by Beau Brown
He had a point, since we’d both agreed we didn’t want a relationship. But suddenly the idea of never seeing him again was depressing. However, if he was trying to end things, no way was I sharing my feelings with him now. “I didn’t have an exact cutoff date in mind.”
“But you’d have stopped calling in the near future most likely?”
I shrugged, still feeling too guarded to open up.
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I figured.”
“So that’s it?”
“I think it has to be,” he said softly.
“Unbelievable,” I grumbled, frustration pricking at me.
“I’m sorry.”
I lifted my chin. “You don’t have to feel sorry for me. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”
He winced. “Yep.”
We stared at each other in silence.
He shifted uneasily. “Well, I guess I’ll see you around the hospital?”
“Undoubtedly.”
He gestured toward the house. “I’ll just let myself out?”
“Sure.” I gave him a cool stare. I was still reeling from the fact he was dumping me. Nobody ever dumped me.
“Thanks for dinner, it was great.”
“You’re welcome,” I snapped.
He sighed and headed toward the house, his shoulders slumped.
I turned away and scowled up at the dark sky. I wasn’t used to being rejected, and there was a heaviness in my chest that was unfamiliar and unpleasant. I wasn’t sure why this felt worse than any of the other times I’d broken things off with other people. Maybe because this had been in person, and I’d usually just stopped calling people when I lost interest?
Or maybe because he dumped me?
I frowned, still feeling disbelief that he’d been the one to call things off. In my opinion, I’d treated him really well. I’d even invited the little shit to my house, and now he was saying he didn’t want to see me? He had a lot of nerve.
The sound of his engine starting and then fading into the distance was oddly depressing. We’d been having so much fun together. I couldn’t understand why he didn’t want to continue that. Maybe I was confusing to him, but he was the same to me. He’d said he didn’t want anything serious, but now he was breaking it off because this wasn’t anything but sex. That made no sense.
“Jesus, this is why I hate getting close to people,” I growled, standing to clear the table. I’d been so excited about Fox coming over, and now it was all shit. Not only had he left early, he didn’t even want to see me again. My heart sank at the thought I’d never share a night like tonight with him. We’d just be work colleagues from now on, and nothing more.
Why was the thought of that so damned depressing?
Chapter Eight
Fox
After my disastrous night at Liam’s, I woke up depressed. But breaking things off with him had been the right thing to do. I’d definitely been falling for him, and that was a horrible idea. No, it was best that I’d gotten out before it was too late. Nothing could be worse than falling in love with someone who had already made it clear they had no interest in that.
I groaned and punched my pillow, looking at the clock with blurry eyes. It was one in the morning, which meant I should drag my tired ass out of bed and get ready for work. Usually I felt excited to get to the hospital, but right now, all I wanted to do was pull the covers over my head and wallow. I’d miss Liam. Maybe we hadn’t known each other that long, but our connection had been intense. More powerful than anything I’d ever experienced with another alpha. I didn’t know why, but it had been like that from the first moment we’d kissed.
A part of me wished I’d just kept my mouth shut so we could have continued seeing each other. But when he’d blurted out how much he loved spending time with me, and then walked it back so quickly, that had hurt way more than it should have. I’d suddenly understood that what I felt for him was anything but casual, and I needed to get out before my heart got crushed.
I climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom to wash up. My reflection in the mirror showed dark circles under my eyes. Not too surprising, seeing as sleep had eluded me most of the night. I sighed and went to dress, and by the time I arrived at the hospital, I felt slightly better because I’d had two cups of coffee. I went to the neonatal unit to see how the newborn from the postmortem C-section had faired. I braced myself for bad news, but was happy to see that the child seemed to be doing okay. His color was pinker and he cried loudly enough I knew his lungs must be in good shape. Seeing the baby reminded me there were more important things in the world besides my love life, and I decided to worry about Liam later. I had important work to do, and obsessing about last night’s date wasn’t going to help anything.
