by Ellie Hall
She’d been wrestling with it last night. “Uh, okay.” She put her water bottle in the cup holder and started to jog.
Oliver leaned over the treadmill. “You’re looking pretty tough there, Izz.”
She pushed her speed up higher than she normally would. “Why are you even looking at me?”
He sputtered out a laugh. “Right, like you weren’t just checking me out.”
The man was infuriating. “I wasn’t.”
“Were too. You paused for like ten seconds when I turned around.” He flexed. “That’s okay. You can check out these guns any day.”
The nerve of him. “P-lease.” She faced forward, staring at the lake through the large window. “You sound idiotic.”
“No, that’s your boyfriend.”
Her irritation spiked. “Shut up, Oli.”
Oli didn’t move. “Izz, sorry. Though, I must say, it’s rude to throw insults at me.”
“You threw one at me first,” she said, sounding like a whining child.
“Did not!” He pointed at her.
“Did, too!” She pointed back.
He grinned.
A tinge of happiness filled her and she couldn’t help but smile. “Stop it.”
His smile widened. “We always did know how to flirt, didn’t we?”
Her heart raced. She jerked to look at him, putting her hands on the bar in front of her so she wouldn’t trip. “Oliver, look, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I'm tired of avoiding you.”
“Are you avoiding me?” A smile played across his lips. That cocky smile she hated so much. “Because you like me, right? I’m still your crush, right? So, you’re trying to avoid me.”
“I hate you,” she said, turning forward, again.
He laughed. “I’m kidding.”
She kept running.
“Talk to me, I’m sorry.”
She glanced at him. “If we don't have to interact the rest of the week, let's not. You just do your thing. Go box. I’ll stick to my thing, running on the treadmill. We don’t even need to talk.” Her voice went up a little at the end of the sentence like she was asking a question.
“We don’t even need to talk,” Oli mimicked her, then laughed. “Oh my gosh, I forgot how you used to do that when you were nervous around me. When you used to crush on me.”
“I did not crush on you. And I’m not now!”
He laughed again. “Are, too!”
Again, she felt this violence around this man. There were times that patients at the hospital would react poorly to a diagnosis, and would break out into a violent outburst. She had never understood that reaction. It seemed pointless to her, for a person to punch the wall or even punch their spouse. At this moment, she understood the violent outbursts. She wanted to hurt Oliver.
“I'm just kidding.” Oliver swiped one of his boxing gloves through the air and then tapped her shoulder. “We used to be friends, Izz. We’d tease each other. Do you remember that?”
She glared at him.
He tapped her other shoulder. “Tell me you remember.”
Unable to stop herself, she laughed. “Stop it.”
Oliver laughed even louder. He punched the air next to her. He didn't even touch her, but he was annoying the crap out of her.
“Remember when me, you and Tess used to do turbo boxing together? I think I was fourteen, so you guys would’ve been twelve. We would do all those kicks and everything.” He started doing sidekicks and then front kicks.
If she’d been in a better mood, she might’ve thought he was funny. “I don't remember that either.”
“Yeah, you do.” He did more combinations. Then he tapped her shoulder again.
“Stop.”
He bobbed and weaved away from her, then tapped her other shoulder. “Quit saying you don’t remember things.”
“Stop.”
“No.”
“Oli!”
Oliver paused. “We can have some fun together. Come box with me like old times.”
“It’s not like old times. It will never be like old times.”
Oliver sighed loudly and stopped boxing. “It feels like you've been angry at me for ten years.”
“I haven’t even seen you in ten years.”
“Exactly.”
She didn't want to do this. She really didn't want to get into all this junk. “Just go do your boxing.”
“Look, I know you’re mad. Just say whatever you want to say so you can quit being mad.”
“No.”
“Then you are mad.” It was like he’d caught her.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Silence.
He bounced back and forth next to her, jabbing the air. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
He tapped her shoulder, again. “Izzy.”
She batted at his gloved hand. “Don’t touch me!”
He laughed and kept playing. “Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.”
“Fine.” She pressed end on the treadmill. “You tell me that my boyfriend is a jerk, but look at the way you’re treating me.”
“You're comparing me to the man who tells you you're not good enough because you won't sleep with him?”
She hesitated. “I guess I am.”
“That’s kind of a reach.” Oliver let out a light laugh. He paused his jabbing and pointed at her with the glove. “This is about that night at the planetarium, isn’t it?”
She didn’t reply.
Oli used his glove to rub the side of his head. “Listen, Izz, it didn’t come out right the other day. I know I was… a jerk then. I … can’t explain why I left like that.”
Again, mixed feelings flooded through her. “I think you could explain.”
He paused.
“You left me at the planetarium, just standing there. I closed my eyes, and I thought … I thought you were going to kiss me.”
He hesitated, then hit himself in the chest. “You’re right. Hit me.”
“What?”
“I was a grade-A jerk back then and I deserve it, so hit me.” He hit his own chest again.
“No.”
He moved into her personal space. “Yes, I deserve it.”
She was close to him. Kissable close. They were both breathing hard.
