Chapter 4 #2
A loud eruption of blood curdling cries interrupted him.
“Dang,” Danielle muttered. “I let their pacifiers slip out of their mouths right when they were dozing off. I need to go—” She continued to speak but the babies’ wails made it hard to hear what she said.
“Can you repeat that?”
“It’s not important,” she shouted. More screams, more cries. Logan heard Danielle attempting to soothe the twins. “I can’t wait to meet this mysterious Brooke.”
“She’s fantastic. You’ll love her.”
It wasn’t even a lie.
“Fine.”
“Fine.” Logan hung up and tossed his phone on his couch.
He rubbed the length of his jaw raw as he contemplated his predicament.
If he didn’t bring Brooke around to his parents eventually, Danielle would scheme and find a way for him to see Shelby again.
Sure, he could bow out a few times, but Danielle had a knack for sniffing out a lie.
He had a month, tops, to show up with Brooke.
An idea sprung into his head, and he smiled to himself.
Something beneficial for him and Brooke.
Brooke rounded the corner to the nurses’ station. Aubrey sat behind the computer. When Brooke arrived, she placed the stack of patient files in her arms onto the top of the counter. “Hey, there.” She let out a long exhale.
Aubrey cocked an eyebrow. “Bad day?” Her fingers stalled in place over the keyboard.
The dinner with Logan last week had been a bright spot in the lackluster life. Because last night after work, she spent the evening stalking Justin and his new girlfriend on social media. After a wasted hour, she forced herself to close the app and delete it from her home screen.
“You have no idea.”
Ten minutes ago, she had run into Justin again.
They both mumbled their hurried hellos before he booked it in the opposite direction.
She wondered how long his presence would invade every part of her life.
Would it ever get easier? Then she reminded herself, he should be the one who was embarrassed, not her.
He cheated on her. “I bumped into Justin a few minutes ago. Awkward,” she grimaced.
Aubrey scrunched up her nose. “I’m sorry. I’m sure dinner the other night wasn’t great either.”
“Yeah, please don’t remind me.” Brooke forced herself to open the top file of her stack. “I don’t think I can do another thing socially with him there for a while, at least until I’m in a better head space.”
“I understand.” Aubrey nodded. “I hate that he’s put you in this position, but I hope with time you might feel more comfortable around him.” She leaned back in her chair.
“Maybe, someday.” She forced herself to make a note on the open file.
Aubrey typed again then stopped. “It seemed like you and Logan were hitting it off. How did it go after we left?”
“Logan is nice.” Brooke popped a hip and rested it against the station.
She gnawed on the inside of her cheek. The fact he asked for her number and had yet to text her made her realize the guy had taken pity on her.
He mentioned multiple times he wanted to be friends, aka, I’m not attracted to you, you’re a bread-and Oreo-eating weirdo. “He says he would like to be friends.”
“Oh,” Aubrey popped an eyebrow, “friends, you say.”
“Yes,” she practically hissed back.
Aubrey held up her hands in defeat. The subject of Logan dropped.
They worked in tandem. Aubrey clacked the keyboard of the computer. Brooke filtered through her stack of patient files. As she made a note on a file toward the end of her stack, Brooke kept her gaze on the paperwork when she asked, “What did you think of Justin’s girlfriend?”
The keyboard clacking stopped. Aubrey paused. Brooke clocked her back stiffen.
“Umm,” Aubrey cleared her throat, “maybe we shouldn’t talk about Justin and his new relationship. It might be for the best.”
“Okay, if that’s how you want it.” Brooke forced herself to make a note on the chart, but a tremor ran through her hand making it shaky. “I’m assuming this is because you think his new relationship is more than a fling for him?”
Her mind flashed through a series of important life events.
Ones where Justin was there with the new girl, and Brooke was nowhere to be seen.
She was losing everything, not just Justin, but her entire circle of friends.
As Aubrey sat in front of her, she saw the gap between them widen.
Boundaries were being created where neither could venture outside them and stay friends.
“I—I—” Aubrey stammered. “I think it’s better this way.”
Her world crashed down. Not only had she lost Justin, but she was losing Aubrey and Ian too.
