You'll Think of Me (27 page)

Olivia knew she couldn’t last much longer when Nate rotated his hips and then thrust in again. Finally she yelled, “Stop teasing me and make me come.” She breathed out heavily as she ran her nails down his back, scoring his damp skin. She was sure he’d have marks tomorrow.

That did it.

Nate drove into her hard and fast one last time. Olivia convulsed around Nate, milking him for all that she could as he came too. Their bodies pulsed, joined together, moisture coating their skin making them stick together as they reached a high like never before.

With her heart pumping fast against her chest, Olivia couldn’t stop the sadness that slithered through her bones for some unknown reason despite the bliss she momentarily felt.

T
wo weeks later, the results were back from Diane’s tests.

She had Multiple Sclerosis.

God.
Seeing the diagnosis in writing hit Olivia harder than she expected. She had known from experience that Diane had some sort of autoimmune disease, but it still wasn’t going to be an easy task delivering this news. Normally she was able to detach herself from the emotions of the situation, but this time it was a totally different ball game. Such sadness in the simplest form sat at the tips of her fingers.

Olivia rounded her desk and walked down the hall to where Diane and Clark were waiting in the exam room. She had personally made the call and told Diane the lab and test results had come in. Clark had gotten on the phone at that point, asking if they could come that very afternoon. Olivia didn’t have the heart to make them wait so she agreed.

Olivia knocked twice and entered the room to three grim faces, Diane, Clark, and surprisingly Luke. She knew he was going to have a difficult time accepting his mother’s diagnosis, even though MS was manageable. Luke stood in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, removing himself from the situation as much as he could. His usual hat was nowhere in sight. Instead, his wavy hair was pushed back behind his ears, thicker and fuller than she remembered.

Sighing inwardly, she took a deep breath before she began.

“So all the results are finally in. I’m going to be frank with you, it’s not good news,” Olivia said as she watched Clark grasp his wife’s hand.

Clark answered for Diane. “And what’s the diagnosis?”

Olivia bit down on her lip. “The findings of all the test results regarding your symptoms show that you have Multiple Sclerosis.” Before Olivia could finish, she heard a loud gasp erupt from Diane. “But, I am hoping we have caught it early enough for oral medications to help slow down and reduce the severity of the MS symptoms and shorten the attacks.”

Silence.

“How could this have happened?” Luke asked bleakly, the color draining from his face.

“Multiple Sclerosis is a very difficult autoimmune disease to diagnose, which is why there is so much testing and lab work. There isn’t a specific medical trigger in a person’s life that it develops from. This is the kind of illness that lies dormant until it makes its presence known.”

Looking at Diane, Olivia had compassion for the woman. “I know that this is a lot for you to process right now, but know that we have plenty of options to tackle this head on.”

A raw ache in her gut slowly made its way up her body and she fought the emotion that she knew would show through her eyes. She sat down on the doctor’s stool and took Diane’s hand in hers.

“Clark, Diane…if you want a second opinion, I will understand. I can send my test results to any doctor of your choosing. Or if you don’t want me to treat you due to the history I have with your family, I also understand. As doctors, we try to detach as much as we can emotionally, but to be honest I’m not so sure we all could do that.” Olivia glanced up at Luke who hadn’t moved a muscle.

With a bleak look, he said, “You’ll be my mother’s doctor. There’s no need to go anywhere else.”

“Luke, I think it’s up to your mother and father to make that decision. Not you.”

Clark shifted around to his son and said, “She’s right, son. We’ll figure it all out, together. Don’t worry one bit.”

Luke’s jaw shifted and her eyes darkened. “Like I said, not for you to decide.”

Olivia was shocked at Luke’s outburst. Looking back to Diane, she stated, “Diane, you’re the patient in this. I want you to be comfortable with who your doctor is.”

Luke paced back and forth like a caged tiger. Why couldn’t she just agree to treat his mother? He knew second opinions were always mentioned as options, but he was going to make damn sure Livy was his mom’s doctor. No doubt his trust in people had pummeled through the floor over the years, especially because of the line of work he was in, but for some unknown reason he felt a drop of trust in her even when he shouldn’t.

It had to be Livy or no one else. He’d talk to his parents to make it happen.

Olivia shook her head at Luke. She turned back to his parents and said, “Why don’t I give you some paperwork about the different treatment plan options and then you can go home and decide what you’d like to do. I just want the best for you.” Olivia smiled softly as they nodded.

“Livy.”

“Luke, I need to speak to you in the hallway, now,” she demanded. “Excuse us,” she said then smiled at his parents.

Olivia left the room and walked down the hall to the last exam room, Luke following her.

Throwing the file onto the table nearby, she spun to yell at Luke, but before she could say a word he grabbed her by her face and kissed her hard. Shock reverberated throughout her body at the touch of Luke’s lips on hers. The feel of his lips, the closeness of his body, and his scent wrapping around her as his tongue sought entrance into her mouth. He was aggressive with his mouth, his hold on her tight as her body tingled all over for him.

