Page 142 of Love Sick

Because what if I don’t? What if I never find the feeling I had with her ever again?

My bitter laugh is uncontrollable. “It’s that, or drown myself in the bathtub, so…”

“Ha. Ha.” She purses her lips. “Do you work this weekend?”

I lift my eyebrows. “Miraculously, no. First weekend off in three weeks.”

Her evil smile spreads. “I’m taking you out tomorrow night.”

* * *

This is a mistake.

I’m so drunk.

Fucking Victoria. She’s a bad influence. Or maybe she’s the best influence. Hard to tell at the moment.

“Julian!”

The world keeps spinning when I whirl toward my name and stumble two steps on the dance floor.

The girl with me giggles and reaches for me. Our hands meet. She winds up against my body. We sway to live country music, her lips against mine.

“Julian, I just won $82.” Kai’s arm is clamped around Tori’s as he approaches.

I blink, then smile because this is the best news since someone invented sex. “That’s awesome!”

“I told Dr. Chen!” He holds out his phone to show me the message to Chen.

I’m too blurry to focus on it, but I plummet into uncontrollable laughter. “What did he say?”

“He told me to get my charts done. I may have gotten his privileges suspended for not finishing my discharge summaries.” He shrugs. “Whoops.”

Tori laughs. “Your friend has a way with the slots.”

The girl I’ve forgotten about latches onto me, her mouth finding the sensitive place beneath my ear. I stare into her face.

Right.

Kai convinced me to invite Ariel the Mermaid to our foray past the Oklahoma border, and the magical casino here. Still trying to figure out why I thought that was a good idea.

Maxwell materializes beside them. His wife is drunker than me and attached to his arm, giggling.

“How much did you have to drink, bro?” Maxwell asks.

I try to remember, but the night is already half destroyed by alcohol. “Twelve?”

“Jesus.” Maxwell takes my arm, guiding both me and his wife to the benches at the side of the dance floor while the band on the stage takes a quick break.

A scantily clad waitress asks if we need anything.

“Shots!” I yell before Victoria slaps my hand and asks for water.

I glare at her. “I thought this is what you wanted.”

She rolls her eyes. “I wanted you loosened up, not dead.”

Ariel the Mermaid falls into my lap. “Hey, baby.” She sucks hard on my neck. Well, that’s…not pleasant—

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