Chapter Fourteen
After Beck leftfor work and Seth dragged himself up to bed, Heavenly took a long, luxurious shower. The water pelting her backside stung in a good way, reminding her of every wicked moment she’d spent with the seductive surgeon. When she dried off and dressed in the giant closet, the sexy shoes Seth had demanded she wear during their evening alone caught her eye. A delicious shiver rolled down her spine.
After a glance at the clock, Heavenly grabbed her purse and lunch, found the keys to Seth’s SUV, and merged with the rush-hour traffic to the hospital.
Her commute crawled at a snail’s pace, but she didn’t let it dampen her sunny mood. She didn’t mind a full day at the ER. It could be harried and urgent, but more and more she pictured herself working there after nursing school. Just like she saw herself staying in LA with Beck and Seth.
Except…in all her fantasies, her father had recovered, so she’d traveled and made memories before starting a career and choosing someone to spend her life with. Settling down had been a few years away, after she’d spread her wings and seen that world Dad had always waxed on about.
On the other hand, besides the grief that still nagged and blindsided her at times, this past week she’d been happier than she ever had been. She loved Beck and Seth more each day. Every moment with them was, in its own way, an adventure. Being able to handle—and enjoy—their kinks had been both freeing and affirming.
But her concerns weren’t about sex. Staying surely meant exactly what Hammer and Gloria had both explained: committing the rest of her life to Beck and Seth and bearing their children.
Was she ready for that?
On the other hand, how could ever she let them go?
If she left after this semester, they would move on—with someone else. The thought made her heartsick. Was chasing her vision of a gypsy future full of exploration more important than a life full of loving them?
Her gut clenched. The answer felt like no. But she only had a finite number of weeks to decide.
As she exited the highway, Heavenly’s cell phone rang. After blindly groping through her purse, she lifted the device and answered. “Hello?”
“Miss Young?” a gruff-sounding man asked.
“Yes.”
“This is Mark Fuller, the general manager with Universal Medical Supply. Do you have a minute? We have an issue.”
Dread filled her stomach. “What kind of issue?”
“We’ve been trying to retrieve the hospital bed from the address you gave us months ago, but the landlord has repeatedly refused to let us inside. He insists on speaking to you first.”
Heavenly’s mouth went dry. “I’m sorry, but I don’t live there anymore.”
“I appreciate that, but our agreement makes you responsible for coordinating the pickup of the bed. So you’ll need to work out things with Mr. Sanchez. Or I’m afraid you’ll owe us for the cost of a new bed.”
“How much is that?” Not that it mattered. She didn’t have the money…
“Three thousand dollars.”
At the hefty price tag, Heavenly’s heart slammed back into her chest. “Um…I left that apartment under difficult circumstances. You see, the landlord and I—”
“Your difficulties aren’t my concern, Ms. Young. You signed the terms and conditions. You need to work with Mr. Sanchez so my guys can get into your former unit. I’ll give you until Monday at five to rectify the situation. After that, I’ll invoice you for a new bed. Have a good weekend.”
The dead air in her ear told Heavenly that he’d hung up.
Numbly, she maneuvered the car into the parking garage. On the other side of the level, she spotted Beck’s convertible in its reserved spot. She should probably go talk to him.
And say what? Please give me three thousand dollars so I can avoid a simple phone call? No. She needed to get brave. She was an adult. Mr. Sanchez hadn’t tried to take anything she hadn’t offered him. Of course he’d been angry when she’d reneged on their agreement. And for demanding she uphold her half, Beck and Seth had beaten the snot out of him. It was no surprise he was trying to make her life difficult by refusing to let the rental company retrieve the bed.
Heavenly sighed. She was going to have to call the man, eat some humble pie, apologize profusely, and hope that was enough to assuage him.
As soon as she texted Beck that she’d reached her unit, all hell broke loose. Two car accidents, a gunshot wound, and a case of anaphylactic shock later, it was well past lunch.
Jennifer passed her in the hall and glanced at her watch. “You’ve been here for five hours without a break. Why don’t you take a load off and eat something?”
“Thanks.” Heavenly’s feet thanked the woman, too. “I won’t be long.”