There was a new male nurse, an alpha, working with me, named Aaron. He was about my age. He wasn’t new to nursing, just to our hospital. We didn’t get a lot of young nurses transferring to our hospital in Sweet Water. The younger ones were drawn to the bigger hospitals in Dallas, seeking more money. Aaron was funny and attractive, and he made the shift more entertaining than I’d expected because he had a good sense of humor, and he was a hard worker. We delivered six babies during our shift, and by the end of the day, I was very impressed with my new co-worker.
“Thanks for holding my hand all day,” Aaron said, smiling as we left the hospital together.
“My pleasure. You know your stuff, so I’m not sure I did much hand holding.”
He shrugged. “Being the new guy is sometimes pretty awkward. New people are often seen as competition.”
“I guess that’s true. I’m not like that.”
“No.” His gaze was warm. “You weren't at all.”
“What made you choose Sweet Water?” I paused near my car, and he stopped too.
“I don’t like the bigger hospitals because I feel like they rush patients through. I’m hoping I can connect more personally with the people I help in a smaller town.”
I nodded. “Oh, yeah. Odds are you’ll end up knowing way more about your patients than you want.”
“Nah. I love people.”
I laughed. “It shows.” I turned to get in my car, and he touched my arm.
“Would you want to go grab some coffee?”
Surprised at the question, I hesitated. “Oh, um…”
“I’d love to get to know you better on a personal level.”
“You would?”
“Unless you’re already seeing someone?” he added quickly.
Liam flashed through my brain, but after last night, odds were he wouldn’t even want to talk to me anymore. Besides, we’d never been a couple. We’d simply been sleeping together. Nothing more. “Uh, nope. I’m not seeing anyone.”
Tension left his shoulders. “Good.” His smile was pleased. “What do you say?”
“Is this like a date?” I laughed.
“It can be whatever you want it to be.”
I smiled so I didn’t come off abrasive. “I’m not up for much more than coffee right now.”
“Sure. That’s fine.” He twisted his lips as if trying not to smile. “For now.”
“You’re not too tired after our shift?”
“No way. I’m excited to know more about you.”
I laughed. “I’m not that fascinating.”
“You’re a good person. You can tell a lot about people by watching them work. You’re obviously conscientious, hardworking and nice to look at. What else do I need to know to go grab java with you?”
I was flattered at his obvious attraction to me. “Nothing, I guess.”
“So where’s a good coffee place around here? I haven’t had time to explore the town yet.” His gray eyes were intent as he studied me.
“Sam’s Coffee is good. You wouldn’t know it from the name, but they make a mean cappuccino.” I grinned. “You can follow me if you want.”
“Sure. My car’s right over there. I’ll just be a second.” He trotted across the parking lot to a
black sedan.
I got in my car, and started the engine. I was still raw from what had happened with Liam, but maybe an easygoing alpha like Aaron would be a nice distraction from my confused emotions. I pulled out of the parking space, and waited until Aaron was behind me to head to the main road. It was a short trip to Sam’s Coffee, and the parking lot was empty since it was the afternoon.
Aaron approached as I climbed out of my car. “You sure this is a coffeehouse?”
“Yep. Don’t let the outside fool you.”
He nodded, scanning the nondescript brown building. “I trust you.”
We headed to the front door, and when we entered the building, Aaron immediately relaxed. The outside of the structure was ugly, but the inside was decorated in rich, warm oranges and browns. The scent of freshly ground coffee filled the air, and local art hung from the walls.
Aaron turned to me and said quietly, “Now this is more like it.”
“Just wait till you taste the coffee.”
We were greeted by a cheery barista as we walked up to the counter. “Morning, guys. What can I get you?” She smiled, brushing her blond bangs from her eyes.
Aaron looked at me and winked. “I hear on good authority your cappuccinos are awesome.”
