Chapter Six
Luka smelled bacon. He stirred from his sleep, the scents of bacon and eggs wafting in to him. He rolled over onto his back and waited for his eyes to focus. His arm stretched out beside him, but there was only empty space.
He sat up and scrubbed a hand over his face. His brain felt like it was full of mud. Had he imagined last night with Abby? He couldn't have. Fate wasn't cruel enough for him to have imagined it. Not after he'd wished it for so long.
He staggered out of bed and headed for the kitchen. And there she was, like a dream, scooping eggs out of a frying pan onto two plates. She hadn't noticed him yet, so for a moment he stood quietly and watched as she added bacon and toast to the plates. There was also an unfamiliar carton of orange juice on his counter. "Did all of this come from my kitchen?"
Abby whirled around, her hand pressed against her heart. "I thought you were asleep."
He came forward and took a swig of the orange juice straight from the carton. "This doesn't look like mine," he said, gesturing toward the carton.
"It's not. There was nothing in here recognizable as food, so I ran down to the little store on the corner."
"You didn't have to make breakfast."
She shrugged, a shy smile tilting the corners of her mouth. "I wanted to."
"I should at least have some coffee left."
"Oh, damn," she muttered with a shake of her head. "The one thing I forgot."
"Don't worry. I have some in here somewhere." He opened a cupboard and started pawing through it.
"You don't drink coffee."
"What are you talking about? I drink coffee."
"No, I drink coffee. You drink heartburn in a cup. So thanks, but I think I'll stick with juice."
"Ha, ha," Luka said as he finally found what he was looking for. "Then what do you call this?" He held up a small jar of instant Folger's, and Abby eyed it like it was gold.
"Where did this come from?"
He shrugged as he set the jar on the counter and started the coffee machine. "I picked it up a while ago." Actually, he'd bought it last year when she'd stayed with him. Only, as fate would have it, she'd gone back to her own apartment that very same day. He'd shoved the jar in the back of his cupboard and forgotten about it.
She looked up at him as if she suspected when he'd actually purchased it. She found the gesture incredibly sweet, and her heart swelled at the reminder of how Luka had been before. She'd always loved the endearing little things he'd done for her, from his sometimes pitiful attempts at cooking, to buying her coffee in the mornings on their way into work, to the quiet support he'd offered when she'd gone to court with her mother.
He closed the distance between them, his hands reaching out to clasp her shoulders. He drew her against him. She stood on her toes to bring her face closer to his. "I'm glad you're back," she said quietly.
"So am I."
Abby's eyes slid shut as their lips met. She clutched his shoulders and held on. Luka's hands lifted, their power carefully controlled as he framed her face, gently stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. Their breaths mingled as their lips fused together. The kiss started out slowly, a gentle exploration between two reunited lovers. It was all about ease and bonding, about rekindling something neither had thought had a chance to come to life again.
But there was too much history between them for it to remain easy for long. They'd faced tragedy and triumph, pain and passion together. They'd been apart too long, and had wanted to be back together for too long, for the quiet ease to last. Luka wrapped one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist, and held her against his body. Abby wound her arms around his neck, her lips melding with his, her heart beating frantically against his.
A few moments later they pulled apart, both a little shaken. They hadn't expected things to flare out of control quite so quickly. They'd hungered for each other or so long they'd almost forgotten they were supposed to be going slow. They were supposed to be talking things through.
"We should eat before the food gets cold," Abby murmured, though she could have gladly stayed there, wrapped in his arms, forever.
"Right, right." But he didn't let her go.
It was caffeine that eventually made them separate. She stifled a yawn and leaned back so she could look up at him. "We have to move if we want coffee."
A few minutes later they sat side by side at the small table, digging into their breakfast and sipping hot coffee and orange juice. "Are you on today?" Luka asked her.
"I would have been, but Dr. Weaver made me take a day off."
"These eggs are really good," he said as he took another bite. "She made you take a day off? That doesn't sound like Dr. Weaver."
"Well, she found out I've worked the last ten days in a row."
Luka raised his brows. "Ten days without a day off? How could you stand it?"
"I didn't have anything better to do," she said with a shrug. "It was basically either go to work and stay busy or sit on my couch feeling sorry for myself. I chose work."
She finished her eggs and took a sip of coffee. "It's made me really popular with the other nurses, though. I took one shift so Haleh could spend the day with her kids, I took a couple so Conni could be with her husband, and I took one for Chuny. They're all about ready to worship at my feet." Her smile faltered as she stifled a yawn. Truth was, she was exhausted from working so many shifts, but it had either been work or sit home and pine away for Luka.
"What about you?" she asked. "When are you going back to work?"
"I don't know." He finished his breakfast and pushed the empty plate aside. "When I got off the plane last night, I had decided to look for a job at another hospital."
"What?" she breathed, her eyes rounding. She stared at him, a piece of bacon poised in front of her mouth. "You're not coming back?"
