Heartbeat chapter 13-I found a love beautiful and sweet.
Taylor's POV
I am running to the ER but I’m making a giant effort to not smile. There’s an emergency and probably lot’s of people got hurt due the storm but I am happy, and I know Joe, a few meters in front of me, is thinking the same way based on the way he’s looking at me.
– Guys, finally you two show up!– Ryan scream at us.
– Sorry, we were stuck in the elevator.– Joe explains while I get there.
– Okay, attention here. We are about to receive a big crowd of trauma patients. The storm destroyed a few houses and threw an old tree over a commercial building. There are people burned, others polytraumatized and others have just superficial cuts. We need you in every case, so there's no need to fight over patients. I decide who gets what case. Now, everyone put on ER gowns and meet me there at the ambulances park, they are arriving in 5 minutes.
Everyone nods and runs to dress the gown and the sterile gloves. We are ready for action.
We wait for the ambulances outside and what I see makes my mouth drop. Ryan opens the ambulance and a guy with a tree branch appears.
I bite my lips to not express I'm scared and suddenly I hear Ryan screaming at me.
– Dr Carter you come with them. Trauma 3, Go!
I nod and just then I see I'm going to work with Dr Pierce again, which is a relief since I already know her.
We run with the patient and enter on a separated room.
– Dr Carter, we need venous access in his arm and 10 milligrams of morphine. He's going to wake up soon.
She keeps screaming with other residents while I quickly do what she needs and soon we have the patient stable enough to do some portatil X rays.
The tree branch broke his ribs, probably perforated the spleen and stopped 2 cm from the heart.
– Call OR 2 and tell them we are on the way to a thoracotomy and exploratory laparotomy!
~•~•~
It's past 2 am and I'm shaking from the adrenaline. It's been many many hours standing there on the OR, helping with suction and retraction and all I want right now is my bed.
I take a bath and put on my regular clothes, and I'm about to fall asleep with my head on the locker door when I feel a hand on my shoulders.
– Just 5 more minutes, please.– I mumble, without really knowing what I'm saying.
The person chuckles and I recognize the voice, making me fully awake.
I turn around and my heart seems like it wants to beat out of my chest. There he is, with this sequin smile.
– Hi, Tay. You are exhausted, uh?
– I truly am. I've been in surgery for 14 hours.
– I heard your guy survived. Mine suffered a heart attack. You know, too much damage from the shock.
I nod and can't hold a yawn.
– Well, we need to talk but since you are this tired I think we can do this tomorrow, I mean, later today. I just check our schedule and we are free.
– I can talk today, I Just need a coffee.
He laughs.
– No you don't, you need and deserve a full night of sleep. Come here, I'll take you home.
I put my Head on his shoulders and he almost drags me along the hallways. Then, we are once again alone in this elevator, this magic elevator, and I can't help but smile at him.
We don't talk much in the car, and soon enough I'm being dropped at my house. With some help from Joe I open the door and turn around to thank him.
– Thanks, Joe.
– You don't need to thank me.– he says and pecks my lips, sending shivers through my whole body.
– How about you come here to have breakfast at 10? I'll be awake then.
– I love the Idea. I'll be here, now go have some rest.
We exchange smiles and I wave goodbye at him.
Joe's POV
I toss and turn in my bed but I can't get myself to sleep. It's 3 am and I need to be up at 9 so I can be with Taylor at 10, but my mind is racing.
I've been with dozens of women in my life but so far I never felt this different after a first kiss. It was so warm, so special to have her in my arms, completely surrendered to me, which is even more beautiful knowing it was her first kiss. I just wanted to never stop that kiss, I wanted to keep my lips on hers forever. Is this what true love is like?
I had lost the faith in love already, but I can't help but think that Taylor can be my destiny. I am her first man, and I want to be her only. She's sweet and innocent, but a strong and beautiful woman at the same time. Even though I was never loved before I hope I can teach her what being loved looks like. Oh God, I sound like a romantic teenager… like the last time. But this time I'm a man and can identify what's true and what is not.
Damn, I'm sounding cheesy like Jack. Deciding that I need to sleep either way, I get up, throw some water in my face and in the back of my neck, take a deep breath and try to imagine I'm kissing her again. Before I know it I'm sleeping.
I wake with the damn alarm striking 9 am and groan until I remember why I set this shit in the first place. Jumping from the bed, I run to the bathroom for a quick shower, shave my beard and put on jeans and a t-shirt. I grab my keys, my wallet and drive to a floriculture.
I know it's ridiculously romantic to appear at your girlfriend's house with flowers, even though she's not officially my girlfriend yet. I'm going to ask her at an official dinner later tomorrow If she agrees. She's the kind of girl who spent all her life reading those cheesy books, so it is a safe bet that she has some cheesy expectations. But I can't deny that I love this kind of thing too. I never did this before because I never wanted something serious but what I felt for Taylor in that elevator yesterday made me want to stay just with her forever, so I'll follow the perfect boyfriend primer.
I'm now at the floriculture. There are thousands of different types of flowers around me. Thankfully, a curly hair middle aged woman are walking in my direction.
– Hi, can I help you with something, Sir? You seems lost.
– Yes, I kind of am. I want to buy some flowers for a girl but I'm a little out of practice.
– Ah, I should've known. Your pretty blue eyes are sparkling, boy. Do you know what color is her favorite?
I deny with my head.
– No problems. Let's do a safe bet here then and choose some white roses and light pink petunias. Anything else?
