With Every Heartbeat

“I, uh...” He closed his mouth and motioned with his finger for me to go first.



With a nod of thanks, I rushed into the bathroom and then pressed my back to the wall after I closed the door. I clenched my eyes shut until I’d heard him pass and leave the apartment.



I also started my testing for the kidney transplant that week. I had to skip at least one class every day, but my main purpose here wasn’t to attend college; it was to save my friend’s life. I could make classes up another semester if I had to.



The checkup with the gynecologist was the most embarrassing by far. I’d never had one of those exams before, and no one had even been where that doctor went before, so it was quite a mortifying experience. After the Pap smear was over, she prescribed me birth control, letting me know I could absolutely not be pregnant to take part in the kidney transplant. Blushing madly, I tried to tell her she didn’t have to worry about that...ever. But she assured me the pills would at least work to regulate my periods.



Since I wasn’t the argumentative type, I filled the prescription.



By Friday, I was ready to be done with doctors and tests forever, but I kept telling myself Cora had to go through a hundred times this torture. It’d only be for a few more months, and then everything would be okay.



Just a few more months.



I was still dragging as I entered art class. The doctor who’d given me a physical exam the day before had made me run for twenty minutes straight on a treadmill, testing my heart rate before and after.



Not used to running...or any kind of exercise, really, my sore legs screamed at me with every step I took up to my seat.



“I got another one,” Caroline cheered, waving a piece of paper. When she finally stopped moving it enough to let me see the drawing, I smiled. It was basically the same picture as the first one, but a cute fuzzy kitten was now playing with Caroline’s bare toes and her eyes were opened as if she’d just awakened.



“Isn’t it amazing?”



I nodded. “The details are astounding.”



Caroline touched the pencil strokes. “And now I want a kitten.”



I laughed just as Reese bounced into the room, full of smiles. “Are you guys going to the club next Friday? Asher’s playing his first gig then.”



“Asher?” Caroline asked slowly, burrowing her eyebrows. “What’re you talking about? Who’s Asher?”



“Oh my God. Does your brother tell you nothing about his work? Asher...Asher Hart. He’s the newest bartender at Forbidden, and Pick’s let him set up this entire sound system at the bar so his band can sing there. And their first performance is next Friday. I’m so excited. I’ve heard them practice and, oh...my...God. Asher’s voice...it’ll melt your panties right off, ladies. I kid you not.”



Ten snorted, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. “Whatever. He’s not that good.”



“Oh...Yes. He is,” Reese argued. “I have to molest Mason senseless every time I hear him sing. Seriously.” She glanced between Caroline and me. “He has the best voice. Oh my God, did you get another drawing?” She snagged it out of Caroline’s hand to inspect it. “Aww. I love the kitten. Now I want a kitten.”



“Wait. What is that?” When Ten tried to peer around Reese’s shoulder to see it, Reese slapped it to her chest so he couldn’t.



“None of your business.”



“I’ll just make it my business then.” He snagged it away from her, making her gasp in outrage.



“Hey,” Caroline snapped as he stared at the drawing. “Stop manhandling my picture. You’ll rip it.” Scowling at him, she tore it from his hand about as roughly as he’d taken it from Reese.



“What the fuck is that?” he demanded. “Who’s drawing your picture?”



She turned her back to him and busied herself by carefully tucking it into her book bag. “I don’t know,” she finally said.



“Caroline’s got a secret admirer,” Reese announced in a sing-songy voice. “Isn’t that sweet?”



“Or creepy,” Ten said, studying Caroline’s face before he added, “The fucker got your chin all wrong.”



“The hell if he did,” Caroline muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and staring straight ahead. “It’s absolutely perfect.”



Smiling to myself as I listened to them squabble, I opened my biology book.



“Your first test in biology is today, right?” Quinn asked, almost in my ear.



I snapped upright, not realizing he’d made it to class yet. His dark hair was windblown, and his voice a little breathless as if he’d had to rush to get here. My skin buzzed with awareness as he slid into his chair, and his scent wafted past me.