***
I finished up my shift feeling like a million bucks. Working as a nurse wasn't just about helping to heal the human body, but offering occasional balm to the human spirit. Watching Thelma come alive for the hour that I let her sit in the courtyard with Larry was worth all the trouble of having to go get the damn bird, including the tetanus shot that Dr. Lewis made me get.
He wasn't excited about me stepping outside the boundaries of the hospital to risk going to someone’s private residence, but when I fully explained my reasoning behind it, he softened a little.
I should have gone home after my shift, but I wanted to see Kendal. I could make the trip about checking in with Nurse Barry on my new schedule and accidently being in the business building around his classroom if needed, but either way, I wanted to check in on him.
After circling the parking lot for what felt like forever, I finally squeezed into a compact car spot and made my way toward the center of campus. I smiled at the thought of telling Kendal how weird my day had been. He would think it was humorous as well, or at least I hoped he would. Knowing that there was a side of him that was all about following the rules, he might lecture me for an hour over how stupid it was to put myself in a situation where someone could have hurt me.
I pulled out my phone and texted Kendal to let him know that I was just down the hall. His reply was to swing by his office and he could chat for a minute, but no more. He had a lot on his plate after coming back from taking the weekend off.
After grabbing a Coke from the machine by the auditorium, I walked up the three flights of stairs that led to the accounting department offices and made my way down to where Kendal's name was posted on the door. I moved into the open doorway and watched him work for a few seconds before knocking on the doorframe.
"Hey there. How's your day going, Dr. Tarrington?"
"It's good. Come on in." His eyes lingered on me a little longer than would have been acceptable.
I sat down in the chair across from his desk and crossed my legs. "So I've decided that I'm going to drop my classes and transfer to Baylor for graduation. I might have to stay an extra semester, but it will all be worth it."
"What?" Confusion moved across his handsome face as he leaned back in his chair and pulled his glasses off. "You're not doing that, Dana. We worked all of this out. It's just eight months."
"And that's too long for me." I took a quick sip of my Coke and offered it to him.
He politely declined. "Then I'll talk with Damon about coming to work for him. You're not changing your future for me."
"You are my future." I leaned forward and pressed my free hand to my knee. "I've seen so many things in the hospital over the last six months. People come and go, some survive and some die there, but all of them want the same thing."
"Love?" His voice was soft and drew me in like a moth to the flame.
"Yes. I don't wanna wait another minute to experience what we experienced this weekend. I don't care if I graduate from UT or Baylor. I'm going to most likely drag you halfway across the country to join me while I'm in medical school anyway, or I hope I am."
"I'm fine with us going wherever you need to go to finish up your schooling, but you're not adding more time on the clock because of me." He got up and walked around the desk as I stood.
"Kendal." I lifted my hand and pressed it to his chest, hoping to warn him to keep his distance. The look in his eyes said he didn't give two fucks who came by.
"I'm blown away that you would seriously consider changing your life for me." He slid his hands into my hair and brushed his thumbs across my cheeks. "Let's get out of here for the night."
"I can't. I picked up another shift at the hospital tonight just to help out. I wasn't sure what your plans were, but I assumed that you were working late." I cupped my hand over his and turned my face to kiss the side of his palm. Someone walked by the hallway, and I pulled back as nerves raced through my belly. "I need to go."
"Yeah, but we're not done with this conversation."
"I know, but until we make our decision on who's doing what, I'm not interested in you being caught in a position that could make the decision for us." I moved back and pulled my bag back on my shoulder. "See you around?"
"You'll see me as soon as I can get away. Keep your phone with you." His eyes moved down the length of my body, sending me back to the long weekend we shared at Olivia's place. There wasn't a part of me he hadn't touched. He owned me and I was more than happy to flip the entire universe upside down if it meant we were going to be together sooner.
I winked and turned to walk down the hall, noticing the pretty woman with long red hair shaking her hips a little too much just in front of me. Was that Heather? The woman who was after my man?
She turned and walked into an office, leaving me curious.
I glanced toward the office as she lifted her phone toward me and smiled. "Friend of Kendal's?"
"Nope, just a student." I shrugged and walked down the hall to the exit. The look on her pretty face haunted me. She knew something and planned to use it against us. Or maybe I was just overthinking things.
And another thing... why hadn't Kendal mentioned that the bitch was a supermodel? That was an important piece of the puzzle he'd kept to himself. Why? To protect me or himself?