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So sorry for the long delay guys. A bit blocked and a bit busy with reality unfortunately. I'm going to post a couple today if all goes the way I hope. :D Enjoy.
Chapter 9
I wasn't sure I could ever move on from Jake. In that town I was forever linked to him and I guess I hadn't been the type of woman he needed in his life. Maybe I should have stayed home more. Cooked more – brought meals to him during his long shifts. I guess I didn't support him enough. A good woman would have made sure he was cared for. That his home was taken care of while he worked. The only thing I was good at was piling the laundry up until we were completely out of clothes. I didn't always do the dishes at night, leaving the few things we ate off of until morning. Damn. I was so lazy. How hard would it have been to rinse them off and stick them in the dish washer? I found so many faults – and it was all my fault. I couldn't even call into work for the benefit he wanted to take me to. I'd put in for the day off but when the head nurse denied it – I went to work. In a way, I guess I chose my job over Jake. No wonder he didn't want me anymore.
To make matters worse, I was really attracted to the new doctor. He was so sweet and kind, yet I could tell he had a wild dangerous side too. Or maybe that's the image of him I concocted in my brain. I wanted to go out with him. I wanted to kiss him again, but that was impossible. No, I couldn't date anyone. Not yet. People didn't just break up in this town. Jake would come back and he'd want to try again – I'd have to available to give our love another chance – what the hell was wrong with me? I didn't want Jake back. That jerk dumped me and I know damn good and well he was the one who told the townspeople I had hooked up with Roman. Oh, he played the victim so well. I'd seen him once since the whole separation incident. He walked with his head down. Hands in his pocket. Soaking up the sympathy heaped his way with a nod or forced smile like a recent widower. I've never been much for pity, but I envied him. I didn't want to be fussed over, but a hug would feel wonderful at times.
That man – everyone rallied around him – that man – he'd destroyed me – and turned every one against me – including myself. I was sitting there blaming me too! But I had tried. I had given every spare moment – done everything I could for him – and he was the one who turned me away. He's the one who ditched our plans. He's the one who left me sitting alone after I'd spent days looking forward to the date and hours dressing up. He was nothing but a coward. He couldn't admit we'd grown apart. Couldn't look everyone in the eye and say things just changed – oh no he had to make shit up! Oh yeah, he had to make sure his reputation didn't take the slightest hit. If he could hurt me the way he had, how could he have ever loved me?
I narrowed my brow. Stood up from that sofa and walked out of the sliding glass doors. I lit a cigarette. Something I had hidden from everyone and blew out one puff after another. Thinking about nothing and everything.
"Payback's a bitch, Jake." I whispered to the shadows.
XXX
I slept really well that night. I wanted to ignore the man who was sleeping across the room but that was kind of hard to do. He wasn't wearing a shirt and I got a full view of his bicep that was curled under his head. I was so tempted to take him up on that date. I was also tempted to skip a few steps with him. But that was going to have to wait. I had to deal with Jake and the town first. I blew out a deep breath. I was giving up my only chance with him. I knew it. A man like him wouldn't stay single long.
The next morning I woke up. Put on my uniform, swept my hair back without bothering to brush it and I didn't put on a bit of makeup. That town had a lot of principles and do's and don'ts. There were old fashioned things that every woman did no matter what. So I decided to break those things. I wanted to look as desolate as possible. They needed to see what they had done to me. I'd be damned if I covered it all up. I didn't feel like putting in the effort. I didn't feel beautiful. I felt ugly. I looked ugly. I was ugly. Makeup wouldn't fix that.
I had a lot mixed emotions inside of me. One minute I was telling myself I was better than that. That I deserved better than what I had gotten. The next I was feeling sorry for myself. Then I was back to finding all my faults and thinking of what I could have done different.
"Stop it."
Twelve hours of constant work without taking a break, I was stopped by Dr. Reigns. He put a hand on my shoulder and I don't know what happened. I collapsed against him. Buried my face in his chest and the waterworks flowed full force. I was gasping. Sobbing. Soaking his tee shirt.
He wrapped his arms around me. His hand gently caressed my hair and he was quiet. Letting me cry just as long as I needed.
"There's no one here." Dr. Reigns grinned at me at arm's length.
"I know. But maybe if it looks clean enough you could sell it quicker."
"I'm not going to sell it." He informed me.
"But you put the closed sign on the door this morning."
"Yeah. I found something." He took my hand and led me into his father's office. It was obvious he'd been using the office despite Nurse Alice forbidding him to go in there. I don't know why he didn't tell the woman he was the owner. I guess he found some amusement in the way she bossed him around. I knew I was going to enjoy it when she learned the truth. Her ego at work needed deflating.
"This is what my father was working on." He ran his hands over a large, hand drawn blueprint.
"Assisted Living?"
"I think it's a good idea. This place, with the right people working here could be an amazing retirement community.
"I worked a year in a nursing home in the city. The ones that can still get around don't have a lot of options around here and they don't have much of a life where they are."
"I know. Even the big city around here is tiny." He laughed. "I've never seen so many small towns in such a small span of land. It's insane."
"No one wants to annex."
"It's pretty cool. At first I was stuck on how much business I could get considering there's not many people here. Then I realized that it's a short drive from all these surrounding places. So I have potential there."
"You have so much hope."
"I like old people. They have interesting stories and they are entertaining. Even the mean ones."
It was then I knew that Roman Reigns was special. I think that was the moment I gazed into his eyes and saw his soul. It's a feeling I can't really explain. I just knew I could trust him. That he was safe. And I knew he was possibly the best person I would ever meet in my life.
And he was wrapped in a dangerous looking package. I watched him gazing at his father's notes. That slight smile. The twinkle in his eyes. I read his dreams in his expression. I saw his hopes and I saw … his hurt.
I fell for him right then and there. I wanted to be part of his world and honestly not one thought could convince me that what I was feeling was wrong.
"Can I help?" I laid my hand his on that blueprint.
"It wouldn't work without you."
Our eyes met and almost at once so did our lips.