“They are. Creamy micro-foam is our specialty. None of that soap suds crap you get at the big chains.” She laughed.
“I’ll take a large,” Aaron said.
“Make that two.” I pulled my wallet out, but Aaron pushed my hand away.
“No way. I invited you.” He shook his head. “I’m buying.”
I frowned. “You sure?”
“Absolutely.” He handed cash to the girl and she rang us up.
“Well, thanks.” I smiled.
He dropped a few dollars in the tip jar. “My pleasure. Thank you for making my first day so awesome.”
We walked to a table near the window that looked out over the parking lot. While the view could have been better, we were able to see the mountains in the distance, and at least it was cool inside the building. Any business that wouldn’t spring to run the air conditioner in the summer in Sweet Water didn’t get my business.
Scraping back a chair, I sat. “Do you plan on staying in Sweet Water long?”
Aaron shrugged. “At least a year.”
I nodded. “That’s long enough to know if you like it here I guess.”
His smile was flirtatious. “I already like it here, thanks to you.”
My face warmed because he was laying it on a little thick. “I didn’t really do much.”
“You’re too modest.”
“Where did you transfer from?” I asked, clasping my hands on the top of the table. I wanted to steer the conversation to more casual subjects. I wasn’t in a good enough mood to flirt back, not when I was still frustrated with what had happened with Liam. I hated to admit it, but I was bummed at the idea I’d never get to hang out, or sleep with Liam again. Aaron seemed nice, but I still had the taste of Liam on my tongue.
“Poppy Field General.”
“Wait, Poppy Field is a small town. I thought you liked small towns? Why did you leave there and come here?”
He winced. “I left there first and went to a big hospital in Houston, but I hated that place.”
“Why not just go back to Poppy Field?”
He avoided my gaze. “I wanted to get away from Poppy Field for personal reasons.”
“Oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to pry.”
He touched my hand. “You’re not.”
I smiled, but it was hard not to compare how little I felt when he touched me, as opposed to when Liam touched me. The first brush of Liam’s fingers had set my pulse pounding. “So Houston wasn’t what you were looking for?”
“Nope. Like I said, I’m looking for a small town feel.”
I raised my brows. “Well, you’ll certainly have that here in Sweet Water.”
He laughed. “You sound like you don’t care for Sweet Water.”
“On the contrary, I love it here.” I frowned. “But there are times when it feels too small.” Like now. The fact I’d surely run into Liam at work was stressful. While I’d looked forward to seeing him before, now it would be awkward. One more reason why I didn’t usually date people I worked with.
“I guess.” He smiled at the barista when she carried our cappuccinos over to the table. “Thanks.”
She grinned. “You betcha.”
Once she’d wandered away, he sipped his drink and widened his eyes. “Whoa. That’s delicious.”
“Told you so.” I smirked. “I know my coffee houses.”
He drank some more, sighing as he set his mug down. “I’ve found my new favorite coffee place.”
I laughed. “They open at four in the morning which makes them very popular with the hospital staff.”
“I’ll bet.” He watched me for a few seconds, then he leaned toward me. “So what’s your story, Fox?”
“My story?”
“How is it you’re not seeing anyone?”
Heat returned to my face. “I see people. I just don’t want a relationship.”
“Oh.” He nodded. “Why?”
Surprised at how curious he was, I laughed. “Because my job is my priority.”
“You don’t think you can balance both?”
“I’m sure you can, but I haven’t met anyone who makes me want to bother. I’m sure it isn’t easy either.”
He rubbed his chin, his gaze intense. “If it’s the right person it should be easy.”
“Ahh, you’re a romantic.”
“You’re not?”
I squinted out the window. “I don’t think I am.”
“How depressing. That must mean you don’t believe in love at first sight.”
My laugh was gruff. “Not at the moment.”
“Damn, and here I was hoping you’d fallen for me already.”
I smiled, feeling a little rattled at how intense he was. “You’re not subtle, are you?”