–No, thanks, that's all for today, thanks.– I smile at the woman, pay for the flowers and carefully put the bouquet in the passenger seat before running to my seat and driving to my future girlfriend's house. I'm nervous as hell, since I don't even know If she likes flowers. I may be ruining everything even before we start.
Shaking my head I try to focus only in positive thoughts.
My mouth is dry. I don't think I've been this nervous before in my life. Everything happened so fast it's confusing me. Maybe it was her kindness to hear me that day in the park. I was so worried about my brother… actually I still am, but he keeps telling me he has a plan, so I'm trusting him to deal with his own problems.
Before I can properly calm down, I'm in front of her building.
– Morning, Mr Sullivan. Miss Swift is waiting for me.
– Of course, boy. Is it only you today or the other 3 are coming too?– Mr Sullivan is the doorman of the building and is used to my and our friends' presence.
– Just me, sir.
– Okay, have fun.– he motions for me to follow him to the elevator like everytime and press the button for me.– Nice flowers, you are on the right track.
– Thanks– I give him a nervous smile and he laughs before sitting in his place. I ask myself if he knows I'm about to ask her on a date. I could be giving her flowers for her birthday or a special occasion.
Anyway, the elevator door closes and I take a deep breath and dry my sweaty hands on my pants.
"Come on, I'm an ass grown man, I know how to ask a girl out on a date"– I'm thinking to myself before the elevator opens with a click sound.
I hit the door carefully.
– One minute!– I hear her voice and instantly a wide smile appears on my face. Damn, I am in love with her.
Then, she opens the door and I feel like my world is suddenly frozen, and there's just the two of us in the world, and that's what matters.
Taylor's POV
I hear someone hitting the door and my heart races instantly. It 's him,I feel.
It's amazing how someone who never ever loved someone can be affected by a human being after just one kiss. I don't even know if he wants a relationship.
Anyway, I answer the door and there he is. I smile and feel my cheeks burning red.
– Come on in, make yourself comfortable– I say before realizing he is holding a beautiful bouquet.
– For you.– He says shyly.
My mouth falls open.
– Oh my God, they are amazing– I say, smelling the roses and petunias. Then, I look directly into his eyes.– Thanks, it's the first time someone has given me flowers.
His eyes are shining, and I decide to close the door before getting more distracted.
I motion for him to follow me to the kitchen. I let my flowers in a base before turning to look at him.
– I made lots of coffee for us. And I have ham, scrambled eggs, pancakes and…– I say but he spins me around and kisses me, hungrily.
It's a very different kiss from the first one, and I can't ahelp but let out a sigh of pleasure feeling the dance his tongue is doing, holding firmly in his arms while his hands slide for my waist. I decide to move my tongue too, and he seems to understand and help me with this.
It's so good that when we break the kiss to breathe I want more and more of this.
– Sorry for interrupting you, but I couldn't resist.– he gives me that smirk while I'm blushing once again.
– Never ever again apologize for kissing me.– I smile and we sit at the table, side by side, looking at each other, and he keeps a hand on my shoulders, making me shiver.
– So, as you said in the hospital, we need to talk. – I start– And I want to start this conversation telling you that you are, as you already know, my first kiss, my first romantic interest. And I want to continue this 'thing' we started yesterday.
– Great, because I want to keep dating you, and kissing you.– He says and takes one of my hands to his lips, kissing it.– We don't have to give a name to this relationship still, but I'd like we were exclusive.
– Don't worry, I don't wanna kiss anyone but you. – I say and bite my lips.– So, I have to ask you a question but I want your promise you won't laugh at me.
– I could never laugh at you. What you want to know?
– Did I do the right thing earlier, you know, kissing you back?
He gives me a sweet smile.
– Yes, Tay, your kiss is the sweetest kiss ever.
– Sorry for the dumb question. It's just you gotta be patient, I never had someone before. The only romance I know It's from books. – I say looking down, with shame.
He uses his long fingers to lift up my chin.
– Hey, you don't need to be shy with me. We are together now and I'll love to teach you everything about dating someone. You are so pure… And I'll make sure to not hurt you and protect you.
We look at each other. His eyes are shining, must be happiness, which makes me even more happy.
– Come here, sit with me– he asks me with puppy eyes knowing I wouldn't resist.
I sit in his lap and I feel surprised that I'm not uncomfortable.
– I think we should eat now. I'm starving– He says and I chuckle.
– Yeah, we should.
We eat and I look at him with a playfully smile.
– Hey, what do you have for breakfast?
– Ah, usually I grab some coffee at home and drive to the hospital, and then I get some chips or a granola bar…
– Joe, you have to cook! You need a strong breakfast everyday!
– I know, but I don't cook.
– You need a girlfriend, you know? – I chuckle.
He looks at me with a sparkle in his eyes.
– I'm falling for someone but I didn't ask her to be my girlfriend yet, ya know? I intended to do it tomorrow.
– Why don't you ask now?– I raise my eyebrows and poke a tongue at him.
– Taylor Carter, will you give me the honor of being my girlfriend?
– Hell yeah!– I say and lean to kiss him again.
– Dear lord, I want to kiss you forever!– he says when we stop kissing.
– Me too, but maybe we should keep it just for us for a while.
– Absolutely.
We keep eating and kissing for a while and soon enough he has to go, because we have a clinic session tomorrow with Ryan. And right after, a date with Joe.
I threw myself in the bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking mom was, once again, right. Everyone should love and be loved, because love changes everything, and I can't wait to live all of this.