Part of her wanted to back away, but the other part of her couldn’t.
“Hit me.”
“No.”
“I'm sorry.” He looked at her lips and then back to her eyes.
What was going on? Was he thinking about kissing her?
“Look, I knew if I kissed you that day it would’ve changed things. I was finally leaving Snow Valley. I couldn’t have complications in my life.”
Being this close to him was doing funny things to her. Hearing him confess that he regretted not kissing her, made all kinds of nervous jitters fill her gut.
He smiled and stared her lips again. “I’ll kiss you now.”
She was speechless.
The tension ratcheted up between them.
“Do you want me to kiss you?”
Honestly, she’d never thought he would say those words. Was she dreaming?
A soft smile spread across his lips. “What, Izz? Do you?”
Brian's face flashed in her mind. Hadn't she accused him of cheating on her? If she kissed Oliver, she’d be doing the same. “I shouldn’t be here.”
Without warning, Oliver moved into a boxing dance again, blocking her path. “No, Izz, get on the gloves and box. Hit me. Hit me.”
Unable to stop herself, she laughed. It was a relief that she’d finally told him how she felt and he’d admitted that … well, he’d admitted something. “Stop it. I'm not going to hit you.” She tried to navigate around him.
He wouldn’t let her past, instead box-dancing in her path. “No. Come on.” He pushed her shoulders. “Just punch me in my gut.” He used the glove and tapped his stomach. “Hit me. Or better yet, just chuck me in my chin. Just
go for it. You deserve it. I was an idiot.”
“You are an idiot,” she said, trying to get by. “Move!”
He caught her and tossed her back. “No, hit me!”
“Let me past!”
He shoved her again. “Hit me first!”
This time, she shoved him back. “Stop it!”
He started doing light punches on her shoulder. “Say you forgive me, Izz. Say you forgive me, or I will keep doing this.”
This was how Oliver had been when they were kids. The truth was, they had been close friends, before she’d crushed on him.
Izzy pushed him again. “I'm warning you.”
Oliver roared with laughter. “I double-dog dare you to punch me.”
He kept lightly jabbing her shoulders back and forth. Then he started tapping the sides of her head. “Punch me or I won’t stop!”
“No!” Again, she tried to get past him.
“Nope!” He laughed. “Double-dog dare you.” He tapped her the front of her head. “Punch me, punch me, punch me!”
Reflexively, she punched him. “Quit!”
Blood immediately started streaming down his face.
She’d aimed for his shoulder, but she accidentally hit him square in the nose.
“Holy crap.” He stopped boxer dancing and his gloves went to his face.
Horrified, she reached out for him. “Oh my gosh.”
Oliver looked at the blood on his gloves. “You hit me?” His eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out in her arms.
5
When Oliver woke, he realized he was in an ambulance. He tried to sit up, but Izzy was there pushing him back down. His mother was on the other side of him, no makeup on. She was in her pajamas and completely frazzled. “Oliver, why did you dare Izzy to punch you?”
“Let me up. I'm fine. You guys know I pass out when I see blood.”
A man took his arm and tapped the inside by his wrist. “I’m putting in an I.V.”
“I don’t need that.” Oliver tried to pull back. “I always pass out at the sight of blood.”
The worker pulled his arm back. “It's not the passing out that concerns us, son. It's the fact that you have been passed out for twenty minutes.” The man stuck an IV in his arm.
Oliver flinched. “Ouch.”
“I'm so sorry,” Izzy said.
He met her eyes, saw the remorse and pain in them, and instantly felt the gravity of the situation. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
The edges of her lips turned down. “I really am sorry.”
His mother crossed her arms. “Oliver, I can't believe you did this.”
He laughed. He was in an ambulance lying flat on his back, and she was upset with him. “Sorry, Mom.”
His mother pinched her lips together, then gently placed her hand on his head. “You’re going to be fine.”
“I am.” Irritation pulsed through him. “Let me up.”
“No,” Izzy said, scowling. “You need to be checked out. You were out far too long.”
Oh yeah. She was a nurse.
“Yes, what Izzy says.” His mother pulled out her phone and checked it. “Your father texted that he is almost at the hospital.”
“Why did you tell him?”
His mother glared at him. “He kind of heard the ambulance come. Everyone did.”
He cringed and closed his eyes. Crap.
His mother’s phone rang. She answered it and pressed the speaker button. “Hello.”
“Is he awake?” Tess’s voice was shrill.
“He woke up. He's going to be fine,” his mother spoke quickly. “You don’t need to worry.”
The technician leaned into the phone. “Tess, don’t worry. I would guess this is partially from dehydration. We'll have the doc check him out real quick.” He grinned. “And, Tess, Melody and I are really looking forward to your wedding. We'll get your brother back into tiptop shape.”
“Thank you. Oli, are you there?”
“Hey, Tess.” He opened his eyes.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.”
The technician was right; it probably was just dehydration. With all his traveling over the past few days, he didn’t remember drinking much. Or even eating much. It wasn't uncommon for him to pass out at the sight of blood, but it did concern him that he had been passed out for over twenty minutes. “I’m fine. Sorry.”
