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It hit me as I looked over my shoulder at the door that was already closed. Jaz was gone. I ran to the door and jerked it open. Stepping onto the sidewalk, I whipped my head in the direction she was parked. She was nearly to her car, so I yelled out, “Jaz! Jaz, wait!” But she didn’t stop. A loud boom of thunder cracked in the sky, so I looked up. It was dark, but not yet pitch black and clouds were rolling in. When I looked back down, she was in the car and taking off.
Shit.
I ran back to my car and hopped in, hoping no cars were passing as I peeled off. Nikki had been coming to the ER floor all week, but she was there to visit her friend who had recently started. She also checked on me a few times and gave me some newbie jabs in passing, but it was all innocent. Clearly, she knew my mind was set on someone else, which she pointed out just moments ago. She even asked me about Randy, but I told her I got the idea he was batting for the same team. He mentioned hanging at the gay club on the other side of town, but of course I could be wrong. Maybe he just enjoyed the vibe. I didn’t delve deeper because it didn’t matter to me either way.
The memory of Amy’s glare had my stomach in knots. They thought I was with Nikki. Which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Wait.
Why did she run? And why was I acting like I was caught cheating or something?
I swallowed hard. My chest was tight. I wasn’t sure what kind of emotion it was running through me, but it was intense. I did nothing wrong. And seriously, why did she run? Why was Amy all crazy eyes?
Rain was beating down as I pulled into our complex and I found a spot at the next building over. Of course, I couldn’t find a spot closer when it was pouring rain. I jumped from my car and started to cut through to our breezeway when I heard an engine running. Then it stopped. She was in her car.
I walked over and without thinking I banged on her window as the rain drenched me, soaking through my shirt. She yelped but cracked her car door. “What are you doing? You scared the crap out of me!”
“Get out of the car.”
“What?”
I grabbed the door and pulled it open. “Get out of the car, Jaz.”
Her lips thinned and her light brown cheeks were now beet red. “Get out of my way.”
I stepped away from the door but when she stepped out and started to take off again, I grabbed her arm.
“Let me go!”
“No! I’m not letting you run away again, Jaz. What the hell is going on? Why did you leave the club?”
She wiggled hard, trying to free her arm from my grasp. “Let. Me. Go,” she snarled through clenched teeth.
I pulled her even closer, glaring down at her as droplets ran down her face. “No. Not until you tell me what’s going on. Why did you run out?” My heart was in my throat.
She smacked her free hand hard against my chest. “Because you were with Perky Pink Scrubs. At the club. My God, you couldn’t think of somewhere better to take her?” She jerked again, still not able to break loose.
“Not that any of that is true, but why does it matter? What if I was?”
“I don’t want to watch you with some cute little nurse.” Her voice was several pitches higher than normal, and her face was scrunched up. “What kind of question is that? Now let me go!”
I leaned closer, my mouth next to her ear. “Jasper, I don’t want her, and I wasn’t with her. In case you haven’t noticed, I have my eyes set on someone else.”
Jaz shuddered. Her head was down, and she sniffled. I leaned back and lifted her chin with two fingers. Rain still trickled down her face, but her puffy and red-rimmed lids gave her away. I brushed my thumb across her cheek, wiping away rain and tears. She tried to push her head down again, so I let her arm go and cupped her face with both hands, lifting her gaze to me. “Jasper, it’s still you. It’s only ever been you.”
Dark eyes shot between mine then looked down at my mouth. She licked her lips as she blinked hard several times. “Mike, I–”
Shoot your shot.I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. Electric heat filled me from my lips to my toes. Her lips were lush, soft, and warm. They parted as her hands gripped my shirt and pulled me closer. Her tongue ran over my bottom lip then pressed into my mouth. I let mine meet it, brushing over and around it before gently sucking. She moaned into my mouth, and I moved a hand behind her head, pulling her even closer.
Warm wetness mixed with the cool rain drops that ran down her face. I pulled away and pressed my forehead to hers. “Jaz, please don’t cry,” I said as I choked back tears of my own. All the emotions I tried to contain since I came back, and for all the time missed once she walked away, came out of my eyes as I held her to me.
“Mike, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for it all. I just–”
I stopped her with another kiss. “Shh. Don’t apologize. Just hold me, Jaz. Let me hold you.”
She nodded and leaned into me, wrapping her arms around me. I held her in the rain until her shoulders stopped shaking. When a loud clap of thunder followed by a flash of lightning, that could have been right next to us, made us both jump, I scooped her up and jogged to my door, digging my keys from my pocket as I did.
Without letting her go, I wiggled the key into my door, pushed inside, then slammed the door shut and locked it. After flipping one of the light switches up, I sat her on a stool at the breakfast bar and tossed my keys on the counter. “You’re soaked through. Let me grab a dry shirt for you.” But before I could turn, she grabbed my shirt.
