every last breath + sneak peek
She slipped her coat over her shoulders. “I’m going to say goodbye to everyone and go home,” she said. “I’m exhausted.” She knew Dr. Charles would have all kinds of things to say about her need to remove herself from an awkward situation but pushed his voice out of her head.
Jay said her name again but she ignored him as she zipped up her coat and went to let her co-workers know she was leaving. They tried to persuade her to stay for another drink but Willa didn’t budge. When she got back to the entrance, Jay was waiting for her with his coat on.
She furrowed her brows. “What are you doing?”
He opened the door for her and let her through it first. “Taking you home,” he explained as the door closed behind them. “It’s cold and you don’t have a car.”
She stared at him and the cloud of hot air that came out of his mouth when he spoke. “My apartment’s only a few blocks from here,” she argued. “I can walk.” She started to walk but Jay maneuvered around her so she couldn’t get past him.
“Please, Willa,” he said. “It’s freezing and this is Chicago, no way I’m letting you walk home by yourself.”
She let out a heavy breath, surrendering to his plea. “Fine,” she grumbled. “You win but don’t get used to it.”
He grinned as she pushed past him to the rows of cars parked along the street. “Yes, doctor,” he said, barely keeping the chuckle out of his voice. They walked alongside each other until Jay indicated they were at his car. They climbed in and he turned up the heating so they could get warm as fast as possible. She gave him the address and she noticed his jaw clench but he didn’t say anything - she knew it wasn’t a great neighborhood but the rent was manageable so she’d taken it.
“You know,” he said after a few minutes of silence. “Taking a while to settle in isn’t anything to be ashamed of.”
Willa looked over at him. “I’m not ashamed, it’s just...” she hesitated. “It’s been two months and I like everyone at Med, I just feel like the odd one out when I’m around them. It’s stupid, I know, it’s like I’m back in high school.”
Jay chuckled which was not the reaction she had anticipated. “I get it.”
“I felt the same way when I enlisted.” Her bottom lip dropped a little but she was quick to close her mouth again. She hadn’t realized he had been in the army but how would she? They’d only just met and he didn’t have to tell her anything he didn’t want to. She nodded, deciding there was nothing she could say to that that would make sense.
He pulled up outside her building. “This it?” He eyed it with a less than enthusiastic look on his face.
“Yeah, that’s it,” she said. “Thanks for driving me home, I appreciate it.” She opened the door but was surprised when Jay did the same thing, meeting her on her side of the car.
“I’m gonna ask you the same thing I did twenty minutes ago. What are you doing?”
“Following you to your door,” he explained. “I’m a gentleman.”
She snorted. “Cheeky.” She opened the main door to her building and let Jay come through as well. She pressed the elevator button.
“My aunt’s husband is British. I lived with them for a year when I was sixteen so I picked up a few words and phrases.”
They stepped into the elevator, it was old and creaking in a less than ideal way but at least it had one, and Willa pressed the button for the third floor. Neither of them said a word but she felt strangely comfortable in it. Once they arrived at her floor, she stepped off the elevator with Jay close behind her. They stopped at her front door.
“Thank you,” she said and met his eyes. “You really didn’t have to do this.”
He shrugged. “I wanted to.” Willa turned around and put the key in the lock. She waited for the familiar click and pushed the door open but didn’t walk inside. She didn’t know what he was waiting for, she’d already said thank you.
“Goodnight, Jay,” she said at last.
He leaned down towards her and for a split second she thought he was going to kiss her but his lips made contact with her cheek instead. She was relieved but resented the disappointment that came with it.
When he pulled away, his eyes met hers and there was a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Goodnight, doc.”
She watched him walk down the corridor, watched him wait for the elevator, watched him until he was out of sight. She didn’t even try to wipe the ridiculous grin off her face as she went to bed and drifted off to sleep.
