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Chapter Twenty-seven: Quinn
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2024-10-14 01:09:02Chapter Twenty-Seven
Quinn
I hang up without leaving a message and set my phone down, feeling a little uneasy. I haven’t talked to Archer since yesterday afternoon. Things still weren’t quite resolved between us when we got off the plane, and it’s making the missed calls seem like a bigger deal than it is.
I know Archer was in surgery throughout the night and is working again today. He doesn’t usually call if he gets off in the middle of the night, not wanting to wake me up. Though given the way things are unsettled between us, it’s making me worry. And when I worry, I tend to obsess and assume the worst is going to happen. That way if something slightly less traumatic actually does happen, I’m not as devastated.
“My bitch is back!” Marissa throws her arms up and comes into my office. “It was so boring around here without you last week. How was vacay?”
“Fun,” I tell her with a smile. And it was, up until the plane ride home. Archer felt bad for insinuating he doesn’t trust me, and I believe him. And a bit of jealousy is nice, if I’m being honest. But he has nothing to worry about, and what hurt the most was that I gave him well wishes to go follow his dreams in Boston and didn’t even bring up the fact that he’d be away and alone and has the potential to stray.
Because I didn’t even think about it.
I love him. I trust him. I’ve known Archer for years and have always believed him to be a good man.
“You have a sour look on your face.” Marissa sits in the chair in front of my desk. “Are you feeling sick again?”
“No, thankfully.” I let out a sigh. “Archer and I got into a weird fight-thing on the way home and it’s still bugging me.”
“Fight-thing?”
“It wasn’t really a fight but was more than a disagreement and we’re both at crossroads, and I don’t know what to really think about it.”
“Start from the beginning because you lost me.”
I nod, so glad Marissa is here. She’s not exactly a neutral party; she’ll side with me nine times out of ten. That’s what best friends do, after all.
“Archer got into a fellowship program to do trauma surgery, but it’s in Boston. It’s an intense program and he’ll be there for two years.”
“Oh, damn, that’s both good and bad.”
“Yeah.” I shake my head. “I want him to go as much as I don’t. He’s wanted this and was aiming for it before this happened.” I motion to my belly. “And I don’t know what’s right or wrong here. I feel bad telling him I don’t want him to go. We’ve been talking about moving in together and it felt like we were on the path to becoming a family. But it’s just two years, that’s nothing compared to the rest of his life as a trauma surgeon. And it’s not fair for him to change his plans for me when this has been his end game the whole time, right?”
“You’re changing your plans,” Marissa counters. “Once the baby is born you’re taking at least some time off.” She holds up her hand before I can interrupt. “And don’t tell me it’s because you’re the mom. Do you feel like that’s unfair?”
“No, but it’s not the same. This fellowship is really competitive and if he doesn’t do it now, there’s no promise he’ll get in again later.”
“Okay…say you got into some sort of training program with Bill Gates or something. You’d go away for a year or two, but Emma would stay with Archer. Would you do it?”
“No,” I say with no hesitation. “But I don’t want to push my personal opinion on him.”
“You guys are pretty personal though. Personal enough to have a baby.”
I make a face. “I know. But I don’t know, and that’s the issue with this.”
She nods. “So that’s what your fight-thing was about?”
“No.” I look at her, realizing I’m going to have to spill the beans about potentially leaving IHG. “Close the door.”
“Ohhhh, this has to be some good drama.” She gets up to close the door and comes back, sitting on the edge of the chair.
“Jacob approached me about starting up a new company, and when I told Archer he got a little jealous, which is fine, but it’s making me wonder if we did rush into things because he has nothing to be worried about. It takes time to build up trust between two people, and we haven’t been dating for that long, which makes me go back to feeling bad not wanting him to go to Boston because he should want to be with us more than he wants this fellowship.” I blurt that all out fast, relieved when I finally say it out loud.
“Taking the fellowship doesn’t mean he wants it more than he wants you,” Marissa tries to reason.
“I know,” I sigh. “And that’s why I feel so bad wishing he’d decide on his own to stay here.”
“You shouldn’t feel bad about it. No one wants their boyfriend to go away for work.”
I wrinkle my nose. “True. I’m faking my happiness, so I do feel bad.”
“Don’t fake it. Tell him how you feel.”
“Then he might not take it.”
Marissa widens her eyes. “Which is what you want.”
