Too Much Information

by Missy Johnson

  “Then I guess your brother was right,” he says softly. “We do have a lot in common.”

  “How old are you?” I ask him

  “I’ll be thirty next month. You?” he asks.

  “Twenty-six. Almost twenty-seven.”

  “That’s young to be doing your third-year residency,” he observes.

  I nod, a blush creeping across my cheeks.

  “I did quite a few college credits in my final year of high school,” I confess. “I wasn’t lying when I said I put everything into studying.”

  “Impressive,” he says with a small smile. “I lose someone, and I completely flake out. You lose someone and graduate college early.”

  I shrug. “It doesn’t really mean anything other than that we cope with things differently. Did you have a good relationship with your father?” I ask.

  He laughs. “God, no. Not at all. I think that’s why it was so hard losing him because there was a lot of guilt and self-blame. Mainly because that’s what my mother believed.”

  “I’m sure she wouldn’t have really thought that,” I say.

  “Trust me. She wasn’t shy about letting me know that she thought it was my fault,” he says, his voice grim. “He was a lawyer. My whole entire family was lawyers, going back generations. His firm had been in the family for longer than anything else, and it ended with me.”

  “So, you becoming a doctor didn’t go down too well, I’m guessing?”

  “Didn’t go down too well is an understatement.” He chuckles. “They pretty much stopped talking to me once I began my pre-med.”

  I shake my head sadly. He smiles and nods.

  “When my dad died, my mom told me not to bother coming to the funeral because I wouldn’t be allowed inside. I thought she was bluffing until I arrived at the church and saw the muscle she’d hired. I guess that’s what I get for going against my family’s legacy.” He pauses and reaches up to rub his eyes. “She said that I was selfish for choosing medicine and that I didn’t appreciate all that they’d done for me.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone not being proud of their kid for achieving what you need to achieve to be a successful doctor,” I say with a frown.

  He shrugs. “Families can be funny things. My point is, if you get on well with yours, then cherish that. Don’t be ashamed of it.”

  Another hour passes and then another. Before long, it’s dark, cold and I’m trying hard not to fall asleep. Luke motions for me to stop pacing and sit down again so I can snuggle closer to him. He shakes his head at my reaction, a smirk playing on his lips.

  “I can promise you this is for warmth purposes only,” he says. “You look like you’re slowly freezing to death, and I thought preserving heat might be a better option than having you collapse on me from hypothermia.” He smiles at me. “Not that I wouldn’t enjoy giving you mouth-to-mouth.”

  I hide a smile as I glance down at my arms. I study the goose bumps that have sprung up and give in, even though the idea of mouth-to-mouth is pretty tempting. I sit down next to him, allowing him to wrap his arms around me. I’m still shivering, only now I’m not sure if it’s having him so close to me or the fact that I’m so cold.

  “I’m starting to think we might be out here all night.”

  He shakes his head. “No, security would have to check up here eventually.”

  I hope he’s right. I glance up at him as he stares down at me. My heart races because his lips are so close to mine. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m inching myself forward, just enough so that his mouth is almost touching mine.

  What the hell am I doing?

  I jump back and look away. I’m embarrassed that I almost kissed him, but apparently, he’s not. His fingers cradle my face as he gently turns me, so I’m facing him. My heart pounds as he stares into my eyes. I don’t know what I want at this point because all I can focus on is his lips and how soft they look. I stretch my body out until my lips touch his.

  As we kiss, the warmth of his mouth against mine sparks something inside me. My heart races as his fingers stroke my neck, just below my ear. I reach up and put my hand over his, holding it there, while his lips explore mine. He pulls away, his eyes staring into mine as he waits for me to react. For a moment, I don’t know how I feel, but then, all the feelings of regret, begin to rush out.

  I jump up and breath in deeply. I’m angry at myself for giving into some stupid moment that was only created because of the situation we’re in. We never would’ve kissed if we weren’t locked out here. If things felt messed up before, I’d just made them a whole lot messier.

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “That was my fault entirely. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  Thankfully it’s so dark that he can’t see how red my face has gone.

  “It was hardly all your fault,” he says, getting to his feet. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but I was pretty into that kiss as well.”

  “Oh, I noticed,” I say before I can stop myself.

  He laughs, while my face goes even hotter. I reach up, inadvertently touching my lips which are still tingling from the feel of his mouth.

  Before I can say anything else, the door springs open.

  Sighing with relief, I brush past the surprised security guard, who is standing next to the door and I head down to the staffroom. Doctor Ballan has left for the day, so I send her a message, explaining what happened. Lucky for me, she’s understanding and figured something had happened. She goes as far as blaming herself for not warning me about the door in the first place. Apparently, all the staff has been complaining about that door for a long time, and the response has always been to just not go out there.

  As I stand outside the hospital, I don’t know whether to risk going home or avoid it for as long as I can. What are the chances of me getting back there before him? I’m surprised that it’s only eight o’clock, but I guess it’s late enough that I can justify going to bed if I’m back first, considering the day I’ve had.