This was only the beginning. Her mind quickly cataloged every worst-case social scenario, all the ones she would no doubt be left out of.
Their friendship had worked because they were both part of a couple, and their boyfriends were best friends.
Loneliness engulfed her even though Aubrey remained a few feet away.
Years of friendship which centered around a dynamic that no longer existed, meant maybe they weren’t as close as she once thought.
Maybe she needed a new friend. If Logan ever contacted her about doing something, she would say yes.
A buzzer sounded. Aubrey tapped it off. “I need to go check on this patient. Let’s try and meet for lunch soon.” She stood and pushed in her chair. “Text me your schedule, and I’ll figure out mine too.”
A weird undercurrent hovered right below the surface. Tangible and real.
“I’d love to meet for lunch,” Brooke replied in her most genuine and upbeat voice she could muster.
Aubrey rounded the station, and Brooke squeezed her arm to stop her in place.
She found her gaze. “Hey,” she paused, letting her voice soften, “I’m sorry.
I know this is tricky, but I would like to find a way for us to stay friends. ”
“We will,” Aubrey smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes, “stay friends. Don’t you worry.”
Brooke wanted to believe it was possible but a nagging feeling lingered.
“Okay, then it’s decided,” Brooke said like her words set everything in stone.
Aubrey left and headed down the hall to check on her patient.
Brooke finished her patients’ charts then tossed them into the pile to be updated into the computer. Then she shoved her pen back into the pocket of her lab coat.
“Hey,” a familiar voice called out to her. Brooke pivoted toward it. Logan jogged down the hallway opposite the direction Aubrey disappeared. He arrived in front of her out of breath. “I’m glad I caught you,” Logan leaned forward and gripped his knees as his breathing evened out.
“You okay?” A half laugh escaped her. “Or did you finish running a marathon I didn’t know about?” She scrutinized him.
“Haha.” Logan rolled his eyes then straightened himself. “I can’t help it if my only workouts involve walking to and from work. Then I spotted you, and I didn’t want you to disappear before I could talk to you.”
“You could’ve texted me.” She leaned her hip against the nurses’ station and fully faced him. “I mean you gave me that I want to be friends hard sell but then promptly ghosted me so—”
“It didn’t save,” he blurted out then Logan rubbed the back of his neck.
“I have no idea what happened, but the contact did not save.” His labored breathing evened out.
“I don’t want you thinking I ghosted you, because I do want to be your friend.
I heard from another doctor that you were on shift today. I booked it here after my surgery.”
“Uh, huh.” Skeptically, she raised an eyebrow. “Okay.”
“It’s true.” His beautiful blue eyes glinted with mischievousness. He snatched his phone from the pocket of his lab coat. “I did want to see you again, but your number really didn’t save. Here—” holding it out to her, “can you reenter your number?”
An unfamiliar zing traveled down her spine.
“I guess.” Their fingers brushed as she took the phone from him.
Slowly, she entered her phone number and double checked to make sure it was saved as a new contact.
It didn’t look to be a duplicate. “There you go.” She held it out for him, and he snagged it back.
“Thanks.” Logan pulled up his contacts then tapped on her name. He turned the screen to face her. “I have it now.” Then he put it back in his pocket.
“You do.” Then they stared at one another.
The air quaked with a palpable tension, and she wondered if he felt it too.
When he didn’t speak, Brooke filled the void.
“I guess text me when you want to hang out, friend.” She took one step in the direction of her patient’s room, but she slowed her step in case he cared to prolong their conversation.
“Another thing before you take off—”
Brooke twisted back to face him and folded her arms.
Logan rocked back and forth on his heels, “I have a favor I needed to ask of you.”
“Are we already to the favor part of our friendship?” She laughed. “I don’t know, this might be going a bit fast for me.”
His face fell. “Oh, okay.” Logan waved a hand. “Forget about it. I’ll see you around.” Then he shifted to leave.