“It's my fault,” Izzy said. “I hit him. I'll make sure he's okay. You just go to your dress fitting and I'll make sure I have the game ready for tonight. Everything is going to be fine.”
“I’m sure he deserved it,” Tess said.
His mother cocked an eyebrow. “I’m sure.”
Izz put her hand to her chest. “No, it’s my fault.”
Oliver wasn’t going to be a victim. “No, it was all my fault, I was bothering Izz.”
Tess sighed. “I believe it.” She half-way laughed. “But, Oli, are you really okay?”
It touched him that his sister was so attentive to him. He would be the same way with her. “I'm fine. We will be back soon.”
His mother said a few things to Tess and then hung up. Oliver could tell she was stressed out.
“Mom, call Dad and have him take you back home. Izzy will stay and make sure everything is okay.”
His mother patted his shoulder. “Oli, I know you have been avoiding your father, but you do need to talk with him.”
In that moment, his mother looked older to him. Like she had aged since he'd last seen her at Christmas. He thought about what Tess had said. “What's going on, Mom?”
For a second, he thought she might tell him, then she shook her head. “You need to talk to your dad.”
Again, Oliver had that same feeling. The one that said he shouldn't have been so rude or avoided his father this whole time.
It didn't take long to get to the hospital, and Oliver insisted that he didn't want to be taken in on a gurney.
The doctor was waiting for him as he walked inside, and Oliver was immediately taken back to a room.
He marveled at the care people had for each other in Snow Valley. He'd been gone for so long that he had forgotten how much people cared for each other here.
The doctor did an x-ray and confirmed that his nose was, in fact, broken.
Izzy apologized over and over.
Finally, Oliver told her to stop because she was driving him crazy.
His dad was all business as they spoke with the doctor, trying to discover why his son had been out for twenty minutes.
“We are going to run a blood test, just to make sure that everything else is okay.” The doctor frowned.
Up until this moment, he really hadn't taken it that seriously. He glanced at Izzy. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” The look on her face made him not believe her.
He imagined it didn’t help that she was a nurse for cancer patients. “Izz, I’m fine. It was just a little blood and I’ve been traveling a lot. I’m sure it is just dehydration. Don’t worry about it.”
“I know,” she said quickly.
Irritation pulsed through him. Not just irritation at what he was pretty sure Izzy was thinking, but irritation that his parents time was being taken by him. There was still a long to-do list of tasks to get prepared for the rest of the weekend. He didn’t want to interrupt all of Tess’s plans. “Mom, Dad. Please go back to the house and help Tess. You have guests. I will be fine with Izzy. She will take good care of me.”
Izzy hesitated, then nodded emphatically. “Of course. I'll be here. Whatever you want to do.”
His mother and father glanced at each other.
“I'm only leaving you because Izzy is here.” His mother reached out and lightly touched Izzy's shoulder. “I know you'll take good care of him. Let us know if anything is wrong.”
“Of course.” Izzy agreed.
His father looked uncertain, then glanced at his mother. “You take the truck back and I’ll stay with Oli.”
Oliver wasn
't ready for that. Not yet. He didn't want to have a heart-to-heart with his father in the hospital. “Dad, please, go with Mom and help her. I'm fine. Just let Izzy stay.”
His father shook his head. “No.”
Oliver reached out and took his father’s hand. “Take Mom back and I promise we will talk.”
His father sighed. “Soon?”
“Fine, I promise.”
“Okay.” His father wagged his finger at him. “Only because I understand that Browne men don’t like coddling.”
For the first time in as long as Oliver could remember, he laughed at something his father had said. “True.”
His father pulled his hand away and grinned at him, then at Izzy. “How many times did you two dare each other to do something and wind up in trouble?”
“Too many times to count,” Izzy said with a smile.
He smiled back at her.
His parents left.
A nurse had already taken his blood, so he and Izzy waited on the results that the doctor was having rushed through. Oliver lay in the hospital bed with his eyes closed.
“I really am sorry. I can't believe this happened.”
Oliver opened his eyes and grinned at her. The whole thing was hilarious, even if he was a little bit concerned. “Are you kidding? If this gets me out of your doghouse, then I am perfectly happy accepting the consequences.”
She stood up from her chair and moved to his side, lightly brushing his hand with hers. He was surprised at the intense attraction that suddenly sparked inside of him.
“I guess you are out of the doghouse.”
The attraction intensified. He wanted to reach up and gently caress her sweet face. She looked worried about him. All he could do was stare into her green eyes. “You really are beautiful. I'm not saying that to tease you, either.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled back. “Oliver.”
“Hey, come back here. I'm not feeling okay.”
She rushed back. “What's wrong?”
He grinned and reached for her hand. “Oh, I'm actually feeling better now that you're right at my side.”
She looked down at their hands. “Whatever.”
He liked holding her hand. “Tell me the truth. Do you think something is wrong with me?”
Her face sobered and she patted his hand. “I don’t think so, but the blood work will let us know.”