Chapter 22
Audrey
Iclose the book and take a sip of my coffee. It’s my day off from working with my dad, and I’m taking my time getting ready for the day. I pull the throw blanket higher up over my legs and continue drinking my coffee as I stare into the courtyard outside my apartment balcony.
This week has been a roller coaster, and I feel wrung out from it. I can’t spend all day on my balcony reading, but I’m glad to have a moment to myself.
Tomorrow, I’m going to Tyler’s stepdad’s party, and to say I’m nervous would be an understatement. I can’t decide if I want to make a good impression on his family or not.
It would be easier if his family didn’t like me. It wouldn’t be difficult to do something that would make them tell him not to see me anymore.
But in my heart, I know I won’t do that. Because I want his family to accept me. I want them to be happy he’s with me.
Admittedly, that’s incredibly selfish. And I wish I could say I cared.
Sighing, I gather my book and blanket, along with my coffee cup, and go inside. I only have a little while before I need to be at the clinic, and I have to shower before I leave.
While I may not be working as a doctor, I still volunteer my time at the clinic. They need the help, and I need the distraction.
An hour later, I’m walking through the door of the clinic with a smile on my face, compartmentalizing all my other issues, as I’ve trained myself to do over the years. While I’m here, the only problems I need to worry about are the ones my patients present to me in the form of their ailments.
One of the nurses who’s worked here for years greets me, “Dr. Grey! It’s good to see you.”
“Trisha, how are you? I feel like I haven’t seen you the last few times I was here,” I reply as I’m storing away my bag.
“Goodness, I know. They have my usual schedule all messed up. I can barely keep track of when I’m supposed to be here anymore.” She flops down into the chair at the nurses’ station.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here today.”
She nods and starts telling me about the first few patients who have checked in and are waiting to be brought back and the two patients who the other nurses have already brought back into rooms.
“All that sounds good. Let’s get the day started.”
Without more discussion, we lock into work mode and start seeing patients.
In a clinic like this, we never know what the number of patients coming through the door will be, but it’s generally a constant stream.
We’re all friendly with each other and have become very close, but when it’s time to get down to the work, we’re all laser focused.
After three hours of consistent patients, I have a few minutes to sit down, eat a protein bar, and work on charting. I’m halfway through the stack of medical records when my phone alerts. I flip it over and my heart skitters.
Tyler: Hi mama, I’ve been thinking about you. I hope you’re having a great weekend. I have a very important question…did you do your homework I gave you?
I smile thinking of watching Tyler’s movie the night before, wishing I was watching it with him instead.
Me: I did. It was a good movie…maybe not my favorite. But it was good. Did you do YOUR homework?!
Tyler: I sure did. Doing it right now. That’s why I was thinking about you. Well, and because you're super hot.
Huffing out a low laugh, I text him back.
Me: And? Is it your favorite book??
Tyler: Hmmm…it’s very good. There’s this one part where the dude has his fingers in her…well, we can talk about that part later. In person.
Knowing exactly what part of the book he’s referring to, my cheeks heat. Not just from the spicy scene in the book, but also from thinking about Tyler. I text back.
Me: One of my favorite scenes.
Being with him makes me feel more desirable than I’ve ever felt before.
He spends more time worshiping my body than he does worrying about his own pleasure, and I love it.
But sometimes I feel guilty because I want to do more for him, even though he insists that everything he does for me affects him just as much.
I’ve pushed back, but he’s determined to make me experience more pleasure every time we have sex.
He certainly knows how to leave an impression.
Trisha pops her head into the office. “Hey, Doc, you almost done with lunch? We’re about to start bringing a few more patients back.”
I raise the last bite of my protein bar. “Yep, by the time they’re ready for me, I’ll be good to go.”
She gives me a wide smile and leaves me to finish up the last notes before the next round of patients.
Once that’s done, I walk out to the nurses’ station to wait for her to let me know which room.
“You’re on in room five, Dr. Grey. Older male, late forties. Has been having ringing in his ears for a week or so.”
“Thanks, Trisha.” I take the chart and review her notes as I walk down the hall. Rapping my knuckles lightly on the door, I turn the handle and step inside. “Hi, Mr. Parson. I’m…” My words die out as I take in the man seated on the examination table.
