Page 56 of Tobias

She gives me a sad smile, and our conversation stops there.

“How areyou feeling?” I ask when I’m finished.

“Tired.”

“I’ll be back here tomorrow for another round of this. I’ll make sure the nurses are helping you reposition. Hopefully, we’ll have you out of here in a week or two.”

I smile at her, and she returns it, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I think she knows as well as I do that it’s likely when leaves, it won’t be on her feet. According to her chart, the pneumonia was rough this time and she waited a long time to come in. She’s giving up, and I hate it, but I’m not in her shoes, so I can’t judge. I don’t know how I would react to this situation if it were me. I’d probably have given up a long time ago. It makes me wonder if she keeps fighting for herself or for her family. Maybe both?

I close her door when I leave, eyes on the ground as I make my way back to the nurses' station, which is why I don’t realize there’s someone standing in the way. I bump right into them, and start to apologize before the pretentious smell tells me who it is. I jerk away, taking a few steps back, and bite my tongue to stop from snapping at him. He probably did this on purpose. A cheap way to touch me, because that's how he is.

“Good morning, to you too,” Brandon says with a smirk.

“Do you need something?”

He steps to me, head held high. I swear the only thing he owns these days are three-piece suits. He looks like an idiot. When we were together, his closet held slacks and dress shirtswithout jackets and ties and vests. I even convinced him to get a pair of sweatpants, which I begrudgingly admit he looked really good in.

“Just want to check in. See how your Thanksgiving was.”

“It was great. You can go now.”

I move to walk by him, but he stops me by stepping in front of me. I meet his eyes, talking myself down from punching him square in the nose.

“I’m trying to work,” I grit out.

“I have a function coming up on Christmas Eve, and I’d like for you to attend with me.”

I bark out a laugh, unable to stop it. “You’re joking.”

“You know I don’t joke, Tobias.”

“There’s no way I am going anywhere with you. It’s bad enough I have to see your face here.”

His jaw clenches. “It’s for business. For this place. It could do wonders for your career.”

“I’m a physical therapist, not a doctor. I don’t care about furthering my career.”

“It’ll bring in more money.”

“You have enough money to fork over. Just do that.” I cross my arms over my chest, holding his gaze. I am not afraid of him, and maybe when he realizes that, he’ll stop harassing me. He holds my gaze just as fiercely. Seems neither of us plan on giving in, but I have work to do so I’m going to have to move one way oranother.

“Uh, Tobias?” Max calls carefully from behind Brandon, who scowls before stepping aside.

“Yeah?” I answer.

“There’s someone here to see you,” he says, sneaking a glance at Brandon.

I move forward and as I turn the corner, I hear Brandon call out, “Think it over!”

There’s nothing to think over. You couldn’t pay me enough to go anywhere with him. I don’t care if it’ll give us a new building and all the best equipment. I’m a good person, but I’m notthatgood of a person. I need my sanity, and I lose that when Brandon is involved. Just thinking of spending time with him outside of this building has my skin crawling.

I follow Max to the nurses’ station where a few people are lingering around, not anyone I recognize, so I don’t know who is here for me. Unless he just did that to save my ass, which I should seriously thank him for.

“It’s my brother,” Max finally says, pointing to the guy who looks just like him, only a little more clean cut. Max has a neat mustache and beard, while his brother, Asher, is clean-shaved. They both have the same long hair and full eyebrows though.

“Hi?” I say as I reach him. Never in a million years would I have guessed this is who is here to see me. I told him last year that I wasn’t interested in hooking up with him. He couldn’t possibly have come here just for that, right?

“Sorry, if this is weird, but uh… is there somewhere we can talk?” Asher asks, sliding his hands into his jeans’ pockets.

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