Brooke pinched the sleeve of his lab coat. “Wait.” She let out a long breath. He traced the length of her hand up to her face. She dropped her hand and straightened herself. “I was only giving you a hard time. What was the favor?” Then she shoved her hands into the pockets of her lab coat.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I need you to come to my parents for dinner and pretend to be my new girlfriend. I need them to think I’m not available, because my ex is in town and my sister is determined to play matchmaker.” The words came in rapid succession.
Taken back by his proposal, Brooke let the proposition simmer in her brain. “You need a pretend girlfriend?”
“Yes.” His shoulders drooped a little bit more. “I most definitely need exactly that.”
“To avoid your ex thinking you’re available?”
“You’re hitting the high points.” He shook his head then peered down the hallway past her with a glazed-over look.
“I know it sounds pathetic, and it probably won’t work.
But I can’t let my family think I’m available.
I need my ex to believe I’ve moved on. It’s pitiful and childish, but aren’t we all like that when it comes to broken hearts? ”
Brooke knew loads about broken hearts not only from romantic relationships.
Her heart still broke a little when she saw families out with their kids, parents doting on them with love in their eyes.
Her mom never once looked at her with an ounce of compassion.
So love, yeah, Brooke wasn’t sure she’d ever have the privilege of experiencing it.
It seemed like an intangible thing just outside of her reach.
People like her learned to continue with the constant voice in their head making them question their own worth.
Seeing Logan wearing the face of defeat did something to her.
“I’m in,” Brooke quickly said. “I’ll do it.”
“Really?” His face brightened and light entered his eyes again. “You will?”
“Yes.” This was a terrible idea. “But—” her voice trailed off.
“What?” He stepped closer, close enough her breath hitched. “I’ll do anything, just say the word.”
Brooke exhaled. “You have to pretend to be my boyfriend for Ian and Aubrey’s wedding. I can’t go alone. I might die from the humiliation. Justin is Ian’s best man. I’m a bridesmaid. Let’s just say, I think this proposition could be mutually beneficial for us both.”
“Done.” Logan smiled and pulled back his shoulders. “I’ll text you and let you know the details of this dinner with my parents. My sister will be there too with her family. It’s a whole thing.”
“Meaning—” Brooke shifted her weight from one foot to the other, “what exactly?”
“My sister Danielle will ask you a bazillion questions.” Logan ran a hand through his hair. “My parents will act far too thrilled to have you there. Someone will make it awkward by saying something off base then asking when the wedding is. You know, normal family meddling.”
She didn’t know, but it sounded interesting, maybe even a little fun.
“I can’t wait.” Brooke couldn’t help it, she smiled. “If I’m faking a romantic relationship to an entire slew of people, I better start brushing up on my acting skills. I did take some improv classes back in high school but that was mainly comedy.”
“Unfortunately, my life is comical to everyone else but me.” Logan grinned. “You’ll fit right in.”
Her gaze locked with his and a tingle rushed through her. She cleared her throat. “How long do we have before this family dinner?”
Logan’s lips twitched. “My sister wants us to go next weekend, but I’ll push her off as long as possible. I can buy us a bit more time.” He scratched his jaw. “We’ll probably need to meet up beforehand to do a rough outline of our relationship timeline. I need my family to believe this is real.”
“They will, don’t worry. I think hashing out the details of your whirlwind romance is a good idea though.
” Her phone buzzed, and she fished it out of her pocket.
An email from the head of pediatrics flashed across the screen.
He needed to discuss a patient’s case with her.
“I need to go address this email.” She peered up at him while she tapped her phone against her palm.
“Text me, Logan, and we’ll figure out when to meet up.
” She paused then added, “This will work.”
“I sure hope so.” A gloomy look danced across his face, and Brooke wanted to reach out and hug him but knew it wasn’t appropriate.
A doctor Brooke knew walked by, and she waved then turned back to Logan and said very professionally, “I look forward to collaborating with you on this issue.” The doctor waved back, then continued down the hallway until they were out of earshot.
Logan plunged his hand into the front pocket of his lab coat and yanked out a personal size package of mini Oreos. “Me too. Here,” he slapped the package into her hands, “I told you I pay off my friends. Here’s something for the road.” Then he winked. “I’ll be in touch.” Then he left.
She smiled and slipped the package into her pocket and headed to her office to address the email waiting for her.