The day I decide to come back is a nervous one. When I pull up to our apartment I'm exhausted from the drive and dreading a conversation that I know will end with my heart broke. I just know what the answers going to be in this situation and I've prepared myself for it.

The last two days have been amazing. The beach and my parents have gave me time to think about my relationship with Jacob. I just don't know what decision I've come too yet but I know it's that I don't want us to end.

I grab my bags and head for the apartment. A minute later I'm opening the door with my key and my heart literally stops as I look at the apartment. It's cleaned to perfection and the floors are shining it looks so good. But what makes me smile is when Jacob's in dress clothes with dinner made for me and daisy flowers sitting on the table.

I immediately start bawling tears as I shut the door and drop my bag before running to him and hugging his chest. "RJ I'm so sorry." He whispers into my hair as I nod.

"I know me too." I tell him as he kisses the backside of my head. He pulls my chin to his as he seals his lips down on mine and I kiss him back. I move my tongue with his as he rubs my back and then my butt cheek in his palm. He pulls away and kisses down the side of my neck as I kiss his and feel his smaller chest frame.

"Baby, you're the only woman I love and you'll always be that woman. Hopefully this helps make up for it because it didn't cost anything since we bought groceries last week and the flowers came from the garden on the roof." He tells me as I smile and wipe my tears off my face. This is what I wanted, effort and love like this.

"It's perfect. Thank you." I tell him as he smiles. This is the complete opposite of what I thought was about to happen and I'm so happy it is.

"Will you sit and eat with me?" He asks as I nod. He pulls my chair out like he did on our first date and sits next to me before I fix my plate and he does the same thing. We just have sweet tea from the refrigerator as he rubs my thigh under the table.

"So how was it?" He asks after a few minutes. "It was amazing and needed. I'm happy I went." I tell him as he nods.

"The real question is how did you afford to go, did you take a plane?" He asks as I shake my head no. "I drove eight plus hours, something I never want to do again. My mom and dad gave me some gas money so I filled up a few times." I lie to him as he nods. He doesn't need to know about Jax because it'll make him angry and it's not important right now. I still feel something for Jax and he's quickly become one of my friends because of it.

"I'm glad you went." He tells me rubbing my thigh in his hand. "I made my decision if you can't tell." He tells me as I look over at him.

"And the verdict is?" I ask as he smiles. "I've printed out my biweekly salary and I've got it figured out. We don't need more loans right now, so I've got my payment drafted each two weeks. The rest of my check is going towards the groceries obviously, rent, insurance on our cars, the gas bill and water bill. You always take the electricity bill and you've been taking all the rest of them too and I want to make up for it. With the bills payed for the month I'll have a few hundred dollars left over and I'm putting it in a savings account. What's not used in it, I'd like to put on a home eventually." He tells me as I crack a smile.

"I'm glad" I tell him as he smiles. "And here's the proof." He tells me pulling his bank statement off the table as I read the sheet. The name of the account clearly reads RJ's engagement ring and the wedding. It's already got a two hundred dollar deposit and I love it.

"Does this mean what I think it does?" I ask as he nods. I don't even finish my dinner as I launch at his chest and hug him. He laughs as he lifts me onto his hips and drags me into the bedroom as we never stop kissing.

"I love you RJ." He tells me as I smile as wide as I can while we're both naked and he's pushing himself into me covered with a condom.

"I love you Jac." I whisper back moaning into his ear as he pushes into me rocking his hips with mine. He finishes a little faster than expected, within five minutes before pulling out. Except I don't finish when he's done and I pretend to so he doesn't know. It's never that fast, hopefully it's just this once.

He lays me into the sheets naked as I kiss his chest and smile at him. "I can't wait for our future." I whisper to him as he nods.

"I can't wait either." He tells me kissing my cheek as he pulls me to him and we both forget about the dinner made and make up for lost time.

____

The next morning I have to be up early since I'm working day shift instead of my regular nights. I wake up, wash and blow dry my hair with Jacob right beside me as we both get ready. We brush our teeth together and put on our scrubs together before eating breakfast quickly and riding together to the hospital for our twelve hour shifts.

We needed last night to put us back on track and we're happier than ever right now. I don't want to mess it up because I know we're in love and I'm really happy with him.

"I'll see you at five tonight. I love you." He tells me as I walk into the emergency department. I kiss him and smile onto his lips as he kisses me back.

