COLLINS
I knewtoday was going to suck at work. I was able to keep my head down and focused more than usual. Which was pretty freaking awesome. That didn’t mean I wasn’t bored off my rocker, because I was. The words Paxton said replayed in my head. He’s right, though; I knew what he would offer, to take care of me so I could focus on school. That wasn’t something I’d ever ask or do, no matter how good of an offer it was, and believe me, I was tempted, but Pax is right; I wouldn’t accept.
“Let’s have a drink,” Sedona suggests. That sounds amazing and has me second-guessing why I had to start my medicine this week of all weeks.
“Can’t, but have two for me?” I tell her as I walk back from Paxton’s room. The dress clothes I have to wear to work are suffocating on the best of days; there’s no way I’m going to keep them on for this impromptu girls’ night. Poor Brody, he’s stuck looking after all of us—Jolie, Shila, Gigi, Sedona, and myself—having no idea what he’s in for.
“That just fucking blows for you,” Sedona replies.
“Sedona!” Shila pretends to admonish while holding out her shot glass to her daughter to be filled up.
“What? It does suck,” Gigi responds. I love that girl. She is who she is and gives zero fucks about what anyone else thinks. Well, maybe that might be a smidge overboard; she cares about Crush, clearly.
“It does, but I’m not going to complain either. I need to eat,” I say out loud, thinking the last time I ate was breakfast here at the clubhouse. Thankfully, Mom was cooking, so there was a smorgasbord to choose from, and I pigged out.
“We didn’t cook dinner after this morning,” Mom responds. I don’t blame her; they slaved so that all the guys would have food after their meeting, and I know the other two recruits, Brody excluded, were useless in all things cleaning, so I’m sure they helped Brody out in that department. I’d have stayed to help if I didn’t have to work; stupid job that I hate.
“No worries. I’m going to make a sandwich. Lunch consisted of a protein bar, and that was hours ago.” Truth be told, if we were at my place or Pax’s, real food would definitely be on the menu instead of sandwiches two nights in a row. I make a mental note to let my man know that I’m not doing this a third night. This medicine may make my appetite deteriorate some, but by the end of the day, I am starving.
“Sit your ass down. I’ll throw something together.” Mom stands up and moves to the fridge, looking to take care of me in any way possible. I really did hit the jackpot in the parent department, even when they’re constantly worried about Blaine, not that I blame them. I’m worried about the turd. Lately, he’s not even responding to my texts. The last time I heard anything, he and Daisy were hanging out together, so maybe she’ll respond when I text her later.
“You sure? I don’t mind a sandwich, or if there’s leftovers from breakfast, I’ll take that, too.” Food. All I care about is food at this point.
“Let me see what we have.” I’m back in Paxton’s clothes that I was wearing this morning, of course showering off my day before doing so. I’d have foregone a bra, too, if he were here, but since he’s not and Brody is looking over us, I put the girls away, grumbling while I did so, even adding a hoodie that was buried in the back of Paxton’s closet. I look like a hobo for the win. The only thing I’m not wearing are his shoes. That’s only because he doesn’t have house slippers; otherwise, those would be on my feet, too. Instead, I’m wearing his socks; better to ruin his on the floor of the clubhouse than mine.
“Biscuits and gravy?” Mom asks. My stomach grumbles in response. Aunt Shila laughs.
“Pretty sure it could be cardboard at this time. Jolie and she wouldn’t care.” She’s not wrong.
“Biscuits and gravy with beer or tequila. Yuck,” Gigi announces.
“Whelp, it’s not like I’m drinking, so you guys can dig into the bar food. I need real food and a bed, in that order.” I let out a yawn, just now realizing how tired I am.
“Can’t hang with the big dogs, huh?” Sedona comments
“I don’t know how you can stay up for twenty hours at a time, literally. I’d bow down to you, but I probably would collapse at your feet, and no one wants that.” I really do envy my younger cousin, not in a weird way either. It’s because she’s got her shit together, knows what she wants in life, and can manage to do it all while holding her head above water.
“Girl, I can sleep standing up, but that’s because the hospital practically ingrains it into you during residency, which, by the way, is almost over. A few more months, and then I’ll figure out where they’ll place me. I’m secretly hoping for the ER. Keeps me on my toes, you know?” Sedona has an endless amount of energy. I bet she just came off a shift, yet she’s bouncing off the walls.
“I hope you get it, truly. You’re going to be amazing anywhere, but you deserve the ER,” I tell her just as Mom sets a steaming plate of food in front of me. My stomach grumbles once again, and I don’t care that there’s steam coming from the plate, hot enough to burn the roof of my mouth; I’m diving in.
“Fingers crossed.” She clinks her shot glass to the bar top and throws it back. We spend the next hour together, all of us huddled around, bitching about our men while also swooning. Some of it grosses us out because your own parents, yuck, but for the most part, it’s fun and a relaxing way to end an otherwise stressful night when the men are nowhere to be seen, doing God knows what.