his name, or perhaps at my question, Dr. Sholly took a quick glance over his shoulder at me.

  My heart gave an unusual patter that had nothing to do with the job ahead of me. In just that brief instant, it was impossible to n
ot notice how handsome Dr. Sholly was. Even through his scrubs, his muscular build was evident. He had a headful of dark shiny hair, a prominent jawline that was covered with a 5 o’clock shadow, dark penetrating eyes, and an expression that showed he was all-business.

  “Tessa?” I jumped. A fellow nurse—Molly—stared at me with her eyebrows raised. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  Dr. Sholly made his way over, briskly walking straight to the patient, who was now unconscious. I took a deep breath and forced myself concentrate while several nurses attempted to disrobe the patient’s wound area.

  “Careful,” I said. “Don’t destroy the clothing, particularly in the area of the gun shot.”

  Dr. Sholly glanced at me for an instant, although I couldn’t quite decipher his expression. There was no time to anyway. All my attention was on the patient now, making sure everything ran smoothly. All the while, I made sure to stay one step ahead of the doctor, anticipating his needs and his moves before he had even figured them out himself. That was my job.

  “Looks like an exit wound right about here,” Dr. Sholly said in a voice that made knees weak. “Probably another damn drive by.”

  “Let’s leave it to the forensics department to make that assessment,” I said, earning an annoyed glance from him.

  “I know what I’m looking at,” he quipped. This wasn’t starting out well, but I was terrible at walking away from a fight.

  “I’m sure you do,” I responded, “but we have a very specific job to do here, doc. So we should stick to it.”

  Dr. Sholly mumbled under his breath and several other nurses raised their eyebrows, making me realize my words had bit harder than I should have allowed. I couldn’t really care though; my concern was for Nate, and for his sake, we needed to stay on task. I was forcibly reminded of why I preferred Dr. Nualli; we were always on the same page and she would have never taken a moment to contemplate any details other than what was absolutely necessary to treat the patient right then and there.