  The relief I feel when I walk into my empty apartment is incredible. I quickly grab myself a drink and something to eat, bolting into my room when I hear the front door unlock. My heart pounds as I lean against the inside of my door, listening to the sound of him moving around inside the apartment. This is so childish. We’re grown adults, and I’m hiding in my bedroom to avoid talking to him like a freaking adult? I shake my head then bang it softly against the wood. I feel so stupid. I shake my head and creep over to my bed and sprawl across it, then I reach for my phone to text Becca.

  Me: What are you up to?

  Becca: Not much. You?

  Me: Oh, you know, the usual. Hiding in my room to avoid talking to Luke—who, by the way, I just kissed.

  Just as I expect, she calls me immediately. I smile as I answer because I feel like I’m fourteen again. Only I didn’t even act like this when I was fourteen. My biggest crush back then was on one of my male nurses, Gabe.

  “You kissed him?” I can tell by the tone of her voice she’s smirking. “Hold up, did I miss the part where you were actually talking to him now?”

  “It’s a long story,” I tell her. “We got locked outside on the roof together at work. I didn’t have a choice but to talk to him. It turns out he’s a nice guy.”

  “Fine, but kissing him?” Becca laughs. “And now you’re hiding in your room like a twelve-year-old girl.”

  “No need to remind me of that. I know how childish I’m being.” I huff.

  “How about I come over?” she suggests. “Maybe having me there will ease the tension between you both? Have you eaten? I’ll bring dinner if not.”

  “Okay, and yes, I’ve eaten,” I agree. “See you soon.”

  I take a deep breath and then walk into the living room to wait for Becca like a grown-up. I push aside my anxieties when I see Luke sitting on the couch. He looks up from his spot on the couch just as I’m staring at those lips.

  “Hey. I thought you must’ve gone to sleep early or something,” he says.

&
nbsp; He says “or something” like he knows I’m avoiding him.

  “No, just calling my mom,” I lie. And now I feel bad that I haven’t called Mom all week. “I have a friend coming over,” I add. Like I need his permission. He shrugs.

  “Okay. If you want me to give you some space, I can go out somewhere.”

  My eyes widen. He thinks I’m inviting a guy over.

  “No, not that kind of friend.” I’m quick to correct him.

  “The thought never entered my mind,” he assures me.

  “It’s just Becca, the girl you met briefly at the hospital,” I rush to explain.

  I don’t want to draw the conversation back to that night, but that’s all having Becca here is going to do, anyway. Why did I think letting her come over was a good way to ease the tension? The only thing Becca is known for is making embarrassing situations worse. Becca causes tension; she doesn’t ease it. Before I stress thinking about it anymore, she knocks on the door.

  How much more awkward can she make this, anyway?

  “Hey.”

  Becca flashes me a grin when I open the door. I cringe inwardly and brace myself for whatever is coming next. She walks in and waves Luke over. He looks amused as he stands up and saunters over to us.

  “I think we just need to get all this out in the open.” Becca looks back and forth between Luke and me. “You’re embarrassed because of what happened, but you obviously like him, or you wouldn’t have stuck your tongue down his throat. He likes you, too, or he wouldn’t have let you.” She shrugs. “There. Problem solved. Now, let’s just all get over it, so you two can go and have dirty sex while I watch TV and pretend I can’t hear the grunting.”

  I glare at Becca, ignoring Luke’s soft chuckles. I can’t even look at him as I grab her arm and steer her into the kitchen.

  “What the hell was that?” I hiss.

  “What? You invited me over here to ease the tension—”

  “No, you invited yourself over here,” I correct her. I shake my head and laugh.

  “Okay, so that may be true, but I started thinking about how all I’m doing is enabling your avoidant behavior by not helping you address it. Is that really helping you? Am I being a real friend by doing that?”

  “Now is not the time for you to go all psychiatrist on me,” I growl at her. “You might as well just leave now because being alone with him can’t be any worse than that.”

  “Okay.”

  She shrugs, her eyes sparkling as she hugs me and then walks out the door, while I gape after her. I walk back into the living room, feeling dazed by the whirlwind that is Becca. Luke frowns at me, confused.

  “Hey, where’s your friend?”

  “She left,” I say.

  He steps closer to me, a smile creeping onto his face.

  “So, is what she said true? That you like me?”

  He studies my face as I nod.

  “I’m surprised,” he says. “The way you panicked after what happened on the roof…” He smiles at me and reaches for my hand. I don’t pull away because his touch feels so good against mine. “I guess you asking Becca over here shows me that you’re willing to face things head on and deal with them. I admire that.”

  “Yep, that was my plan all along.” I nod, swallowing a laugh. “No point letting things get more awkward, right?”

  “She seems like a good friend. You’re lucky to have someone like her in your corner.”

  “Is she paying you to tell me that?” I grin. “No, she’s great. I keep her around for a reason.”

  “So, where to from here, then?” he asks. He’s so close to me that all I’d need to do is tilt forward and my mouth would be on his.

  It’s so very tempting…

  “I guess we move on. There’s no point complicating things, right?” I hear myself saying. “You’re my brother’s friend, and we work at the same hospital. Starting something with you would be silly.”

