Say Yes by Dara Girard

Author:Dara Girard [Girard, Dara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ILORI PRESS BOOKS LLC

Chapter Seventeen

A second degree burn.

She’d been lucky. If Nicole hadn’t moved as quickly as she had, the damage could have been worse. The ER doctor cleaned the burn and wrapped it up and prescribed an antibiotic. When Jayden left to call his mother and reassure her, the nurse, a heavyset man with a silver mustache, lowered his voice and said, “Is there anything you want to tell us?”

Nicole looked down at her bandaged arm with regret. “I hope this doesn’t leave a scar.”

“It shouldn’t if you follow the instructions.” He hesitated. “Is there anything else you want to say? Anything…private.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I remember you coming in only a month ago with another injury.”

“It’s really nothing,” Nicole said quickly. “I’m fine, truly. But I appreciate you asking.”

The nurse sent Jayden a nervous look before he turned back to her. “There are phone numbers you can call at all times. And apps that—”

“I have nothing to fear from him,” Nicole said with a smile. “It truly was an accident. Thank you.”

But she felt shaken. Something about Dionne bothered her, she was so absent minded somehow and the way she’d gasped when she’d looked at the TV.

And the words of the nurse bothered her too. It reminded her of something else, something bad, but she couldn’t put her finger on it yet.

She searched her mind as Jayden led her through the hospital lobby to the exit, desperate to find the cause of the unsettling feeling when she heard someone call out “Professor?”

Jayden spun around then a big smile crossed his face. She’d seen that unguarded expression once on his face when she’d asked him out. That expression had been one of amusement. This was one of joy.

The skinny, black guy with a stud earring looked happy too and they embraced like long lost brothers. “I thought it was you, man.”

It was a funny sight. For a moment the skinny guy seemed to disappear in Jayden’s big embrace before reappearing again when Jayden released him. Neither seemed to care how odd their reunion looked.

“Nicole,” Jayden said by way of introduction, “this is Francis. Francis, Nicole.”

“Nice to meet you,” Nicole said, shaking the man’s outstretched hand.

“This your woman?” Francis asked with a playful grin.

“We’re just friends,” Jayden said.

Francis rubbed his hands together and licked his lower lip in a teasing leer. “We can be friends too.”

Jayden rested a large hand on the man’s thin shoulder. “I’m friendly enough for two of you.”

Francis laughed. “I hear you, Professor.”

“You didn’t tell me you’re a professor,” Nicole said.

Jayden shook his head. “Because I’m not.”

“But you used to be?”

He hesitated. “Not quite. I—”

“He’s being humble,” Francis said. “Best teacher I’ve ever had. He wasn’t a real professor but it’s what we called him. Cardoza gave him that name.” He patted Jayden on the back with affection. “This guy knew sh—I mean stuff I’d never heard about, man. Stuff I thought he was making up. And he could remember things like nobody I knew. When he got library privileges you would have thought—”

“We’re running late,” Jayden cut in, “and I need to take her back home.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.