Page 118 of Love Overdose: St. Louis

He climbed into bed beside me. “Completely.”

Just as he said it, his phone vibrated on the nightstand. There it was. The screen illuminated with the hospital’s number. My stomach sank. Elijah picked it up and read the message. His thumb moved across the screen before he set the phone back on the nightstand. He laid down.

“You aren’t calling back?”

“No.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Dr. Carter completed an emergency procedure. He sent an update to the group.”

“What kind of procedure?”

“One I’m not discussing with you at three in the morning.”

I eased beneath the quilt.

“You usually call.”

“I’m not covering the service tonight.”

“That has never stopped them from calling you.”

“They didn’t call. Carter updated the team.”

“And if he needs you?”

“He’ll contact me directly.”

I looked at the phone. It remained dark.

“What changed?”

Elijah settled on his side facing me.

“We started a new rotation this week.”

“At the hospital?”

“And the clinic.”

I waited for him to continue.

“Carter and Patel are alternating primary coverage with me. Two other neurosurgeons are handling backup. Unless a patient is already under my direct care or a case requires my specific involvement, the covering surgeon makes the decisions.”

“You agreed to that?”

“I requested it.”

Surprise held me silent. His fingers moved over the edge of the quilt between us.

“I was taking calls that didn’t belong to me,” he said. “Picking up extra cases because I knew I could do them. Covering shifts before anyone asked.”

“Why?”

“Because I had the time.”

The words lingered between us. Before me, his house had been quiet. His weekends were available. The hospital could take another evening because no one expected him anywhere else.