Room One Hundred and Nineteen: Watching Her (Club Sin: Seattle Session 2)

5. Miles

5

MILES

T hree days.

Three days of sheer hell.

Three days of waiting. Watching.

Hoping for a moment with her.

Me and my stupid-ass plan.

Rick had found a moment for them to have lunch together. Josh had even figured out how to work a long call with her after she watched him in the shower. The lucky bastard. I didn’t care if she could hardly look him in the eye; he still got some time with her.

Me, on the other hand? It was like I couldn’t get a spare minute with her.

She was always coming or going. Not to mention, I kept getting stuck with a different nurse. Not that there was anything wrong with Kate or Kim or whatever the hell her name was; she just wasn’t Elena.

I rested my head against the back of the driver’s seat of my Jeep. I knew I was pouting like a fucking kid about to throw a damn temper tantrum. I glanced at the watch on my wrist and frowned, I had to get inside soon. I hated being late anywhere but especially to work. Shutting my car off, I was just about to reach for my messenger bag that sat on my passenger side when an SUV pulled up next to me.

A very familiar SUV.

My head turned just as hers did, and when our eyes connected, fuck me, it felt like everything was right in my world. Just from one small look. I hurried out, forgetting my messenger bag, and went to open her door.

“Hey!” I grinned at her.

“Hi, umm, Dr. Jefferson. How are you?” She always tried to call us by our last name when she was around the kids.

“Miles,” I corrected and peeked behind her, and the easy smile on my face grew. “Mike! Betsy!” The kids waved enthusiastically, and I turned to Elena. “Can I help you with them?”

She looked at the kids then at me before glancing at her watch. “If you’re sure. I mean, if you don’t mind, umm—“ That was all I needed. Something was obviously off.

“Hey.” I took her hand in mine without thinking. I was done overthinking. I was going to go with what felt right. “Everything okay?” I asked, because there was a serious vibe coming off her. She opened her mouth and then shut it and nodded.

“I’m fine.” Her smile felt weak. I frowned.

“Come on.” I pulled her toward me and grinned at the kids as we walked to the trunk she opened.

I knew her routine. She stored all the things she lugged back and forth in there. How many times had I watched from across the parking lot the last three months alone? Too many to count. I hated the helpless feeling I felt each time. I wished I’d been able to step in and itch in to make her day easier.

“What’s going on, El?” I asked, leaning a little closer, and to my complete surprise, she didn’t step away. If anything, she leaned in.

“Nothing. It’s just, umm, girl stuff.” She blushed brightly.

“Girl stuff?” I frowned, and she rolled her eyes.

“I, umm…” Her cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink, and one of my brows lifted.

“Elena, talk to me.”

“I started my period,” she blurted out. I stilled, keeping my eyes on her, waiting to hear what the problem might be. “And, I, umm—“ She licked her lips. “Stained.” I lost her eyes because they dropped to my neck.

“I didn’t bring extra scrubs, because I fell asleep and forgot to toss my laundry into the dryer, so now I’m…” She licked her lips. “This is seriously TMI and stuff you most definitely don’t want to know,” she rambled.

Her eyes dropped to the concrete parking lot floor like it held tall the world’s answers. The tip of my finger lifted her chin until I had those pretty dark eyes on me.

“Let’s get something clear. If it’s about you, I always wanna know.” Her eyes widened, and then confusion marred her features. “As far as menstruation, I’m a doctor, babe. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know about that. Umm... anyhow, I’m running late and have to get the kids to the day?—“

“Wait right here, okay?”

“Wait? Where are you—“ Her voice drifted to nothing as I moved to my Jeep.

I felt her eyes on me with every step I took, but I was determined. I hadn’t been able to sneak in a moment with her, but this I could do. I could help Elena with her difficult morning. I grabbed my bag out and slung it over my shoulder before locking the car with the fob. Then I pulled out an extra pair of scrubs and handed them to her.

“They might be a little long, but we can staple cuff them inside.” She looked at the fabric in her hands.

