Intercepting Love (Second Chances #5)
L. P. Dover
“So how does it feel to be done with school for the summer?” Evan asked.
With my phone propped up on my shoulder, I shoved the last of my belongings into the back of my Jeep and smiled. “It feels amazing, but I’m having a hard time believing that I’m actually done … well, at least for the time being. It went by so fast,” I replied.
It was like one minute I was a freshman struggling to make ends meet, and now I was about to do my hospital rotations, making my way to graduating with a medical degree. My rotations, however, weren’t going to be in Raleigh—where I’d spent the last few years at Chapel Hill—they were going to be back at home in one of our local hospitals in Charlotte. Luckily, I already had a job lined up to be one of the private physicians for my hometown NFL team, the Carolina Cougars. I had my brother to thank for it since he was their star wide receiver and it was his idea that I apply for the job. I couldn’t wait to get my medical degree and get started. I’d be able to travel with the team and see new places, all while doing what I loved. It was a dream come true.
“Yes, it did fly by,” my brother agreed. “Hopefully, I have a few good years left on the team before I have to retire. Oh yeah, just to give you a heads up, I already warned the guys to keep their hands and eyes to themselves when you start coming around. The last thing I want is for one of them to break your heart.”
Chuckling, I started up my Jeep and pulled out of my apartment parking lot. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I’m taken, remember?” I hesitated for a second before adding, “Or … at least, I think I am.”
“How long do you think it’s going to last, Kate?” he asked. “Your boyfriend does know that you’ll be travelling everywhere with the team, right? You two will never see each other. I’m sorry, but I don’t see it working out for very long.”
“I know that, Evan,” I murmured sadly. “I think Scott knows it, too, but we’ll take it one step at a time. I’m on my way to see him now to drop off some things he left at my apartment. I’ll see you at Mom and Dad’s house for dinner tonight, okay?”
I knew he could hear the trepidation in my voice because the phone went silent. My brother was younger than me by only eighteen months, but ever since we were little he had always been more of a big brother to me. I had a strange feeling I was going to see that side of him a lot when I started working with the football players.
“All right,” Evan muttered, finally breaking the silence. “Just be careful on your way home.”
“Will do.” I hung up the phone, setting it in the center console of my car.
The closer I got to Scott’s house, the more the pain in my chest grew; I knew nothing was going to help the ache go away. I’d always known that leaving was going to be an issue, and when I tried to talk to Scott about it over the past couple of months he would always change the subject. Being the coward that I was I never pressed the issue; I let it slide knowing I had more time to address it. That time swiftly approached and here I was on my way to say good-bye.
Even though Scott never wanted to talk about it, I could see it in his eyes that he wasn’t happy. Maybe I wasn’t good at relationships. I had no clue how to make things better between us or how to make him smile again. Something was wrong with him, but I had no clue what it was.
I’d met Scott during my first year of college, and we went out on a few dates every now and again. He was always busy with baseball and I was busy studying, so we never got too serious. At least, not until he became my patient after a torn rotator cuff put him out of commission for a while. It was then we were able to actually spend time together, and it wasn’t long after that when I fell in love with him. I had to believe things would work out between us, even with the distance.
Pulling into Scott’s driveway, I parked my car and blew out a nervous breath. He lived in a moderately sized, brick ranch style house in a nice little neighborhood not far from campus. I basically lived with him and only ventured to my apartment when I needed something of my own. Squeezing my eyes shut, I desperately tried to hold back my tears, but I couldn’t. Come on, Kate, pull yourself together. Scott and I love each other and that’s all that matters.
The box sitting in my passenger seat had a few of his shirts, a pair of his sneakers, and his laptop. I was tempted to keep it all just so it wouldn’t feel like we were breaking up. Opening the car door, I threw my blonde hair into a ponytail—so that it wouldn’t stick to my shoulders from the summer heat—and grabbed the box beside of me. Box in hand, I waltzed up to the front door and pressed the doorbell.
The sound echoed through his house and as I waited for him to get to the door, my heart literally felt like it was being ripped out of my chest. I didn’t want to leave him.
After about three minutes of silence, I rang the doorbell again and knocked as loud as I could. “Where are you, Scott?” I mumbled to myself. Surely, he’ll want to see me before I go, right?
Setting the box down, I marched over to my Jeep and grabbed my phone from inside. I dialed Scott’s number and could hear it ringing inside his house, but no one picked up.
“You better not be ignoring me,” I grumbled.
Even if he was pissed at me for leaving he would never intentionally ignore me; he wasn’t the type of person to do that. Blowing out an angry breath, I placed my hands on my hips and stalked over to his garage. I knew I shouldn’t do what I was about to do, but I had to see him. No one was around to see me punch in the five digit code to Scott’s garage and sneak inside. His shiny, black Ford Mustang was in its usual place, and normally my Jeep would be beside his … but not today.