Eden wasn't just consuming her thoughts while she was awake, the man had to disturb her sleep too.
Pulling the phone to her ear, Shylah tried to clear the sleep from her voice.
"Hello?"
"Shylah, it's Nurse Bode. We're short-staffed today in the ER, and I'm hoping you'll be able to come in. Can you?"
Holding back a groan, Shylah threw her hand over her face. Working was the last thing she wanted to do today. Sleeping was the first. Feeling sorry for herself with a bucket of ice cream and watching The Notebook was a close second.
"Okay."
The word reluctantly came out when what she really wanted to say was "no thanks" and pull the covers over her head.
Damn her and her inability to say no.
Shylah knew it wasn't just that, though. She took her job in the medical world seriously. Not enough nurses in the hospital meant more pressure on those who were there and less care for patients.
"Great! See you as soon as you can get here."
As the phone call ended, Shylah dropped it onto the bed and turned her head into the pillow.
Eventually, she pushed herself into a sitting position only to have her left wrist give out. Dropping back onto the pillow, Shylah snagged her left hand with her right and did some gentle massage.
She needed to get back into her rehab exercises. She wouldn't be much use as a one-handed nurse.
Moving out of bed, Shylah felt a soreness in her core she hadn't felt in a while.
Jesus, even though the guy was a jerk, the sex had been just as good as she remembered. Maybe better.
There had always been a ridiculous physical spark between them. Being held in his arms made her feel like he sheltered her from the world.
Then he had to open his mouth.
Thinking back to his words, Shylah cringed. Spoken just after making her feel on top of the world, Eden thought she was part of Project Arma. He thought she was working with those bastards and covering for them.
Her brain still struggled to comprehend that. Did he really think so little of her?
Removing her clothes, Shylah stepped under the spray of water. Closing her eyes, she felt the heat hit her shoulders.
Growing up, her family had always made her feel like she wasn't enough. Snide comments here and there, combined with the fact she had to work extra hard to get breadcrumbs of affection, meant that she usually felt undeserving.
So, when she'd encountered Eden, her first instinct was to think he was too good for her. But over time, he wormed his way into her heart and gave her the impression that their feelings were mutual. That she was enough for him.
What a load of baloney.
If Eden felt for her even a shred of what she felt for him, he would never have thought she was capable of what he did.
Project Arma was supposed to be a government-sanctioned project which helped soldiers and Navy SEALs train more efficiently and recover quicker.
Shylah had discovered the project had gone rogue and used Eden and his team for an off-the-books, experimental drug trial.
Eden was now faster, stronger, and healed quicker than the normal man, in addition to many other enhanced abilities.
The drugs could have done far worse damage. They had to previous test subjects.
A shiver ran down Shylah's spine. Even if Eden didn't like her, the idea of him no longer being in the world was too much to bear.
That Eden thought she could be part of such evil was like a dagger to the heart. She wanted to cry and scream, but she refused to allow the emotions to take over.
Shylah needed to figure out what she wanted to do. She loved him. Oh god, did she love him.
There was a possibility that she could stay in Marble Falls and nothing improved. Months from now, the man she loved could still hate her.
Shaking her head, Shylah stepped out of the shower. She needed to get ready for work. She could deal with the Eden mess later.
Dressing with speed, Shylah grabbed a coffee and made quick work of the walk to work. Stepping into the hospital, Shylah got changed into her scrubs and started her shift.
Throughout the day, there was a steady flow of patients—most with minor injuries and illnesses.
Spending the majority of the day working with Doctor O'Neil, it went by quickly. She found he was easy to talk to and liked to crack jokes that weren't great but weren't terrible either.
Leaving a patient's room, Shylah looked at the time to realize her shift already ended. On the way to the staff locker room, Doctor O'Neil joined her.
"Good job today, Shylah. Was everything okay yesterday?"
Eyes flickering to him before she looked straight ahead, Shylah nodded. "Yes, I was just a bit off. Sorry, Doctor, I wasn't feeling the best. It won't happen again."
She hoped it didn't happen again.
As they reached the locker room, he placed his hand on her elbow, stopping her near the door. "You can call me Trent, Shylah. And if there's something you need to talk about, I'm happy to listen."
Taken aback, Shylah found herself at a loss for words. "Oh . . . thank you." Not feeling confident about using his first name, Shylah went with not calling him anything. "I'm okay, but I really appreciate it."
Noticing he still had his hand on her elbow, Shylah waited awkwardly for him to remove it.
"I was wondering if you would be interested in going out with me. I could show you around town. Maybe this Friday night?"
Raising her brows, Shylah wouldn't be surprised if the shock was like a postage stamp plastered to her face. "Wow, ah, that's nice of you to ask."
"Before you say no, we can keep things strictly friends." Raising his hands, the doctor finally released Shylah's elbow.
On instinct, she went to say no, then stopped.
Realistically, what else would she be doing this weekend other than watching Netflix and drowning her sorrows in a tub of Ben and Jerry's?
"Just as friends?" The skepticism would be hard to miss from her tone.
"One friend hanging with another. I'll even let you pay for your own meal."