  The only thing silly is the stupid excuses that are coming out of my mouth. As if Matt would even care if we hooked up. He’d probably throw us a party.

  “Very silly,” he agrees, his eyes staring at my lips.

  I swallow, my heart pounding then I laugh randomly like I do when I’m nervous. I run my hand through my hair, feeling hot all of a sudden.

  “I’ve got an early start tomorrow.” I can barely get the words out.

  “Then I guess you’d better go to bed,” he murmurs, his gaze rolling down my body.

  I nod and back up, then I turn around and quickly rush off. I can feel his eyes on me as I all but run down the hallway to escape to my room. I close the door with a thud and slowly peel off my clothes. Climbing into bed, I stare at the ceiling. There’s no way in hell I’m going to be able to sleep, but I close my eyes and at least try.

  If only so I stop thinking about that kiss.

  Chapter Seven

  Luke

  Sorry, I’m out again. Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge.

  Don’t expect me home till late ;) L x

  I frown as I reread the note she left for me on the kitchen counter. Even though she says she’s not, I’m sure she’s avoiding me. Matt said one of the things I’d like about living here is that she’s very laid-back and a homebody. Only I see the opposite because she’s never here. She’s barely been home five minutes since I moved in. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind if she’s out every night. Good for her, if that’s what she wants. I just don’t want to be the reason behind it. I meant it when I said I didn’t want to upset her life.

  I glance over at the door when someone knocks. I know it’s Matt because he texted me a few minutes ago and said he was coming over. I open the door and nod at him, then walk back to the couch, throwing myself down. He follows me and falls into one of the armchairs, then we stare at the TV in silence. Around ten minutes later, he glances around.

  “Hey, where’s Laura?”

  I laugh. He’s just realized she’s not here?

  “She’s gone out.”

  “Out?” Matt says with an incredulous snort.

  “Out. I’m actually surprised you made it sound like she never leaves the house, considering she’s been out nearly every night since I got here.”

  “Laura?” he says nearly choking on the word. “My sister? No fucking way. She’s like allergic to fun and socializing. If she went any farther than next door, I’d be shocked.”

  “What’s next door?” I ask suspiciously. Is there some hot guy living next door that I didn’t know about? Why does that thought make me feel so tense?

  “She’s made it her mission to befriend her neighbor, who is like a hundred years old.”

  I smile because I can totally see her doing that.

  “I think she’s avoiding me,” I finally say.

  “Why would she do that?” Matt asks, confused. “Unless she’s got a reason to want to avoid you.” He smirks and nods at me.

  I shake my head. “No, nothing like that. Want a drink?” I ask, pulling myself to my feet.

  His phone buzzes before he can answer. He frowns and shakes his head as he examines it, then he gets up with a sigh.

  “No, I have to go. Annie is freaking out about her parents coming in, and apparently, me being over here, relaxing, isn’t going down too well.”

  “Okay… so, did you come over for an actual reason?” I ask him with a chuckle, following him to the door.

  He shakes his head as he walks out.

  “I’ve got a nearly full-term, pregnant wife at home, stressing about the impending arrival of her parents, who she hates, and who are staying with us for the next three weeks. Is that not reason enough?”

  Laughing, I shut the door. Point taken. A few seconds later, I hear Laura’s laughter filter through the wall. Matt was right. So why did she make it sound like she was going out on some hot date? Was that just for my benefit? I lean against the door thoughtfully. What if me being here is making her feel so uncomfortable that she doesn’t want to be home? Maybe I
need to even the playing field somehow.

  I smile because I know the perfect way to do it.

  #

  I glance at my phone, an unfamiliar feeling of panic rising in my stomach. Half an hour ago, this was the best idea in the world. But now? Not so much. The doubts are beginning to creep in. This is never going to work. What I need to do is just sit down with her and have a real conversation. I nod to myself, all but decided to abandon this plan, but just as I’m getting up, the door swings open. I stand up, my eyes darting to the door in horror as Matt walks in.

  “Hey, what the hell does this note on the door mean…”

  He stops mid-sentence when he sees me standing there, ass naked and in full frontal glory. He laughs and throws his arms over his eyes to shield himself from the beauty that is me.

  “Jesus, fuck, man. Put that thing away.”

  Shit.

  My heart pounds as my hands shoot down to cover my manhood, while I try and cling to the shred of dignity I have left.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I snap, glaring at Matt.

  “I forgot my phone,” he says. He saunters over to the couch and rummages between the cushions my bare ass was covering only seconds earlier. He holds up his phone for me to see. “The question is what are you doing?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest. “Would you like to explain why your standing naked in my sister’s living room?”

  I glare at him. This whole confrontation would be much more intimidating if he didn’t have the biggest smirk on his face.

  “I thought you were Laura,” I mutter, shaking my head. Matt’s eyes widen as he lets out a laugh. “Don’t worry, there’s nothing going on.”

  “Well, that kind of makes it worse, you know.”

  As if things couldn’t get worse, I look up just as Laura walks through the door. She stops in her tracks, her eyes darting from Matt to me. She blinks, her expression confused.