“Staple cuff? she asked, and I nodded. “When I was a kid, my mom was a mess. An addict. So, a lot of times when I was in foster care, the clothes I got were a little too big, and no one really cared, so I learned to use a stapler to cuff pants when they were too long.” The words tumbled out quickly, exposing way too much about myself. Fuck, I wasn’t even sure I’d ever told Josh and Rick about that.

“Miles—“

“Come on, kids gotta get to daycare, and we gotta get to work.” I hurried her in attempt to ignore that I’d probably made her pity me.

“But—“ Her hand reached out and grasped my wrist. “Miles.”

“What?” I glanced at her. There was something different in the way she was looking at me.

“I’m…” Her eyes watered, and I frowned.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head and gave me a watery smile. “Thank you.”

“Thanks? For what?”

“This.” She lifted the pants before stuffing them into the bag she always carried around with her. One I knew carried extra outfits for the kids in case they had an accident during the day, sweaters in case the night grew cold, and snacks in case they got hungry. It was a real-life Mary Poppins bag. Our girl was the best mom I’d ever seen. She always prepared for anything the kids might need. The only problem was that while she was taking care of everyone around her, no one watched out for her.

Not anymore. Not once we jump-started this thing into overdrive and sealed the deal at Club Sin with her as our guest.

“I just need to look for something, umm, to wrap around me.” Elena whispered. My eyes dropped down. Her scrubs were stained. You could hardly see it unless you looked hard enough.

“I cannot believe this is happening. This is so embarrassing,” she groaned quietly, almost as if to herself. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. One that she not only allowed but returned.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about. I got you,” I promised before pressing my lips to the top of her head. I opened my messenger bag and pulled out a hoodie. “Here.” I stepped back, and without her saying a word, she let me slip the hoodie up and over her head.

“It might be a little long, but that’s what we need until we can get you to a changing room, yeah?” I encouraged quietly.

When her head slid through the neck opening, I caught her eyes, and once again, they were glassy with sheer appreciation. “No crying.” I scowled.

“These are good tears.” Good tears. Only a woman had those.

“Still, kids might freak out if they see you upset, okay? We got this. You mind if I help them out of their car seats?” She shook her head.

Then, because I really liked to press my luck, I leaned forward and kissed her right smack in the center of her forehead before I rounded the car and did what I’d told her I would.

The three of us had met Mike and Betsy a handful of times. They were great kids with a lot of energy.

“Dr. Jefferson!” Betsy grinned, and Mike fist bumped me. Carefully, as I spoke to them gently and listened to them tell me about their day so far, I helped them out of their car seats, then each one took my hand.

“We ready?” I asked, my eyes focused on Elena, who was watching us quietly.

“Ready.” She smiled, and just as she was about to reach for that heavy bag, I dropped Mike’s hand for a split second to take it from her before clasping his hand again.

“Oh, that’s too heavy—” she started to say, but I shook my head.

“Can you believe your mom? She thinks I’m not strong.”

“It is heavy.” Mike laughed, and Betsy agreed before they both giggled. I playfully huffed.

“I got this. Come on, guys. Maybe we can talk your mom into stopping at the cafeteria for some froyo before we gotta get to work?”

“Froyo!” They cheered, and even though she might have rolled her eyes, Elena led us toward the cafeteria, where I treated them to frozen yogurt, even getting Elena to sit and eat some, too, after she went to the bathroom to change.

Once she checked them in, and the two of us stepped out, she exhaled and glanced up at me.

“Thank you for this morning.” I took her hand in mine. “I was kind of a mess and—“ She glanced up at me. “And you were there for me more than you know.”

“It was my privilege.” I winked and squeezed her hand. “We should get going. Josh is working with Tab.”

“Tabitha? My boss?” I nodded as we started to walk toward the elevators that took us to the emergency room. “Why? He hates working with her.”

“Yeah, but if she’s workin’ with him, that means she is too distracted to notice that you’re a smidge late.” She leaned into me, and I kissed the top of her head.

“Thank you again, Miles,” she whispered. Her hand still in mine, she stroked the top of my knuckles. My body was hyperaware of how close she was, her warmth and soft scent.

The elevator stopped before I could figure out if I should kiss her or not. Elena might have let go of my hand, but her touch felt like it had been tattooed onto my skin even after a sixteen-hour day.