She couldn't believe she was entertaining this, but why the hell not? It wasn't like it would be romantic, and even if it was, she didn't have anyone who had waited around for her for over a year or anything.
"Okay."
The doctor's eyes lit up. "Great! I'll see you during your next shift. We can organize details then. See you soon, Shylah."
Placing his hand on her forearm and squeezing, he then turned and left.
Watching him go, Shylah was still in shock that she'd said yes. Turning, she headed for the locker room to put on her regular clothes.
Why would the doctor want to go out with her, even just as friends? Why had she said yes?
Oh yeah, because she had been ridiculously lonely for the last fourteen months.
He was cute, she guessed. Probably about six feet tall and lean.
He wasn't Eden. No one would be.
When he touched her arm, she didn't feel the warmth shoot through her body like a shotgun.
On the positive, going out with him sure beat locking herself up in her small apartment and thinking about the man she loved who didn't love her back.
5
Eden watched Shylah from the hospital entrance.
His eyes narrowed as the doctor touched her. Eden was moments away from walking up to the man and tearing his damn arm off.
Tuning into their conversion, Eden's blood boiled when he heard Shylah agree to go on a date with the guy.
What the hell?
She comes back into his life then wants to date the town doctor?
As the doctor left, Eden watched Shylah head to the locker room before exiting out the back.
Keeping a slight distance, Eden trailed her for a few blocks. Watching.
Shylah still walked with purpose. Straight back, eyes front. Although every so often, she would glance over her shoulder. That was new.
Not that she would see any threats.
She hadn't even noticed him. Watching her for a moment longer, Eden finally made himself known.
"There's a quicker way to get back to your place, you know?"
Shylah spun around, bag dropping from her shoulder in the process. "Good lord, Eden, make some noise or something, you creeper."
Taking a step closer to her, Eden crossed his arms. Being close to her was dangerous, but being far apart caused him physical pain.
Leaning down, Shylah picked up her bag and threw it over her shoulder before turning and stomping forward. "I know there's a quicker way home. Through some dark alleys and tunnels."
Easily keeping pace with her, Eden shoved his hands in his pockets. "You scared of your neighbors here in the little town of Marble Falls?"
Giving a small shrug, Shylah kept her gaze on the path ahead. "You can never be too careful, Eden. You should know that."
What he knew was that his biggest threat was the five-foot-six, hazel-eyed woman standing right next to him.
"I know that you should only be scared if you piss off the wrong people."
Turning her head toward Eden for a moment, something flashed through her eyes before she quickly blinked it away. "I only just got to town. How could I have already pissed people off?"
"Lots of ways. You could have come to a town where you knew people hated you." Shylah flinched. Eden tried to shrug it off like he didn't care, but the hurt in her eyes left an imprint. "Or they could have followed you. Could even be both."
Silent for a moment, Shylah's brows pulled together. "Do you think I came to a town where people hate me?"
Hate? As much as Eden may want to, he didn't think he would ever be capable of hating Shylah. "I think you came to a town where people want answers."
A sad smile crossed Shylah's face. "You didn't answer the question, Eden."
"You don't seem to answer all mine, Shylah."
"Shylah? Pulling out the full name now." Increasing her pace, Shylah continued, "And why would I? Seems you've already figured it all out."
"Have I already figured it all out?"
Jesus, he hoped he hadn't. Most of his thoughts were maybe's, hopefully not's.
"No. You haven't." There was no pause and no hesitation in Shylah's response.
Eden wanted to believe her.
"Then tell me." The frustration bled from his voice. He'd waited long enough to find the truth.
Scoffing, Shylah visibly tightened her fingers around the strap of her bag. "Would you listen?"
Eden listened to every damn word she spoke. "Only one way to find out."
Not speaking for a moment, Shylah seemed to work her way up to telling him something.
"Remember that day at Project Arma when I ran into you in the hall? I told you I left something in my car, and I didn't want to get in trouble for being late."
Eden remembered that day well. It was the first day she'd started acting differently. The first day he could tell she was hiding something. "I remember."
Swallowing, Shylah continued, "I overheard something that I shouldn't have just before I ran into you."
Slowing his pace, Eden's brows drew together. "What?"
"Doctor Hoskin was threatening someone from the science department." Shylah's knuckles started turning white as she spoke from holding onto the bag strap so tightly. "The guy said he wanted to stop what they were doing. Go with the results they had. Doctor Hoskin was basically threatening the guy to continue with the project. Saying if he pulled out, they'd kill him. They required results and didn't care who died. They wanted a new version of the drug so they could start testing it on you guys in the next couple of months."
Eden's hand shot out and wrapped around Shylah's upper arm, halting her. "You're saying you had no idea what was happening there before that day? Before you heard that conversation?" Shylah nodded. Eden was almost too scared to believe it, but all he could see was honesty in her eyes. "If that's true, why didn't you tell me as soon as you ran into me?"
Eyes widening, Shylah cocked her head to the side. "He threatened to kill the scientist, Eden. I heard him say that everyone was expendable." Pausing, Shylah crossed her arms. "If I had told you, what would you have done?"