“Yeah, but because he doesn’t want to, not because he knows I don’t want him to go.”
Marissa shakes her head. “What’s the damn difference?”
“The root of his decision?” I try, knowing I probably sound insane. “I love him and want him to be happy.”
“Don’t you think he wants the same for you?”
My phone rings before I can answer her. “It’s Archer.”
“I’ll catch up later,” Marissa says, going to the door. “I need to hear all about this new company you might leave me for.”
Waiting until Marissa has closed the door behind her, I answer. “Hey, Arch.”
“Hey, babe. How are you?”
“All right. I just got to work. You?”
“I’m just leaving work.”
“You’ve been there all night?”
“Yeah,” he groans. “I have a few hours to sleep before going back. I have a Whipple today, so I’ll be in surgery for eight or so hours.”
“What the heck is a Whipple? Sounds kinda kinky.”
“It’s a pancreaticoduodenectomy,” he says.
“Oh right, one of those.”
He laughs. “It’s basically removing cancerous tumors from the head of the pancreas. It’s a long procedure.”
“Wow. That’s intense.”
“It is, and the pathology isn’t the greatest for this patient.”
“I’m not sure what that means either, but good luck? Is that the right thing to say?”
“I guess. It’s just work for me, though this isn’t as routine as removing a gallbladder.”
I smile, imagining Archer in his blue scrubs. “Did you think about the fellowship any more?”
“Yeah…I think I should do it.”
My eyes fall shut and I put on a smile, forgetting for a moment that he can’t see me. “Great. It’s such a good opportunity.”
“It is. What about you? Have you heard anything more about your job?”
“No, not yet.” Someone knocks on my office door. I move the phone away from my face. “Come in,” I call.
“Do you need to go?” Archer asks.
“Yeah. I suppose I should work at work, right?”
Archer chuckles. “Right. I’ll call you later. Love you, babe.”
“Love you too.” I hang up, and the uneasy feeling comes back. I don’t want to drift apart after we finally got together.
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Chapter Thirty-OneQuinn“No?” Archer echoes, face paling.“I want to hear the speech.” I close Archer’s fingers around the ring. “Ask me like you had it planned.”Archer looks down at the ring. “Are you…are you going to say yes?”“Yes!” I say, and tears fall from my eyes. “I love you so much, Archer.”“I love you too,” he says, wrapping his arms around me. He pulls me onto his lap, and when we kiss, everything fades away. Breathless, I break away, cupping Archer’s face with my hands.“How tired are you?”“Pretty damn tired.”I gently kiss him. “Do you want to get a good night’s sleep and make sure this is what you want?” I ask with a smile.“It’s what I’ve always wanted.” He shifts his weight, holding me close. “I brought the ring to Hawaii with me.”“You’ve had this since then?”“Not that particular one. Your grandma’s ring. I bought this one yesterday.”“That was fast,” I say, taking the ring from his hand. It’s gorgeous, with a large oval center stone in between the two diamonds f
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Chapter Thirty-ThreeQuinn“You’re such a bitch for leaving,” Marissa says, standing next to my desk. “I’m going to miss you.”“I’m here for two more weeks,” I remind her. “And Eastwood is two hours away. Less if traffic moves quickly.”“Which happens so often.”“I know. But I’ll be in the city at least once a month.”“You better tell me every time you’re here.”“I will,” I say and look up from my desk. I put in my two weeks’ notice today. I’d been dreading doing it and actually put it off for a full week before talking to my boss. I’m sad to leave, and part of me will miss this place. But it’s mid-January and I’m so ready to go home and be with Archer.We have a small apartment downtown and have been finalizing plans for our house to be built this spring. Feeling like I’m becoming my mother, I’ve been pinning and saving posts on Pinterest like crazy. Archer made a list of things he wanted and has left the rest up to me. I’m having too much fun.“Anxious to go see your man?” Marissa a
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Chapter Thirty-ThreeQuinn“You’re such a bitch for leaving,” Marissa says, standing next to my desk. “I’m going to miss you.”“I’m here for two more weeks,” I remind her. “And Eastwood is two hours away. Less if traffic moves quickly.”“Which happens so often.”“I know. But I’ll be in the city at least once a month.”“You better tell me every time you’re here.”“I will,” I say and look up from my desk. I put in my two weeks’ notice today. I’d been dreading doing it and actually put it off for a full week before talking to my boss. I’m sad to leave, and part of me will miss this place. But it’s mid-January and I’m so ready to go home and be with Archer.We have a small apartment downtown and have been finalizing plans for our house to be built this spring. Feeling like I’m becoming my mother, I’ve been pinning and saving posts on Pinterest like crazy. Archer made a list of things he wanted and has left the rest up to me. I’m having too much fun.“Anxious to go see your man?” Marissa a