"Have fun on rotations. Hopefully I'll see you before then. Bye babe." I whisper back as he rubs my back and disappears to the elevator with his white coat in his hands.

I smile when he's gone and make my way to the back before signing in and staring my shift. It's as expected, and Mr. Galloway is no longer in the emergency room which I'm happy about. He was healing enough to go home and that makes me happy.

Four hours later it's nine in the morning and I'm doing my rounds and reading my charts, documenting, the usual when I see Jacob come into the ER with his stethoscope around his neck like mine. I never see him down here since he's an ICU PA but I can't help but smile when I see him in his element. He looks handsome as hell in his scrubs and he's hot.

He's not Jaxton hot but he's still hot, and I love him, that's what matters. I haven't talked to Jaxton in a day, because talking to him feels wrong when Jacob and I are finally in a really good place. I haven't ignored him but I haven't fueled a conversation either. I feel wrong when I text him knowing that I developed feelings for him during a rough patch and I don't want to do that to myself or Jacob anymore.

Jacob however is pissed off when he's talking at the nurses station and I see him down the hall from my rolling computer used for documenting. I don't make my way up to him and I stay professional as I work at my station documenting vitals of a patient. I kissed him earlier but nobody saw and since we're both still rather new here nobody knows we're together.

When he's done he walks through the hall seeing me as he walks right to me. "Hey, what's going on?" I ask as he sets a file down on my station.

"My patient. The nursing station told me you were his nurse a few days ago and he won't quit aggravating the living fuck out of me and the nurses in ICU on rotations." He tells me as I laugh. It was probably one of the drug heads that come in here every other week to detox and end up in intensive care since their bodies can't handle being clean.

"And who would that be?" I ask opening the chart as I stare at the name. No. Oh my goodness no, Mr. Galloway?

"How'd you get him to calm down?" He asks as I stare at the name. I thought he'd be home and recovered. What happened to him while I was gone?

"Jac is this the older man with his wife that has expensive taste?" I whisper under my breath as he stands next to me so nobody hears.

"Yeah. He's got septic infection. He was released and came back to the ER last night apparently and was sent straight to ICU." He tells me as tears whelp in my eyes. Sure he was a pain, but I really liked Mr. Galloway.

"Okay yeah, he stayed on his call light a lot but he wasn't too bad. I can come up and try and settle him if you'd like me too." I tell Jac as he nods rubbing a hand through his hair.

"Yes, oh my goodness anything to get that man to quit." He tells me as I smile and rub his hand.

"Let me log out of the computer real fast and tell the girls." I tell him doing as I say before we hop onto the elevator and go upstairs. When we get to the ICU floor Jacob takes me to Mr. Galloway's room and I knock before entering.

His whole face lights up when he sees me. "Rylee Jane!" He exclaims as I smile and reach over his bed hugging him as I smell his neck and the signature cologne he wears. Jacob stays in the room behind us as I start, "Mr. Galloway what happened?" I ask him.

"It's infected. I couldn't reach it to keep it clean." He tells me as I nod. I see that more than I should.

"You didn't have at home health coming to see you?" I ask as he shakes his head no and I look over at his wife. Why didn't she help him then? But I know I can't ask the question out loud so I sit calm. She knows my question when she starts, "I couldn't keep my hands steady enough to clean him up." She tells me as I nod.

"Your PA Mr. Thomas came and got me because he said you've been on that call light again. What's wrong?" I ask him as he rubs my hand in his.

"Rylee they don't know what they're doing up here. I miss you, you didn't scrub my toes until they feel like jello." He tells me as I smile making him and his wife laugh as she holds his other hand.

"What do you have to say about that Jacob?" I ask turning to him as he laughs. "I'll let your nurses know. But RJ works in the emergency room so she can't be your nurse up here." He tells him as Mr. Galloway sighs.

"But I'll come in on my breaks and lunch to see you Mr. Galloway and it'll all be handled out." I tell him as he nods.

"Good and my step grandson is coming in today so you can meet him. Maybe you can let him take you out so that no good man that won't propose will leave you alone." He tells me smiling as my heart cracks and I look back at Jacob holding the file. Oh my god. It's ruined. Us being happy is completely broke.

"Hey gramps." I hear next as the door opens and in walks Jaxton Rutledge looking as handsome as ever in his signature black hoodie and hat.

Fuck.