"I would have shut the damn project down."
"You would have gotten yourself killed, Eden."
"So, you're saying you found that my team and I were being injected with experimental drugs and rather than tell us, you what? Kept it a secret for a couple of months?" Eden didn't know what would hurt more, that she didn't trust him to protect them both or that she'd found lying to him so easy.
Taking a step forward, Shylah pointed her finger at Eden's chest. "You asked me out, remember? You made me fall in love with you. You think I was just going to hand a ticking time bomb to the man I loved? I knew I could get the program shut down, so I hid the truth from you. To save your dumb ass. I tried to reason with the government officials I was communicating with to stop you from being injected with the drug, but I was told it was safe. You were safe for the moment."
Eyes narrowing, Eden struggled to comprehend the words she was telling him. "You're saying you're the one who got the program shut down?"
"Yes." Shylah looked at Eden like she was daring him not to believe her. Daring him to disagree.
Eden couldn't pick up any signs of dishonesty in Shylah. Her heart rate remained steady, her gaze firm.
Shit. Had Shylah really been the one to save him and the others?
"How?"
Turning, Shylah continued walking. Eden could have stopped her but chose to follow. "I got the evidence I needed and sent it in."
There were enough holes in that description to sink the Titanic.
"If you weren't part of the project, then how did you get the evidence you needed? They wouldn't have just made it available to you."
Arriving at the door to her apartment building, Shylah stopped and turned to face Eden. "Remember that night when you were waiting for me at my place, but I wasn't there?"
Eden nodded. He remembered it clearly. When he'd called, she'd said she was at the grocery store but then returned empty-handed.
"I broke into the building that night and took the information I needed."
"You broke in? And stole highly classified information after hours after hearing the doctor say everyone was expendable?"
Shylah's expression didn't change. "Yes."
"You're saying you were the anonymous tip that got the project shut down?"
"I asked them not to bring my name into it when they told you guys. It was important to me that I told you myself."
"That was the secret you would tell me when I got back from my mission?"
"Yes."
Something still wasn't adding up. If that were true, then why hadn't she been there? Where the hell had she been all this time?
Voice lowering, Eden watched Shylah closely as he asked the next question. "So where were you then, Shy? When I got back. And where have you been all this time?"
Breaking eye contact, Shylah glanced down at her hands. "I was going to wait for you. That was the plan, but something happened."
"What?" Eden knew he'd all but barked the word. He felt agitated. Angry that so much had happened that he'd had no idea about.
As soon as the word left his mouth, a veil came over Shylah's face. All emotions masked. "I need to go, Eden. It's been a long day. We can finish this conversation another time."
Another time? Like hell, they would. Eden had waited fourteen goddamn months for this.
"You need to tell me, Shylah, and you need to tell me now."
Anger flashed across her features. "Or what, Eden? What are you going to do? Will you look at me like I'm the scum of the earth? How about have sex with me against the wall then accuse me of being part of Project Arma?"
Anger laced her words. But behind the anger was hurt.
Damn it, he didn't want to be affected, but every time she was in pain, it pierced through him.
Taking a step closer, E
den gentled his voice. "I just need some answers, Shy."
Reaching his hand up, Eden stroked her cheek. Shylah moved her head into him just slightly.
"I have a lot to tell you, Eden, but I need us to work our way back to a safe zone first."
"A safe zone?"
"We don't have to be where we were before. But you not hating me would be nice."
"I could never hate you, Shy. I just don't know what to believe anymore."
The hazel eyes that stared back at Eden were filled with sorrow. "There was once a time when you trusted me, Eden."
That was before his reality had been exposed.
"Trust is fragile. Easily broken."
Nibbling her bottom lip, Shylah didn't break eye contact. "I used to think we were unbreakable."
"Me too."
So damn unbreakable. Reality was a bitch.
Shylah's gaze dropped to her feet as her arms wrapped around her middle. It was a protective stance. Eden felt a powerful urge to pull her into his arms.
Just stopping himself, Eden needed the whole truth before he could continue to move forward.
A relationship with secrets could never work.
"Well, I need to go, Eden. A tired nurse is rarely a good nurse." Shylah's head turned toward the door.
"Why are you here, Shylah?"
Turning back to him for a moment, Shylah shrugged. "I thought that would be obvious?"
Obvious to who?
Shoving his hands into his pockets to stop himself from touching her, Eden half turned. "You working tomorrow?"
Frowning, Shylah shook her head. "No, why?"
"No reason." Eden started heading down the steps. As he reached the bottom, he heard the building door shut and turned in time to see Shylah disappear through the building.
Facing the street again, his gaze zoomed in on the pickup truck in the distance. He'd been aware of it following them since the hospital, but when all they'd done was keep their distance, he'd ignored it.
The question was, who was it following—Eden or Shylah?
6
Tipping her head back, Shylah closed her eyes as the warm water fell on her body.
Shylah had allowed herself to sleep in this morning. Not for long, but enough so that for the first time in a week, she woke without feeling like she had a hangover.
Eden: A steamy contemporary military romance (Project Arma Book 2) Page 4