End Game Chapter Thirty-two: Archer
Chapter Thirty-TwoArcher“Everything was perfect at the latest scan,” I say, taking the ultrasound photos from Quinn. We’re at her parents’ house again, two weeks after getting engaged. It’s Thursday afternoon and a bit early for dinner, but Quinn has to drive back to the city tonight for work in the morning. I was able to get back in for an interview at the local hospital, and after talking with the head surgeon again, I think things went as well as they can after you turn down a job because you didn’t think it’d be challenging enough.“The OB thinks she’s going to be big,” Quinn says, cutting into her chicken.“You are looking like a beached whale already,” Owen tells her with a wink.“I think you look radiant,” Logan counters. “Simply beautiful.”“Flattery isn’t going to make you be the godfather, dumbass,” Owen spits, rolling his eyes at his twin.“We already know it’s going to be me,” Dean counters, twisting the cap off a hard lemonade. Owen and Logan have been giving him shit a
End Game Chapter Thirty-one: Quinn
Chapter Thirty-OneQuinn“No?” Archer echoes, face paling.“I want to hear the speech.” I close Archer’s fingers around the ring. “Ask me like you had it planned.”Archer looks down at the ring. “Are you…are you going to say yes?”“Yes!” I say, and tears fall from my eyes. “I love you so much, Archer.”“I love you too,” he says, wrapping his arms around me. He pulls me onto his lap, and when we kiss, everything fades away. Breathless, I break away, cupping Archer’s face with my hands.“How tired are you?”“Pretty damn tired.”I gently kiss him. “Do you want to get a good night’s sleep and make sure this is what you want?” I ask with a smile.“It’s what I’ve always wanted.” He shifts his weight, holding me close. “I brought the ring to Hawaii with me.”“You’ve had this since then?”“Not that particular one. Your grandma’s ring. I bought this one yesterday.”“That was fast,” I say, taking the ring from his hand. It’s gorgeous, with a large oval center stone in between the two diamonds f
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End Game Chapter Twenty-nine: Quinn
Chapter Twenty-NineQuinn“Your tummy is big, Aunt Winnie.”“Thanks, buddy. But if you think this is big, just wait.”Jackson scrunches up his nose. “I still don’t get how Archer put a baby in there.”“Hey,” Weston says, shaking his head. “We talked about this.”I try not to laugh, knowing the reaction will only perpetuate the situation. “What did you say?” I quietly ask Wes.“A lot of stuff that confused him even more. But I told him it’s not polite to talk to women about things in their bellies.”“Good call. Raise him to be a gentleman.” I put my hand on my lower abdomen, wincing as I straighten up.“You okay, sis?”“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve been having more round ligament pain the last few days. My OB said it was more common in the first trimester, fades in the second, and comes back at the end. Some lucky people get it the whole nine months, and it looks like I’m one of those.”“Daisy had that,” Wes says, not looking at me. He doesn’t talk about his wife that often, not that I could b
End Game Chapter Twenty-eight: Archer
Chapter Twenty-EightArcher“Your frequent flyer is back.”“Are you serious?” I look up from the paperwork I’ve been filling out for the last twenty minutes, knowing by the nurse’s face she is.“Popped stitches. ER sent him up.”“They can’t do stitches down there?” I grumble.The nurse rolls her eyes. “Apparently ‘it’s internal,’ and he needs to see a surgeon. Like we can just put him in front of our other patients. Do you want me to send him back down?”“No, I’ll deal with it. Thank you, though.”I finish my paperwork and deal with the difficult patient, who had a hernia repaired a month ago and hasn’t followed post-op instructions at all. He’s been in three times since his operation. I do rounds after that, finish my paperwork and finally go home after a twenty-six-hour shift.Another resident who’s been in the program with me since the beginning got into a car accident and broke several bones in her hand. She’s unable to operate and just thinking about it makes my stomach churn. It
