Page 19 of Bronx

"Yep," I said curtly.

"Right, well we'll get you all taken care of, Mr. Ivans." He looked at me. "You can wait for him in the waiting room."

"Yeah, thanks."

Doctor Hofmann left the room.

"Why are they all assholes?" Bucky asked quietly.

"Not all of them but that guy looked as if he spends more time in front of a mirror than in front of his patients," I said.

Bucky laughed. "I was thinking the same thing. Hey, listen, Bronx, you can take off. I texted my mom and dad. They're on their way. Thanks for staying with me."

As badly as I wanted to leave earlier, now I was reluctant to go. What if I didn't see her again? What if this was our last chance encounter. I'd told myself we made the right choice a million times, but it had never felt right to me. I never stopped thinking about Layla. She was always there, in the back of my mind. Unfortunately, I had no excuse to stay.

I patted Bucky on the shoulder. "Sorry things turned out this way, but maybe next year."

"Or maybe I just need to find a different girlfriend. One who isn't obsessed with smokejumpers."

"Oh, well, we're definitely worth the obsession," I said with a laugh. "Take care of that arm."

"Thanks again."

I pushed past the curtain and surveyed the area. No sign of Layla. I walked toward the exit with heavy feet and a heavy heart. As I passed a short hallway with the elevators, I caught a glimpse of her getting onto the elevator. There was no time to change my mind, I raced to the elevator and caught the edge of the closing door with my hand. I pulled it open and stepped inside.

We were alone. Not one word was exchanged. My thoughts and actions were no longer being controlled by my conscience. "Fuck it," I muttered as I pulled Layla into my arms and kissed her. It wasn't the long, deep kiss I'd dreamt of a million times. It was enough to make my entire body ache with wanting her. She tasted and felt just how I'd imagined. Sweet and delicious. My cock pressed against her. She wriggled teasingly against it and sighed seductively against my mouth.

The loud, obnoxious ding of the elevator pulled us from the kiss. She was staring up at me with those cocoa brown eyes. Voices outside the door caused her to step back out of my arms. Our gazes stuck together as if magnetized until she drew hers away and stepped out of the door. She never looked back as she turned the corner and out of view.

"Are you getting out?" an orderly asked as he held the door.

I shook my head and stepped to the back of the elevator to let others in. What the fuck had I just done? That same question followed me out of the hospital and all the way home.

15

Iwas definitely not myself when I met Kingston for beers at the local bar. He was playing a game of pool when I walked inside. It seemed he'd already become chummy with two women. They were cheering him on as he showed off his skills.

"Bronx, there you are. Join us." He lifted a beer. "Already got your beer. Used your winnings though, so technically, you bought me my beer. By the way, this is Anna." He pointed to a woman with wavy red hair and skin tight jeans. "And this is Bonnie." He motioned toward the blonde with the short skirt. "They are from Boston and are visiting friends. Girls, this is Jack but we call him Bronx."

Anna strolled straight over. I couldn't think of a worse night to meet a new woman. My head had been spinning from the kiss in the elevator. Layla had walked off without a word. I was telling myself it could have been worse, she could have hauled off and slapped me. Or would that have been worse? At least then I could assure myself that I stirred some kind of emotion in her, even if it was anger.

"I hear you're one of those parachuting firefighters too. King's been telling us all about the job. Sounds exciting and dangerous." She was already calling him King as if they'd been best friends for years.

"Yeah, it's also smoky and hot," I said, and tried to move past her.

She stuck close by. "Like me, you mean?" she giggled, and it wasn't a good one.

"Excuse me?" I asked. We were no longer talking in a linear pattern.

"I mean hot and smoky like me?" She laughed again. "Just kidding."

Kingston tapped the table with his pool cue. "Anna, it's your turn."

"Oops, gotta go. I'm not very good at this game, but Bonnie has played a lot with her brothers." She sashayed away. Kingston handed her the pool cue and came around the table to where I was standing.

"How was that knucklehead? That'll teach me to put money on a guy named Bucky."

I'd nearly forgotten my reason for being at the hospital in the first place. That damn kiss had left me dazed. "His arm was broken for sure. Not sure if it was going to need surgery, but he called his parents so I left. Felt kind of bad for the guy."

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