“I’m of the mind that when you see something you want, you should go after it.” As he spoke, he reached across the table, placing his hand over mine.
I was so surprised, I didn’t react immediately.
The bells on the door jingled as someone walked in, and when I glanced over I was shocked to see Liam entering the shop. His eyes were focused on Aaron’s hand on top of mine. My stomach somersaulted, and I dragged my gaze from his, my face hot. I was so surprised to see him, I didn’t know how to act. I slid my hand from Aaron’s, tucking it between my thighs.
This isn’t awkward at all.
To Liam’s credit, his face hadn’t shown any emotion at the sight of me, but his jaw was hard as he ordered his drink. I turned my chair so I couldn’t see him and faced Aaron. Aaron didn’t seem aware of my uneasiness, and he was talking about how much he’d love to take me to dinner one night. I was so distracted by Liam’s presence in the small shop, I had trouble concentrating on what he was saying.
“What do you think?” Aaron asked, watching me with a hopeful expression.
“Uh…” I grimaced. “I’m sorry. I missed that last part.”
Un-fazed, Aaron just grinned. “I said what are you doing Saturday night?”
I stared at him, as if no one had ever asked me out before. I wasn’t opposed to going to dinner with him. He was nice, and he was definitely sexy. Maybe we’d hit it off if I could stop thinking about Liam. Which wouldn’t be easy if he was around all the time. Even just that quick glimpse of him a few seconds ago had me wishing I could smooth things over with him.
“Saturday?” I asked blankly.
“Yes. You know, the day before Sunday?” He laughed.
“I might have to work. I’m not sure.” I wasn’t lying, I truly didn’t know my schedule yet. But I was also stalling a little. If I really wanted, I could always switch shifts and get the night off. But I was still ambivalent about starting anything with Aaron, when I was still so hung up on Liam.
&nb
sp; When Aaron’s gaze fell on someone behind me, my stomach sank. Instinctively, I knew it was Liam standing there, and I froze. I didn’t want to look around, but I knew it was weird of me not to. I forced myself to follow Aaron’s glance and found Liam looming over me.
His eyes were chilled, and his mouth a straight, unpleasant slash. “Fancy meeting you here, Fox.”
I lifted my chin, feeling as if I’d been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. “Just grabbing some coffee.”
He flicked his gaze to Aaron. “So I see.”
Aaron stood, and held out his hand. “Hello, Dr. Prost. I recognize you from your photo in the lobby of the hospital. I’m Aaron Johnson, the new labor delivery nurse.”
They shook, and as they exchanged pleasantries, that gave me a chance to study Liam’s tense face. I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, he was way too good at hiding his emotions. Why had he come over to us? It would have been less awkward if he’d just taken off with his drink.
“Fox was a great help to me today. He made me feel so welcome.” Aaron smiled at me.
I flushed at the dismissive look Liam sent me. “How nice,” he said tersely.
I still hadn’t said anything, and Aaron gave me a curious glance. “I assume you two know each other from the hospital?” he asked, shifting uneasily.
“Yep.” I nodded.
“Fox was just at my house yesterday.” Liam’s voice was stiff. “Isn’t that right, Fox?”
I was so shocked he’d volunteered that information, I inhaled swiftly and shot him a puzzled look.
“Is that right?” Aaron met my gaze uneasily. “Yesterday?”
“It was nothing. Just a barbecue.” My voice wobbled.
“And a swim,” Liam said softly. “Remember our little swim?”
My face was hot. “Don’t you need to get to the hospital?”
He smirked. “I’ve got time.”
“Don’t let us keep you,” I muttered.
“I’m not worried.” Liam sipped his coffee, watching me over the rim of the cup.
What was he up to? Was he just being territorial? That wasn’t too unusual, alphas were often territorial about omegas. It didn’t mean anything meaningful that he didn't like another alpha sniffing around me. It was ego, nothing more.