Free Morning Glory - A Novelette by S.L. Scott Page B

struggling not to.
    I apologize because I can’t stay mad at him, but more importantly, I don’t want to. “I’m sorry about that. You’re right. I’ve been selfish the last few days.” I nudge him and smile. “Give me a second chance? Let me buy you lunch.”
    He looks into my eyes before he responds. “I was just called out on assignment, so I can’t do lunch, but Hayley, you haven’t been selfish. You have every right to be upset over the breakup. I just wanted you to know that I’m thinking about asking someone out.” He looks down and pauses before looking up again. “I’m struggling with what to do here. You know I support you, but you also know how I feel about Alejandro.”
    I sigh. “He treated me all right, better than you were privy to most of the time.”
    “Hey, Nick. We’ve got to go,” Greg shouts.
    Nick waves to him then turns back to me. “I care about you. You know that, right?”
    “Yes. I care about you too.” I hug him, and it’s like being home , full of warmth and security . As soon as he lets go, I feel the cold winter air. “Be safe, all right?”
    He nods and smiles all cute and mischievous as he walks away. After a quick wave, he hops in the van and it takes off.
    I return to my office and attempt to work, but something inside me stirs—an unease in the pit of my stomach. My mind is restless with thoughts of Nick. He’s worked dangerous assignments before, but because of our argument this morning, I’m worried about him and what might go wrong. I walk back into the newsroom and approach the producer on-call. “Where are Nick and Greg going?”
    Without looking up from the assignments desk, Rick points to the whiteboard behind him. “They’re covering a fire in the Valley.”
    My heart races. “How bad?”
    “Two homes, but I hear the fire trucks just arrived. I’m thinking it’s going to be four homes because of the winds, though.”
    “Keep me updated, okay?”
    He looks up at me with his seen-it-all-newsman expression, but he softens. “Sure, Hayley.”
    “Thank you.” I walk back into my office and close the door. Then I grab my phone out of my purse and text Nick: D inner at my place at eight . Making your favorite. Be safe and don’t be late.
    He doesn’t reply. I remind myself he’s busy and the camera is heavy, so he needs both hands. Two hours later, I run a hundred excuses through my head to justify why I haven’t heard from him, but none of them soothe me.
    I check the team stats every half hour. They’ve filmed two live shots, so I know he’s all right, but I’m still worried. The fire has gotten worse, and Greg is known to take risks for a scoop. Nick will follow to get the shot, but I hope he’s not led into the danger.
    At three, I head into a meeting for a new account I’ve been trying to land. Their advertising dollars could boost my numbers and put me on top for the month.
    It’s hard to concentrate during the meeting. I muddle through my presentation then decide to give them a tour of the studio, so we take the elevator down one level. When the doors open, everyone is scrambling, and Rick is shouting out orders.
    “I’ll be right back,” I say, already running to the board behind Rick. I glance at it, but no new information is listed. “Rick?”
    “Hayley.” He walks around his desk, takes hold of my arm, and tries to pull me with him. “We should talk in your office,” he says in a whisper while eyeing my clients.
    I stand my ground. “Tell me now.” He stares at me for too long. Seconds feel like hours, and it makes me testy as my worry amplifies. “Is it—”
    “It’s Grayson. He’s been taken to the hospital.” He sits back down. “We’ve been told it’s minor and to stay focused on our jobs.”
    I want to feel sympathy for the injured reporter, but I’m still worried about my best friend. “Nick’s with him?”
    “He’s fine. He drove him to the hospital.”
    I nod before releasing a huge sigh of