Forcing her to step back, Luke trapped her against the table. He was wild with need, wanting desperately kiss her. He wasn’t allowing her to get away as pure animalistic need coursed through his veins. Luke traced over her sweet lips and pulled the bottom one into his mouth. Olivia gasped and Luke used that as his opening to dive in. Their tongues collided, touching for the first time in nearly a decade. It was savage, it was pure, and it was raw. It was all consuming.

Finally.

But then they turned it down a notch and began gently lapping at each other slowly. As if they were trying to memorize each other with the touch of their tongues. Her heart ached. Breaking away, they breathed heavily into each other’s face looking completely surprised and unsure of what to do next.

“Luke,” she whispered. What did he just do?

“I’m sorry, Livy. I had to,” he whispered back, looking into her wide eyes. “I needed to. Don’t be mad, please. I’d do it again if you let me.”

The last thing Luke expected to do was kiss her. He expected to go toe to toe with her, but watching her in the exam room do her thing moved him. And when she ordered him out of her office? He nearly lost it. Luke knew he had to have her. He knew he shouldn’t, but he didn’t care. Never had he felt such an overpowering urge to kiss anyone like he had Olivia. So he did. He’d lay his lips down to hers again in a heartbeat if she allowed it.

Olivia’s mouth was dry and her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She didn’t know what to do, what to think, what to say. All she knew was that Luke had just kissed her. Kissed her after nine years because he needed to.

He. Needed. To.

Bringing her hand up to her mouth, her fingers danced across her swollen lips. She was so confused. This wasn’t what she anticipated when she walked in here. Shaking her head, she said, “Luke.”

“Treat my mother, Livy. Please, if she’ll allow it. Please?”

Olivia held her hand up to stop him. “It’s not your call to make, Luke,” she said quietly. A tick started working in Luke’s jaw. It wasn’t his decision to make and he knew it too.

“
If
, a big
if,
Luke. If she says yes, then I will. But I don’t want to see you pressure her about it.”

Sighing, he agreed. Luke agreeing so easily was another thing Olivia hadn’t expected. Her brows angled up as she looked at him, still confused with what had just transpired. The tone between them changed and she could feel an invisible pull between them, a longing that clearly had never died.

Clearing her throat, Olivia said, “We need to get back to your parents.”

Luke walked back to the exam room while Olivia went to her office to retrieve all the information she had promised Diane. Once Olivia took a seat, Diane’s soft voice broke the silence. “I think you’re right. I’ll go home and sleep on it all and then make my decision in the morning.”

Olivia handed all the paperwork to Clark and Diane. After an hour of explaining and repeating to Clark that there was no cure for MS, she tried to clarify that it could be slowed down with long-term medication. It killed Olivia to see Clark so distraught over his wife’s condition, fighting to keep it in, but knowing deep down there was only so much that could be done. Olivia felt hopeless, completely and utterly hopeless. Not once in her medical career had she felt like this. Then again, she never cared for a patient so close to her before.

The whole time, Luke sat stoically off to the side, not saying a word after Olivia had put him in his place. She felt terrible, but none of these decisions were his call to make. His green eyes were trained on her, it unnerved her with him so close and watching her. Olivia fought hard to focus, but once she did, she tuned him out and did her job.

But now Olivia was drained. She was worn out and mentally exhausted from this afternoon’s visit. She felt as though an imaginary set of weights were slowly pulling her down and shackling her to the floor, especially now with Luke on her mind even more.

Jason Aldean’s
Night Train
played softly from within her lab coat. “Excuse me a moment while I get this.”

Stepping out into the cold and quiet hallway, she answered her phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, darlin’.”

“Nate,” she said, instantly feeling guilty, “I’m still at work with some patients. Everything okay? Can I call you back?”

“Well, that’s why I’m calling. I called your house but you weren’t there. Listen, babe, I’m going to have to cancel tonight. I need to head up to my mom’s house. She needs help and I don’t think I will be back in time for our date. I’m sorry, but she needs me right now.”

“Is everything alright with her?”

“Oh yeah, she’s alright. Just needs help fixing some things around the house. She’s alone and has no one else, you know, so I run whenever she calls. Can I have a rain-check for tonight?”

“A rain-check?” She was intrigued. “And when do you plan to use it?”

“Whenever I damn well please. That’s when.”

Olivia giggled. “Is that so? Well I kind of like that idea. Go. Take care of your mom.”

“Liv, I really am sorry about tonight.”

The disappointment in his voice was loud and clear. “It’s alright.”

“Are you sure? I can try and make it back in time.”

“No, no. It’s okay. After I leave here, I’ll call Shelly and see what she’s up to. Maybe she’ll want to head over to Castaways Pub with me.”

“You alright, Liv? You sound like something’s up.”

Was something up…

“Yeah...I’m fine. Just a little worn out is all. See you tomorrow, then?”

“Sure thing, baby. I’ll make it up to you.”

Olivia sucked her lip in anticipation. “Bye,” she whispered.

Sighing, Olivia walked back into the room to find Luke pacing back and forth. Not even wanting to go there, she looked at his parents and decided to close it down for the evening. She’d done all she could. Now they just needed time to digest it all.