It's hard to hold onto hope, hope hurts... maybe tomorrow will be better.
-Stefan Salvatore
~
Midnight is finally upon us and I sighed loudly as I sat back in the staff lounge; my shoes kicked off and feet cocked high on the sofa nearest me. Running a hand through my freed hair, I groaned aloud as my body finally relaxed for the first time since getting to work.
"Damn I've missed seeing you like this."
I shot up in my seat, taking my feet down as my boss, the dean of medicine, walked in.
"Mr. Mahoney! I... I didn't realize you were still here."
"Mr Mahoney?" He mimicked, taking the seat near me. "Are we back to formal callings now?"
"I."
"We fucked. It was intense, and now we've moved on. We're adults and there is no shame in that."
"I know."
"Good." He smiles at me before standing and walking towards the door. "For a second there I thought you were avoiding me."
"I wasn't."
"Then I'll see you tomorrow." He finishes.
"It's my day off."
He stops but doesn't turn around and I think he's about to say something but he changes his mind as he walks away, the door swinging shut behind him. The ringing of my cell pulls me to the now and I hastily look for the small device, catching it on the last ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey Justine, sorry for calling so late but I was in the neighborhood and was wondering if I could crash at your place for a few?"
"Of course Austin. You're my brother and we both know it's Craig's place."
"Yeah but he gave you the house before he died so technically, it's yours."
"Whatever, just... come over. I'm getting off work now so I'll probably be home by two or so."
"See you then."
The phone goes dead as he hung up and I slipped it into my purse before too, heading out of the hospital. My car was still at the repair shop and I thought I'd have to catch the bus home but as I walked through the emergency door Trent was just saying goodbye to one of the other doctors and waiting on me to catch up to him.
"You stalking me now?" I joked.
"Funny, real funny." He chuckles before offering me a ride home.
We both head to his car in silent and I didn't know why I felt nervous being alone with him since we literally slept together but that still didn't stop my heart rate from kicking up a notch as he sped towards my house.
"You're unusually quiet."
"I guess I'm just tired. Long day and all."
"Even when you're tired, you still talk to me."
"Then I guess I don't know what to say."
I'm thankful that my house comes into view and as he pulls into the corner, my hand is already on the handle.
"Hey, wait a minute. What's with the rush?"
"I'm really tired and-"
"I know, it's just that... what're you doing on your day off tomorrow?"
"Ah..."
"Because... maybe you'd like to catch a movie or something? Maybe dinner?"
He places a hand on my knee before slowly sliding it up and even though I'm wearing pants, I still feel as though I'm naked. I shouldn't even feel weird because we had a relationship in the past but right now, all I wanted to do was shove his hands off me and run.
"Trent."
"Yeah baby?" He murmurs and my skin starts to crawl, but not in a good way.
"I." I reach for his hand and gently remove it, placing it back on his lap. "What we had, was intense but now we've moved on. We're adults and there's no shame in that but it's over now and I'd like it to stay that way."
He chuckles before massaging his jaw and rests one hand on his open window. "I have never been rejected this good by any woman. You know that?"
"We work together-"
"And?"
"And you're married-"
"To a bitch that'll rob me of all my hard earned money if I ever leave her."
"That's still no excuse."
"There's someone else, isn't there?"
"Why is it that when a woman leaves a man there's always some other guy?"
"When is it ever not?"
I inhale as I'm tempted to just hit him across the face but barely contain myself.
"I'll see you later Mr. Mahoney." I respond and he laughs as I get out his car.
"Formality. Well aren't you predictable."
I slammed his car door harder than need be and wasn't one bit sorry as I headed into my house. My watch showed me it was close to two am and I rolled my eyes as I slammed and locked my door. Why did I ever hook up with a douchebag such as him?
Cause my ex husband got out of prison.
"Hey."
A hand touched my shoulder and because of the last thought in my mind, I yelped and swung my purse, hitting my twin hard in the face.
"Fuck Justine!" He snaps as he holds his mouth and I hurried to switch on the lights.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. I totally forgot you were here for a sec."
"So you smack me with your purse?!"
"You snuck up on me!"
"Because you had your head pressed to the damn door and I thought something was wrong."
"I'm really sorry."
"Fuck!"
"Would you stop cursing! Your wife would be very disappointed."
"Well, fuck her too."
"Austin!" I scolded to which he just rolls his eyes and heads towards my kitchen. Grabbing a pack of frozen peas, he then proceeds to hold it to his face and I felt guilty as my brother leans back in the dining chair.
"Did you and Rosa get into another fight?"
"I'm at my wits end with her." He sighs and I pull up a chair.
"What happened this time?"
"She got into another one of her stupid fights with Carol and once again got the girl crying and shit. I swear that woman, ugh!"
"I thought she'd be over the gay thing. She went to the wedding for crying out loud."
"Exactly! Yet, she feels the need to ridicule her and her wife Veronica and now that Veronica's pregnant with Brian's child, it's an all new uproar."
"Rosa..."
"She's fucking insane!"
"But be honest, are you seriously okay with your daughter's lifestyle?"
"It really shouldn't matter. She's a grown woman who's living in her own house, pursuing her own dreams and paying her own damn bills. All she wants is for us to love and support her and even though I can't 100% understand her or her decisions, I respect them. It's not my place to push what I've been taught onto her and hope she'll change, cause that's how you lose the people you love. I might not have given birth to her, but she's my own flesh and blood and I'd rather die before I become the reason behind her tears." He rants.
"No parent should ever make their kids feel like shit. We were raised different Justie. We saw first hand how Craig was treated. We know how this shit can affect people and even though you were a complete ass to your own kid, you were the closest to him before he died."
"I know."
He sighs as he rests his head on his hands and looks up at me. "I might not be gay but my daughter is and I swear I'll do whatever it takes to make her know how loved she is."
"So what? Did you leave Rosa?"
He sighs as he sits up. "I love her, I do... but she's so damn stupid sometimes. I told her that I'm leaving... maybe she thinks it's forever or maybe she thinks I'm just cooling my head, but she needs to know that she's crossed a line... and I'm not going back to her until she fixes it."
"Well, you're welcomed to stay here as long as you need to."
I get up from my seat, walk over to him and plant a small kiss atop his hair before heading up to my room, leaving him alone in the kitchen to calm down before he too decided to call it a night.
It was heartwarming to hear him so passionate about his daughter and I wish I'd been that way in the beginning. I might have had my reasons but that was all in the past and I shouldn't have let what happened in our family years ago, dictate what would happen in ours now.