Web of Lies (The Goode Life #2) - Isla Olsen Page 0,2

amongst my patients, I can’t deny I have a total soft spot for this sweet little girl.

Tonight’s surgery is a pretty big deal, because if it goes the way we all hope it will, Cara will finally be healthy enough to receive a heart transplant, which is really the only thing that will give her a chance at a normal life. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, though; she has to be well enough for the transplant team to sign off, but sick enough to stay at the top of the donor list. And given how infrequently donor hearts become available for kids Cara’s age, it could be several more years of anxious waiting if she drops down in the queue.

I glance at Jen, whose expression is a tumultuous mixture of apprehension, hope, and pride in her daughter. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past ten years of life as a pediatric nurse, it’s that parents of sick kids are literally the bravest people on the planet. Superheroes have nothing on them.

“Okay, everything’s looking good,” I announce. “Do you need anything before I go, Cara?”

She shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

I offer an affectionate smile. “Okay, then. I’ll let you guys get back to your book and I’ll check in a little later.”

“Thanks, Jesse,” Jen says, and then picks up the book, which I now see is one of the Percy Jackson ones, and starts reading again.

The rest of my shift unfolds relatively uneventfully, despite the fact that I spend the day coiled tight as a spring. I’m nervous about tonight and, unusually for me, I’m not finding work to be enough of a distraction.

When my shift ends, I make a beeline for the staff locker room so I can change into the fancy clothes I need for tonight. Once I’m changed, I snap a selfie and text my best friend for her approval.

Me: Verdict?

Me: [Picture]

Lily Baker: Sexy! Is that what you’re wearing to the wedding?

I let out a soft breath of laughter, shaking my head in amusement as I glance down at my appearance. I’m wearing a nice suit, sure, but it’s not Best Man nice, which is what I’ll be needing for my brother’s wedding next week.

Me: No dummy it’s for dinner tonight. Zack’s organized tuxes for next week

Lily Baker: Oooh that’s right! David’s fancy dinner! Sorry I totally blanked on that one, I’m the worst!

I smile affectionately at the text. Lily is far from being a bad friend; she just has a lot on her plate juggling her career and life as a single mom.

Me: You’re totally forgiven *wink emoji*

Lily Bake: Good! Make sure you call me the second he pops the question!

Lily Baker: And I mean literally that second! Don’t even wait until you respond, just call me first!

Me: *eye roll emoji* Yeah, that won’t be happening. Also we don’t even know for sure he’s proposing…

Lily Baker: Oh come on, of course he’s proposing!

Of course, I secretly agree with her; David and I have been together for years, and he’s been acting a little weird lately, along with dropping hints about how important tonight is. A proposal is the only thing that makes sense. But Lily doesn’t need any further encouragement; honestly, if it hadn’t slipped her mind that the dinner is tonight, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d organized a sitter for Joel just so she could park herself at a nearby table and take candid shots of the big moment.

I shove my phone into my breast pocket and take another glance at myself in the change room mirror. Of course, I’d have loved to have had the opportunity to go home first and get ready properly, but the apartment I’ve been sharing with David for the past two years is all the way uptown, so it would take me a good hour out of my way, and I just don’t have the time to spare if I want to meet him at the restaurant on time.

Satisfied that I’m as presentable as I’m going to get, I close my locker and make my way out of the hospital. Once outside, I hail a cab to take me to the exclusive midtown restaurant David’s picked for tonight.

As soon as I enter the place, I can’t help feeling a jab of imposter syndrome, as a little voice in my head chants: You don’t belong here!

I might live in New York these days, but after growing up in a tiny California Gold Country town,