Page 15 of Motivating Mira
“It is. Now eat those crackers and go home.” I stop myself from finishing that sentence withbefore I take you there myself.“Your mom’s in good hands, and all she’s going to do is sleep anyway.”
“That’s my favorite time with her,” Mira blurted. Once the words were out of her lips her eyes widened, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, my god, I can’t believe I said that. It’s not. I swear. I just—I don’t know why I said it.” She let outa defeated breath, her shoulders sinking, but she took a cracker from the pack and shoved it into her mouth.
I reached out, gave her arm a squeeze, and winked at her. “Those are very valid feelings, Mira. Just because someone’s dying, it doesn’t make them a saint, and it certainly doesn’t make our relationships with them any less complicated. Trust me, I’d probably be bald after spending twelve hours with my mother.”Bald and engaged to some socialite whose father owns a small country.
Mira gave a half-hearted attempt at a chuckle and looked over her shoulder, staring at the empty bed a moment before looking back at me. Swallowing her cracker, she said, “Yeah, but my mom really is amazing, and she didn’t deserve that comment at all. You’re right though, I should go home.”
“Good. Just don’t collapse into bed and forget to eat something real first, or you’ll end up in my ER in one of the beds instead of in the visitor’s chair.”And over my knee for a long hard lecture and an even longer spanking.
“I’m fine. No need to worry about me, Dr. Lake, you have enough to worry about with your patients here.” She took another cracker, putting it into her mouth. And since she didn’t seem to be ready to move, I sat down in the chair across from her.
“Your mother told me you’re attending university and taking extra classes to get your degree early, so yes, I’ll worry, thank you very much.” I crossed my arms, leaning back in the chair. “Because it sounds to me like you’ve got a hell of a load on your shoulders, young lady.”
Young lady?
It just slipped out, and I wanted to kick myself, until I noticed the way her eyes flicked up to mine and stuck there, sort of waiting for approval in the way she once had.
“She told you that?”
“Yes, she did. She also told me you work part-time. So, I really am concerned you’re going to burn yourself out with all the time you’ve been spending here.” My brow lifted. “Time can’t be borrowed and paid back like money. The extra time is coming from the hours you should be sleeping, isn’t it? And I bet you keep promising yourself you’ll catch up on it soon.”
She shrugged. “I’ll be done with school soon. And I don’t need much sleep.”
There was a sadness in her voice when she said she’d be done with school soon, and the next sentence was a lie.
She wasn’t a good liar, but even if she was, I’d have seen through it becauseI knew her.We hadn’t spent a lot of time together, but all of it had been quality time.
At least it had been and still was to me, I thought, frowning. Maybe this was like Beth not telling me who Marni’s father was. Maybe I thought I was more important to the women in my life than I actually was. Why else would Mira have cut me off like she had?
I gathered a breath, reining in my frustration.
“Maybe you think that’s the case, but I’m telling you it’s not. It’s going to catch up to you and then you’re going to be in trouble.”
Mira huffed a humorless laugh before looking back over her shoulder at her mother’s empty bed. “I’m always in trouble.”
I gritted my teeth at her words and her expression that said,I’m never enough. “It won’t always be so hard, Mira.”
She nodded, grief hitting her features. “But the alternative is…” She swallowed, her throat visibly working. “I think I’ll stay a little longer.” She stood and turned her back to me, heading for the elevator bank down the hall.
I cleared my throat which made her pause. This girl was hurting, and it brought out my protective side. If she wouldn’ttake care of herself, I would. “Do I need to escort you from this building myself, Miss Wilcox?”
She turned around; her face blushing and her plump lip caught between her teeth. I leveled her with a stern look; one I’d used on her in the past. One that likely reminded her of a punishment.
“No…” She hesitated and I could practically hear thesirthat would have followed two years ago. She licked her bottom lip and my cock lurched as if she’d licked it instead.
“I’m serious, young lady. Doctor’s orders. Go home, eat, and get some sleep. No last-minute studying or working on assignments. Got me?” A sudden thought hit me, and I pulled a card out of my scrub top pocket. “And here. If you need to talk, call me.”
She nodded but didn’t take the card only stared at it as if it might bite her if she touched it. “Okay, Dr. Lake. I’ll obey your orders.” And she walked away.
Fuck.
Thirty-five minutes later, I’d finished work, showered and changed into my street clothes, and was heading to my car. It was late and the parking lot was mostly empty. I’d parked in the visitor’s lot since I’d been running late and, as I got closer to my car, I saw a blonde head in a beat-up old Nissan not three spaces from mine.
My brow shot up and I frowned.
Tossing my bag into the back seat of my car, I went to her window. Her head was down; a book open in her lap. I shook my head and tapped on the window, all the while telling myself it wasn’t my place. She wasn’t my responsibility, and she’d made it clear she didn’t want to be.
Mira’s head popped up so fast, the book slid to the floor. Her sheepish look told me all I needed to know.