I’m not sure who’s more surprised—me or Tyler’s dad.
I shake my head and recover quickly. “I’m Dr. Grey. My nurse tells me you have ringing in your ears. When did this start?”
He doesn’t answer me at first as his narrowed eyes track me across the room. But then he clears his throat. “About a week or so ago. Sometimes it would happen in the past, but it’s happening a lot more lately.”
I nod as I pull the otoscope from the wall and approach the table. “I’m going to look into your ears to see if anything looks off.”
He nods his approval, and I begin my examination.
“This one looks okay, maybe just a touch of wax buildup, but nothing that should cause an issue.” I move to his other side. “Have you had any dizziness or nausea?”
“No.”
I finish and place the equipment back in the holder.
“Everything in your ears looks good, which is positive. But unfortunately, that doesn’t help us.
Unless you’ve been going to rock concerts, I think I’d recommend you seeing an audiologist to get your hearing tested.
Sometimes, as we age, you can get what’s called tinnitus.
And once that’s either confirmed or ruled out, your next steps can be decided on. ”
His nod is slow, and I hold my breath, wondering what he’s about to say. He clearly recognized me when I walked in.
“Are you dating my son?”
I slowly exhale, allowing the panic to subside. “I prefer not to talk about my personal life with patients.”
His laugh is harsh and lacks amusement. “Well, I’d prefer to have a conversation with my son. So maybe you could help convince him to do that.”
Anger bursts through my chest. At Tyler’s dad.
At my own. “Sure took you long enough to try to facilitate that on your own. It seems to me, you didn’t care to even try before now.
” I tilt my head to the side and give a little shrug.
“So why now? What’s so urgent that you need to talk to him after all these years? ”
His face reddens as his own anger takes over. He’s off the table in the next second, and I take a small step back until I bump into the counter behind me. I swallow my fear as he balls his hands into fists.
“Just try,” he snarls before storming out of the door.
My heart is racing as my stare stays fixed on the door that slams behind him.
A newfound fear tightens around my lungs.
What am I going to do if Tyler’s dad tells him or Tyler’s cousin that he saw me here?
The knock at my door pulls a yelp from my chest. I’m fresh from the shower and still have a towel wrapped around my hair. It’s almost nine, so there’s only a few people it could be.
Still, I walk cautiously to the door, not to make any sound to alert the person there that someone’s home. I’m just about to get on my tiptoes to look out the peephole as a deep voice resounds on the other side.
“Audrey, it’s me. Open up.”
Relief and fear have my heart racing. I’m glad it’s Tyler, but why is he here? Did his dad already tell him he saw me, and he’s coming to confront me?
Knowing I can’t put this off forever, I whip the door open, and the sight has my core heating. Tyler has each hand propped on the doorframe, making his arm muscles flex in a mouthwatering way. His T-shirt pulls across his muscles, accentuating each of them for my viewing pleasure.
“Hi, baby.” His familiar sexy smirk is in place as his eyes rove over my body.
Before I even have a chance to respond, I’m being pressed against the wall as the door swings closed. Tyler’s lips drag up my neck, and his audible inhale of my skin has goosebumps jumping to the surface.
At least it appears that I have a reprieve for at least more night from facing the truth.
“It’s good to see you too, Tyler,” I moan as his teeth dig into my neck.
He removes his hands from my body, only long enough to remove the towel from my hair and throw it into my living room.
“I missed you today,” he murmurs as he swipes his thumbs over my cheeks. My hands grip his wrists, holding him in place.
“You only had to wait until tomorrow,” I counter playfully with a quirked eyebrow.
“Too long.”
I giggle when I’m suddenly weightless as he grips the backs of my thighs and lifts me, settling them around his waist.
“Hold on, baby.”
My arms wrap around his shoulders, and my legs tighten to hold me in place. He moves with surprising ease toward the bedroom.
“Tyler, please don’t drop me,” I demand on a breathy laugh.
“Never, Audrey. I’ll never let you go.”
There’s so much emotion in his voice that I have to blink through the tears that immediately gloss my eyes.
Because I want that to be true more than anything else.