Chapter 5 #2
“You can stay as long as you need to. I’m not tripping on that,” I tell him and he doesn’t respond. He just opens my door and walks out.
At the end of the day, Kadean knows I’m here for him when he needs me. Part of it is because I owe him but the biggest part is because he’s my brother and I love him. I just want him to want better for himself.
“Please have a seat and someone will be out for you in a moment,” the girl behind the desk says after I hand her the iPad.
I couldn’t take it anymore. For five days straight, my damn tooth had been killing me.
The gel and the pain pills didn’t do shit.
Yeah, it worked for a few hours but that’s it.
I gave in and went to my dentist. Turns out, Trista was right; it’s my wisdom teeth.
They grew in impacted and the extraction is too complex for my dentist. He referred me to this oral surgeon, Dr. Denim Morris, and I’m at my appointment, waiting to get this shit over with.
In preparation for today, I didn’t eat or drink anything last night.
Hell, I couldn’t have even if I wanted to anyway.
This shit hurts so bad. They called in the prescription for my after-surgery pain pills and I picked them up on my way here.
They told me to have someone drive me here but I’m straight.
I brought myself; I didn’t want to bother anyone with my shit.
“Mr. Watts,” a sultry voice I know all too well calls out.
It’s her, from the voicemails.
Stunned by the voice and beautiful face it’s coming from, I can’t fucking move. That’s her voice. Shit! This really has to be her.
“Xai Watts,” she calls out again, using my full name.
I’ve listened to her voicemails for weeks and although I feel like I know her through them, in reality, I don’t. Crescent Falls isn’t the biggest city but it’s large enough to keep our paths from ever crossing.
Move, I will myself and manage to stand. When I do, she smiles and motions me to the door.
“Right this way,” she says and I gladly follow.
I’m a man and have working eyes. Her back view is as beautiful as her front.
Her light pink scrubs hug her body and her curves make me dizzy.
“In here,” she says, nodding toward the room.
This time she motions for me to enter first. When I sit on the large chair, she closes the door then pulls a stool from under the sink area.
She gets it close to me and sits. “Can you confirm your date of birth?”
“September twenty-ninth.”
“Perfect. I’m Adora.”
Adora! That’s her name and this is definitely her voice. This is her.
“I’ll be assisting Dr. Denim today with your extraction. Just to confirm, you haven’t had anything to drink or eat since eleven last night, right?” she asks and I nod.
The fact that this is her, this close, is still wild as fuck to me and my brain can’t process my emotions.
They are all over the place. Part of me wants to apologize for my brother and for just leaving her mother at the hospital.
Another part of me wants to give her my deepest condolences and pull her into my arms and comfort her.
Yet another part wants to confess and apologize for listening to her heartfelt voice messages.
My mind churns but my eyes also focus on everything about her.
She’s truly stunning with her deep chocolate skin, dark eyes and lashes, full lips with a slight hint of something shiny, and cute nose. Her hair is pulled back, letting her full beautiful face shine through. I’m staring and can’t break my eyes from her.
“Mr. Watts, is that clear?” she asks as if she’s repeating herself. Hell, she probably is but I’m not sure. I was so caught up in her and her voice that I only heard sounds, no clear words.
“Yeah. I got it,” I lie.
“Okay, good. Just your upper half and shoes. Everything else can stay on. Someone will be in soon for your vital signs and IV in a few minutes. Then I’ll see you in about thirty minutes,” she says, smiling the entire time.
After she stands and leaves, I try hard as hell to recall her words. I fail at piecing it all together but at least I heard the last part. Still in shock, I stand, remove my shirt and shoes then put on the medical gown.
Ten minutes later, a short woman in the same color scrubs enters. I can’t lie; I’m disappointed as fuck that it’s not Adora but I still nod as she introduces herself. Next, she takes my blood pressure, checks my heart rate and oxygen level, draws blood, then attaches the IV.
“This is going to start to relax you. Dr. Denim will be here in a moment to check on you and answer any questions before we take you to the procedure room. Is your ride here for after the procedure?”
“Yes,” I lie. “They are waiting.”
She nods then leaves. About five minutes later, the surgeon walks in with Adora. She’s pushing a wheelchair. I hope that shit isn’t for me.
The doctor introduces himself and starts talking about my procedure.
I don’t even know what he’s saying because my entire focus is on Adora.
The same smile is on her face. She’s been smiling since I walked in here and I can’t help but wonder if it’s genuine.
I don’t know if the meds in this IV are working or what, but my mind is swimming and one thought is at the forefront.
With her recent loss and the grief I hear in her messages, how can she smile like this?
“Any questions or concerns?” I think I hear him ask.
“Nah,” I answer, to be on the safe side.
“Okay. Let’s get these troublemakers out,” he says.
When he turns to walk out, I start easing off the large recliner chair. “Oh no, Mr. Watts. Let me help you,” she says while rushing closer to me.
“It’s Xai and I got this,” I insist, still trying to get up.
“Mr. Watts, you d—”
“Xai,” I correct her again. “And I can walk.”
“But I can’t let you. Clinic policy. Please let me do my job,” she pleads and I concede because damn…
her smile and those eyes have me. She reaches to help me up after grabbing my IV bag but I don’t let her help me.
I have to preserve some of my damn manhood.
Instead, I stand but have to grab the sides of the wheelchair.
I’m a little dizzy. “Right here,” she says while holding my arm.
I get into the chair reluctantly. She adjusts my feet against the pads then unlocks the wheels. Against everything in my nature, I let her take me to the room. Real shit, I hate the entire trek because she’s pushing me.