She couldn't believe it. She'd spent the past two months counting time until he got back, and now he was going to find another job? She looked down at the table, dropping her bacon on her plate. Her appetite was gone, her heart rapidly beating her disappointment and shock.
"Abby." He caught her chin with his fingers and brought her gaze to his. "I decided to find another job because I couldn't take seeing you with Carter anymore. Not when I always wished I could have a second chance."
"I'm not with Carter anymore," she said quietly, her fingers curling around his. She held his hand against her cheek and closed her eyes. "I don't want you to go. For a long time one of my favorite things about coming to work has been seeing you there, and working on patients with you."
"How long?" he asked, intrigued when her eyes slid away from his and a slight blush stained her cheeks.
"Just, you know...a while."
"How long, Abby?" he persisted with a smile that could have charmed Dr. Weaver into giving him a ten thousand dollar raise.
She glared at him, then blew out a short breath and shook her head. "Since my first day as a med student, all right?"
"Really?" he asked with a delighted little chuckle.
"Look, it's not a big deal," she said. She got up and went to the counter to refill her coffee. She took the pot back to the table and topped his cup off as well. "All of the other nurses liked you too."
"All of them?"
She rolled her eyes. "Like you didn't know." She sat down again, her tone becoming serious. She looked into his eyes and said, "Please stay at County. I know it's not always the greatest job, and it can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but I want you to stay. I need you to stay."
"I never really wanted to go," he said, taking her hand and pressing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I just hated seeing you with someone else." He leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers. He really didn't want to leave County. He liked his coworkers-for the most part-and he especially enjoyed working with Abby. They worked well together, and he loved having her there so he could decompress after a particularly hectic shift.
"Maybe I will stay," he said.
"Yeah?" A hopeful smile came to life, and Luka thought she'd never looked more beautiful.
"Yeah."
They found themselves in each other's arms again, and it was the perfect way to end their meal. They wrapped their arms around each other, and felt the peace of things settling back the way they were supposed to be. "So," Abby said, "if I don't work today, and you don't work today, do you want to do something together?"
"Like what?"
She shrugged as they got up and cleared the table. "I don't know. We could go walk down by the river, we could go to a baseball game, anything. I just think we should go on a date. It's been too long since we've been on a date."
"Sounds good."
"Where do you want to go?" she asked as she placed the orange juice in the fridge.
He stopped what he was doing and turned to her. "As long as you're there, I don't care." And then he kissed her again.
Luka smelled bacon. He stirred from his sleep, the scents of bacon and eggs wafting in to him. He rolled over onto his back and waited for his eyes to focus. His arm stretched out beside him, but there was only empty space.
He sat up and scrubbed a hand over his face. His brain felt like it was full of mud. Had he imagined last night with Abby? He couldn't have. Fate wasn't cruel enough for him to have imagined it. Not after he'd wished it for so long.
He staggered out of bed and headed for the kitchen. And there she was, like a dream, scooping eggs out of a frying pan onto two plates. She hadn't noticed him yet, so for a moment he stood quietly and watched as she added bacon and toast to the plates. There was also an unfamiliar carton of orange juice on his counter. "Did all of this come from my kitchen?"
Abby whirled around, her hand pressed against her heart. "I thought you were asleep."
He came forward and took a swig of the orange juice straight from the carton. "This doesn't look like mine," he said, gesturing toward the carton.
"It's not. There was nothing in here recognizable as food, so I ran down to the little store on the corner."
"You didn't have to make breakfast."
She shrugged, a shy smile tilting the corners of her mouth. "I wanted to."
"I should at least have some coffee left."
"Oh, damn," she muttered with a shake of her head. "The one thing I forgot."
"Don't worry. I have some in here somewhere." He opened a cupboard and started pawing through it.
"You don't drink coffee."
"What are you talking about? I drink coffee."
"No, I drink coffee. You drink heartburn in a cup. So thanks, but I think I'll stick with juice."
"Ha, ha," Luka said as he finally found what he was looking for. "Then what do you call this?" He held up a small jar of instant Folger's, and Abby eyed it like it was gold.
"Where did this come from?"
He shrugged as he set the jar on the counter and started the coffee machine. "I picked it up a while ago." Actually, he'd bought it last year when she'd stayed with him. Only, as fate would have it, she'd gone back to her own apartment that very same day. He'd shoved the jar in the back of his cupboard and forgotten about it.
She looked up at him as if she suspected when he'd actually purchased it. She found the gesture incredibly sweet, and her heart swelled at the reminder of how Luka had been before. She'd always loved the endearing little things he'd done for her, from his sometimes pitiful attempts at cooking, to buying her coffee in the mornings on their way into work, to the quiet support he'd offered when she'd gone to court with her mother.
He closed the distance between them, his hands reaching out to clasp her shoulders. He drew her against him. She stood on her toes to bring her face closer to his. "I'm glad you're back," she said quietly.
