Page 779 of One More Kiss

Riley

“Mr. Brooks…”

“Nick,” he corrects me, catching me off guard. Part of me wants to tell him we should keep it professional, but we both know that we are way past a working relationship.

“Okay, Nick. Thank you for all of your help, and I’m sorry for the trouble, but I’m good now. You can leave.”

“It’s no trouble at all, and I would like to wait for you.”

“No, I can’t ask that of you. Really, I’m good. I have no idea how long it’s going to be, and you have more important things to focus on.”

Nick scowls. “I brought you here, and I will wait for you. Stop arguing with me and take care of your family. I’ll be right here.”

Gosh, he’s such a stubborn and caring asshole. “Fine,” I say. He shoos me away with his hands, and reaches for my mother when he sees the Doctor behind me.

“Go on and talk to the doctor. I’ll wait here.”

“Hello, I’m Dr. McGuire,” a man that looks far too young to be a doctor introduces himself to me. “I’m assuming you’re the daughter? Your mother mentioned that you would be coming right away.”

“Yes, yes, that’s me. Is everything going to be okay? How is he?” I pepper him with only a handful of the questions I have.

He frowns. “He is stable at the moment, but he is not out of the woods yet. Your father has a hole in his heart, and is going to need an operation to fix it. I cannot stress how important it is that he gets this surgery done.” He pauses and the ground beneath my feet shakes at his next set of words. “Without the surgery, he’s life expectancy looks grim.”

My hands shake, and I have to force myself to breathe. Can the shit stack any higher?

“If you agree on the surgery, we’ll have a specialist come in to assist. You can talk it over with the rest of the family, contact your insurance, and make a decision.”

Insurance… there is none. I don’t even want to know what this surgery will cost, but there is no way we would ever say no to my father having a surgery that could save his life.

“We don’t have insurance, but I don’t care what it costs. Save him, please.” The desperation that spews from my mouth makes me feel incredibly weak. “We’ll set up a payment plan with the hospital. We’ll do whatever it takes.”

“We’ll do whatever it takes to save his life.” The doctor gives me a pitiful smile before walking down the hall, leaving me behind feeling extremely angry and frustrated. At this moment, I feel so defeated. Everything is breaking apart, crumbling right in front of my eyes.

Not ready to face Nicholas yet, I decide I need a moment alone. “I’m going to get something to drink,” I tell my mom, and walk to the vending machine area.

It’s on the other side of the waiting room wall, but it seems far enough away for me to breathe a sigh of relief. Digging out some change from my purse, I try to buy a bag of chips, but the stupid thing gets stuck between the glass and the release lever. “Damn it!” I yell, letting all my frustrations out.

Before I know it, I’m violently kicking and shaking the vending machine. I’m ready to punch in the glass and scream at the top of my lungs when two strong arms wrap around me and I’m pulled into a firm chest.

“It’s going to be all right, Riley,” Nicholas whispers into my hair. “Hey, want to take a walk with me? Some fresh air might help you calm down.”

I shake my head, saying no, even though I want to say yes. I’m so confused, I feel like my whole world has been turned upside down in a matter of hours.

“Come on, just a few minutes outside,” he pushes, tightening his arms around me.

Without thinking, I lean into his embrace, letting my head rest on his shoulder. “Okay.” I finally agree.

I untangle myself from his arms, and feel cold immediately. All I want to do is curl up into his lap right now and have him hold me, but I have to be strong for my mom. I have to get my shit together. I quickly let mom know that I’ll be right back.

As soon as we are outside, I suck in the fresh air and let it give me strength. Nicholas is right by my side, placing his hand on my lower back. I take comfort in his touch as I gather the courage to tell him everything that’s on my mind.

I’m not usually one to share my problems with anyone, but the weight on my shoulders is heavy and I feel like if I don’t get it off now, it will crush me.

“You want to know why I live in a bad neighborhood, even though you pay me well? Why I don’t drive a nice car, or buy expensive clothes? Because I have a ton of bills, for myself and my parents. Basically, I’m supporting two households with one income. Every time I think I get ahead of making payments, a new bill arrives at my door.”

As the words pour out of me, I feel lighter, so I keep going.

“They are all I have. I would do anything for them, but I feel like I will never get a chance to live my own life. I want my father to live, but I already know I will be paying this surgery off for the next decade, and that makes me so angry. Angry with the healthcare system for making it too expensive, and angry with my parents for putting this burden on me.”

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