Free A Gambling Heart: A BWWM Billionaire Romance by Tiana Cole, BWWM United Page B

Westbrook probably had a girl behind every door he opened. If Nurse Silva was right and he was really interested, I happened to be in the right place at the wrong time.
    As I said goodnight to her, I consoled myself with the thought that I could still control whatever it was that drew me to Gareth Westbrook.
    If I saw him again I vowed to be friendly but distant. He didn’t have total control over me. I controlled my own destiny. The thought comforted me. But honestly, it also made me feel miserable.
    “I must be getting my period,” I said to myself, thinking of how I was swinging between both ends of the spectrum.
    Plus, I had absolutely no idea that life was about to give me my share of lemons again. And like a chump who knew that Gareth Westbrook was like tequila laced with vodka, I allowed myself to be strung along. I told myself the lemons would make the drink taste better.
    I shrugged aside Nurse Silva’s warnings, thinking I had life by the balls. I was in command of my destiny. But life was laughing, and it was laughing at me behind my back.
    ***
    Gareth was gone.
    By the time I went back to work the next day he was discharged. My life took a turn somewhere between him holding my hand as he fell asleep and me whistling while taking an early morning shower.
    I wanted to look pretty and wished I could wear regular clothes instead of the ubiquitous scrubs. But Nurse Silva would frown on that idea so I chose the lime green among the different colored scrubs in my closet. I thought it went well with my skin.
    There was nothing much I could do about my hair except pull it back into a simple French pleat.
    “Someone’s feeling pretty,” Chantal greeted as I entered the living room. She was preparing breakfast. “You did your hair too.” My forehead furrowed. It was something I hoped would go unnoticed.
    “Yeah, it’s a beautiful day…any day is good when you prepare breakfast,” I mocked lightly.
    “Could it be because of one Gareth Westbrook, current occupant of the BHH floor? I heard the nurses talking. They said you managed to calm him down last night.”
    Word got around fast in a hospital floor.
    “I-I guess, you could say that. But I-err-I knew what needed to be done.” I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “You know how it is with patients. Sometimes you give them what they want…they settle down.”
    “And what did he want?”
    “He wanted to be left alone.”
    “But you were there with him, right?”
    “I…yeah, I guess. By the time I got there, he was done having a snit and was ready to cooperate. No biggie.”
    “If you say so…” That was Chantal joshing me, hoping to get a reaction.
    I pretended not to hear as I made of show of praising her dry scrambled eggs and burnt bacon. I didn’t want to seem like in such a mad rush to go out the door, jump into the train, and get to the hospital.
    I could try and pretend with Chantal but I couldn’t fool myself. My hands were sweaty from anticipation as we neared the hospital premises. Things seemed quiet. I was too engrossed to notice that the media vans and the reporters were gone.
    A few of the nurses were milling outside the back entrance as we approached.
    “Have you heard? The ogre’s gone,” one of them greeted us. There was a look of relief on her face.
    “Who’s gone?” I asked, puzzled. My heart began to pound.
    “The Westbrook guy at the BHH. He was discharged very early this morning.”
    “Gareth was discharged?” I asked as my heart sunk to the pavement.
    “Yup, one of the night shifts said they had to hush-hush the departure because of all the news reporters at the front gate. An SUV decoy was used and when the media followed thinking it was him, he left thru the back entrance.”
    I was stunned. I knew that he would be discharged sooner or later, but not today. I struggled to appear unconcerned. I was devastated of course. Gareth was gone. I remembered my vow to be friendly but distant. To be in command. I didn’t have to