"So am I."
Abby's eyes slid shut as their lips met. She clutched his shoulders and held on. Luka's hands lifted, their power carefully controlled as he framed her face, gently stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. Their breaths mingled as their lips fused together. The kiss started out slowly, a gentle exploration between two reunited lovers. It was all about ease and bonding, about rekindling something neither had thought had a chance to come to life again.
But there was too much history between them for it to remain easy for long. They'd faced tragedy and triumph, pain and passion together. They'd been apart too long, and had wanted to be back together for too long, for the quiet ease to last. Luka wrapped one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist, and held her against his body. Abby wound her arms around his neck, her lips melding with his, her heart beating frantically against his.
A few moments later they pulled apart, both a little shaken. They hadn't expected things to flare out of control quite so quickly. They'd hungered for each other or so long they'd almost forgotten they were supposed to be going slow. They were supposed to be talking things through.
"We should eat before the food gets cold," Abby murmured, though she could have gladly stayed there, wrapped in his arms, forever.
"Right, right." But he didn't let her go.
It was caffeine that eventually made them separate. She stifled a yawn and leaned back so she could look up at him. "We have to move if we want coffee."
A few minutes later they sat side by side at the small table, digging into their breakfast and sipping hot coffee and orange juice. "Are you on today?" Luka asked her.
"I would have been, but Dr. Weaver made me take a day off."
"These eggs are really good," he said as he took another bite. "She made you take a day off? That doesn't sound like Dr. Weaver."
"Well, she found out I've worked the last ten days in a row."
Luka raised his brows. "Ten days without a day off? How could you stand it?"
"I didn't have anything better to do," she said with a shrug. "It was basically either go to work and stay busy or sit on my couch feeling sorry for myself. I chose work."
She finished her eggs and took a sip of coffee. "It's made me really popular with the other nurses, though. I took one shift so Haleh could spend the day with her kids, I took a couple so Conni could be with her husband, and I took one for Chuny. They're all about ready to worship at my feet." Her smile faltered as she stifled a yawn. Truth was, she was exhausted from working so many shifts, but it had either been work or sit home and pine away for Luka.
"What about you?" she asked. "When are you going back to work?"
"I don't know." He finished his breakfast and pushed the empty plate aside. "When I got off the plane last night, I had decided to look for a job at another hospital."
"What?" she breathed, her eyes rounding. She stared at him, a piece of bacon poised in front of her mouth. "You're not coming back?"
She couldn't believe it. She'd spent the past two months counting time until he got back, and now he was going to find another job? She looked down at the table, dropping her bacon on her plate. Her appetite was gone, her heart rapidly beating her disappointment and shock.
"Abby." He caught her chin with his fingers and brought her gaze to his. "I decided to find another job because I couldn't take seeing you with Carter anymore. Not when I always wished I could have a second chance."
"I'm not with Carter anymore," she said quietly, her fingers curling around his. She held his hand against her cheek and closed her eyes. "I don't want you to go. For a long time one of my favorite things about coming to work has been seeing you there, and working on patients with you."
"How long?" he asked, intrigued when her eyes slid away from his and a slight blush stained her cheeks.
"Just, you know...a while."
"How long, Abby?" he persisted with a smile that could have charmed Dr. Weaver into giving him a ten thousand dollar raise.
She glared at him, then blew out a short breath and shook her head. "Since my first day as a med student, all right?"
"Really?" he asked with a delighted little chuckle.
"Look, it's not a big deal," she said. She got up and went to the counter to refill her coffee. She took the pot back to the table and topped his cup off as well. "All of the other nurses liked you too."
"All of them?"
She rolled her eyes. "Like you didn't know." She sat down again, her tone becoming serious. She looked into his eyes and said, "Please stay at County. I know it's not always the greatest job, and it can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but I want you to stay. I need you to stay."
"I never really wanted to go," he said, taking her hand and pressing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I just hated seeing you with someone else." He leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers. He really didn't want to leave County. He liked his coworkers-for the most part-and he especially enjoyed working with Abby. They worked well together, and he loved having her there so he could decompress after a particularly hectic shift.
"Maybe I will stay," he said.
"Yeah?" A hopeful smile came to life, and Luka thought she'd never looked more beautiful.
"Yeah."
They found themselves in each other's arms again, and it was the perfect way to end their meal. They wrapped their arms around each other, and felt the peace of things settling back the way they were supposed to be. "So," Abby said, "if I don't work today, and you don't work today, do you want to do something together?"
"Like what?"
She shrugged as they got up and cleared the table. "I don't know. We could go walk down by the river, we could go to a baseball game, anything. I just think we should go on a date. It's been too long since we've been on a date."
"Sounds good."
"Where do you want to go?" she asked as she placed the orange juice in the fridge.
He stopped what he was doing and turned to her. "As long as you're there, I don't care." And then he kissed her again.
