Page 46 of The Publicity Stunt
No hesitation. None.
“Parker, no.”
“No?”
“You can’t list me as your emergency contact,” I tell him.
“Why not?” he states in a tone that indicates his answer should have been obvious.
“Because we just met.”
He narrows his eyes and snorts, shaking his head. “No, we didn’t.”
Okay, technically he’s right. We’ve known each other for what feels like forever, and if we’re being really, really specific, it’s been a whopping sixteen years. But that was then and this is now. Time has passed. Things have changed. His eyes might connect with mine like we’ve lost out on centuries—a lifetime, even—but the truth is we aren’t the same people anymore. In Wanda Maximoff’s words,I can’t feel him.
Clicking the pen, I sit up straight, resolute. “Not my name. Give me another.”
“Leave it blank,” he says.
“What?”
“You wanted a replacement name. I don’t have one. So leave it blank.”
"Can I put your mom’s name?” I ask.
“Please don’t.”
Filling out an emergency name isn’t that big of a deal. To people like me, it’s akin to answering the “who’s your best friend” question in a high school slam book. But Hayden Parker is a stunt double. High risk and highly likely to land him in the ER. Finally, I shift in my seat and hunch over the form, discreetly filling out my details in the blank space.
A few minutes later, Ivy the nurse enters the waiting room. She directs us to one of the empty ER rooms. As soon as she walks out, the assigned doctor comes in.
My mouth gapes.
Holy shit.
It’s the man from the bar. Oh, did I say man? I meantgod.
And he’s wearing a lab coat.
Oh, Lord.
“April,” Theo Carter drawls. “What a pleasure.” His eyes, a shocking shade of electric blue, widen with his smile. “How may I be of service today?”
“Uh, yeah. My friend here.” I glance at Parker, who, by the way, doesn’t look as amused. “He needs stitches,” I say, immediately hurrying to add, “or, at least, I think he does. I’m no expert. That’s you.” What am I saying? “But I watch a lot ofGrey’s Anatomy, if that counts. Not that I’m comparing your job to the show—”
“Have a seat, please.” He puts a stop to my blubbering rant, thank God, and ushers his patient onto the edge of the bed. “Let’s see what we’re working with.”
Parker’s eyes dart between the two of us. “You two know each other?”
“We’re acquainted, yes.” Theo carefully removes the tourniquet from around his bicep, uncovering the bloody gash. Ouch. Somehow it looks worse than before. “I’m going to administer some local anesthetic to numb the pain first. That all right?”
Parker looks at me likethis is all your faultand then gives Theo the go-ahead.
Theo prepares the numbing agent and I walk across to sit next to Parker, lightly taking his hand in mine.
“This might sting,” Theo flicks the syringe with his fingers and glances at Parker. “Do you want to close your eyes?”
Parker’s gaze, however, continues to hold me in a trap and he shakes his head. “Not really, no.”
