Without waiting to talk to her, I walk back out of the gym and down the hallway toward my room.
4
Karly
I’m happy to receive compliments from the doctor about how the therapy I’ve been doing with one of his patients has been so beneficial.
“Thank you, Dr. Stevens. I really appreciate you letting me know.”
He nods his head and looks back over at the other two doctors standing at the nurses’ desk. When he turns to me, he has an arrogant smile on his face. “Would you like to go out sometime? Maybe dinner tomorrow night?”
I’m flattered. I mean of course I am, but I already heard about this particular doctor and his two friends. They are major players and aren’t looking for anything more than another notch on their bedpost.
“I really appreciate you asking me, but I don’t date people I work with.”
He starts to say something else, and I am relieved when he gets called away.
I spot Jason as he is turning to leave. I go after him, and even though he’s using his walker, I still have to jog to catch up. I’m so happy to see him, and I know I shouldn’t let it show like I am, but I can’t help it. “Jason, wait up. How’s it going?” I ask.
He stops and turns to me, a deep scowl on his face. It takes me off guard when he’s rude and abrupt with me. “Your attempts to be cute and flirty were endearing at first, but it’s well past the time of trying to win my approval.”
I take a step back, more hurt than anything. I start to ask him what’s wrong because obviously something happened. This isn’t Jason. At least not the Jason I’ve come to know.
But before I can get a word in, he continues, “I came when I wasn’t scheduled because I was hoping to actually get some real workout time in and not have to waste so much time listening to you gabbing.”
I wait for him to laugh, because let’s face it, he is a jokester. But he doesn’t even crack a smile. He’s serious.
I clench my fist at my side. I’ve taken all I’m going to take off of him, and even though I want to blow up on him and slap him for being so mean, I control myself.
“Sure, I understand,” I tell him. I understand you’re really an asshole, I say to myself instead of to him. I definitely don’t want to jeopardize my job over this. “I wish you good luck, and you don’t have to worry; I won’t be interrupting your workouts again.”
Jason
I know I behaved like a total jerk and am embarrassed that I allowed myself to become so jealous. The next few days, I spend more time in my room to avoid running into Karly.
My older brother Derrick comes to visit me with his girlfriend Olivia. I try to put on a brave face for both of them. “So how’s everything at the ranch?”
Derrick is holding his cowboy hat in his hands, and I can tell he’s sitting uncomfortably. I don’t know if it’s because of the chair or the fact he’s in a hospital. None of us, Derrick, Trent, or I have ever been comfortable in hospitals. Not since our parents’ accident a few years ago. Neither one of them came home after that, and so all three of us seem to have an aversion to hospitals.
Derrick’s watching me closely as if I’m a ticking time bomb about to go off. He’s way too observant to be fooled by the act I’m trying to put on for him.
“Honey, do you care to go to the cafeteria and see if you can get us something to drink? My throat is a little scratchy.”
She looks between the two of us, and it’s obvious she knows what’s going on. Derrick wants to talk, and he knows I’m not going to open up in front of his girlfriend. “Sure thing. What can I get ya, Jason?”
“Nothing for me. Thank you, though,” I tell her as Derrick digs his wallet out and tries to hand her money.
She holds her hand up and walks toward the door. “I got it. I’ll be right back. Well, not right back. I might look in the gift shop too.”
Derrick stands up and walks over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Love you,” he tells her and kisses her soundly on the lips.
She smiles up at him. “Love you too.”
As soon as she’s walked out the door, I tell Derrick, “Well, I can see a few things have changed.”
“Yeah. I found the woman I’m going to marry someday. Probably sooner than later. If I can just get her out of the guesthouse and into the main house.”
He’s standing in the doorway, no doubt watching her as she walks down the hallway. She must get out of sight because he turns to me. “All right, give it up. What’s bothering you? I can tell you’re down.”