Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 74227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
But whatever.
The people in the room started discussing things amongst themselves, and since I didn’t see any more reason for me to be there, I turned around and slipped back through the doors and headed back through the maze of hallways.
My intention had been to find a side exit. Something, anything, that didn’t take me directly past all those people who may or may not want to talk to me more than I was willing to do.
See, the problem with me was that I was an introvert.
At my old job, I might have had to interact with a person for all of about five minutes while I was taking their blood.
Now, I had to talk to people to make a freakin’ tip. Now, I had to tell people where the fucking bread was or make small talk with someone while I checked them out.
I didn’t do small talk.
I wasn’t a small talk kind of girl.
I was more of a grunt and point kind of person.
This new girl I was being forced to be wasn’t good for me.
I hated people.
Hated anything that had to do with me being put into a position that I had to talk my way out of.
But the longer I walked around, the more I realized that there wasn’t an exit this way, and I was freakin’ lost.
It was by pure happenstance that I ended up back where I started.
I certainly hadn’t planned it that way.
Intending to do the only thing I could, which was exit at the front, I turned around just in time to come face-to-face with the man I’d also been trying to avoid.
He was sitting in a wheelchair, and he was staring directly at me.
The moment that I turned, he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him.
“Thank you for staying,” he said. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”
I would not tell him that I got lost. I would not tell him that I got lost.
I looked down at the man who was staring at me with relief-filled eyes. “You’re welcome.”
“Hospitals make me feel like I can’t breathe,” he muttered, eyes staying on me while he spoke. “I was hit by a drunk driver and spent too much time in a hospital afterward. This place reminds me of everything I don’t want to experience ever again.”
Annnnnd, I immediately felt like shit. Nice one, loser. Leave the poor man you shot in the testicle with your button at the hospital—a place that he’s afraid of. Good goin’.
I sagged. “I’m sorry for causing you to come here.”
Way to make me feel worse.
Though, I was sure that wasn’t his intention when he told me about his phobia.
He winked. “I’m not.”
My brows furrowed. “But why?”
“Because it gave me the chance to hold your hand.”
With that, he let my hand go and winked.
“All right!” The nurse came in moments later. “You’re ready to go!”
Chapter 8
My dentist told me I need a crown. Replying with ‘I know, right?’ was not the answer he was expecting.
-Lark’s inner thoughts
Lark
Two weeks later
I didn’t know why I was following him.
I really, really didn’t.
Hell, I was on my bike, pedaling like the dickens to keep up with him, and I was still falling behind.
I didn’t know if it was due to me being a complete novice at bike riding, or because he was just that fast.
You wouldn’t even know that two weeks ago he’d been in so much pain that he’d vomited and cried.
Though, as I’d had time to think about the incident—and read up on it—a testicular torsion wasn’t a joke.
It was a really painful condition that is something men hope never, ever happens to them.
I’d felt bad for two weeks, which was why I’d kept an eye on him from afar.
When he ran by my house today, eyes aimed in front of him, I’d thought that I’d just go for a little bike ride.
I hadn’t seen him since I’d checked on him two days after the incident.
Ever since I’d done nothing but think about the man.
Today, it’d gotten to the point where I almost asked Hennessy if she knew Baylor’s number so I could text him.
Which would’ve been a bad, bad idea. Super, duper, very bad.
Hennessy knew that I had a thing for Baylor. She also knew that I was in a position where I couldn’t put anything into another relationship.
She didn’t know much, but she knew enough that she’d be concerned.
Which was why I’d been putting it off for the last two weeks.
Him running by today had been just what I’d needed.
I’d follow him for a little while, get my fix, and go back home.
Except that I hadn’t expected him to lead me into a part of the neighborhood that led to basically nowhere.
I’d just topped the hundredth hill when I realized that the road I was on ended at a path that led straight into the woods.