Stolen Hearts

Chapter Nine.

If the photo works it's of Maggie.

Maggie walked into the hospital a few miles outside town and scanned the area for her sister, Delia was the head doctor at the emergency room and a work-a-holic, when she wasn't home Maggie knew this is the only other place she would be.

The emergency room was mostly empty today, now that the snow had began to melt the rush was over but Maggie didn't see Delia. She approached a small reception desk, clutching her container of sweets to her chest.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Delia Williams."

"I'll have her paged, you can go ahead and take a seat." The girl replied.

Maggie turned and took up one of the many vacant, plastic seats against the nearby wall. It didn't take long for Delia to come around a corner, wearing her sea-foam green scrubs and white coat, her blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail.

"Maggie, is something wrong?" She asked.

"No, not really I just....can we talk?" Maggie asked as she stood.

"Yeah, follow me."

Delia led them into a white room with a couch and half of a kitchen, there was a round table in the middle with several chairs. It was obviously a lounge for the doctors and nurses that worked long shifts in the emergency room.

"So, what's up?" Delia asked, taking a seat.

"I uhmm..."Maggie sat down as well and when she couldn't find her word slid the container towards her sister.

Delia eyed Maggie suspiciously then lifted the lid to reveal the cinnamon buns that lay inside. She took one out and took a bite then glanced at Maggie, knowing a stalling technique when she saw one.

"This is great, now tell me what's bothering you."

"I really screwed up Dee."

Maggie folded her arms on the table, letting her head fall forward to rest on them. Shielding her face from Delia's stare and hiding behind her curtain of dark hair.

"What happened."

"We kissed."

"Who you and Liam?"

She slowly shook her head, wincing even thought Delia couldn't see her.

"Then.......Jake?"

Maggie hesitated then managed a long slow nod.

"When?!"

"Last night."

"Wait...back up I thought you and Liam were....a thing." Delia said.

"We are, I mean...not officially but we've been seeing each other."

"So, what happened?"

Maggie lifted her head with a heavy sigh, forcing herself to face her sister. Delia wouldn't judge her she knew that but she was still ashamed.

"The kids wanted me to go sledding with them and Jake so I did. Then we went back to his place and after he put the kids to bed....we kissed on his porch...a lot."

"And?"

"What do you mean and? And I have a....sort of boyfriend."

"Mags, you've been in love with Jake since high school. How was it? Really?"

"Why am I even having this discussion with you?" Maggie asked, rubbing her temples, feeling a headache building.

"Because I'm your bigger, smarter sister."

"Bigger maybe," Maggie mumbled.

"Hey!"

"After we kissed you should have seen him Dee, he looked so disappointed and disgusted. He said he was sorry and then he left. It was a mistake, but....I can't stop thinking about it."

"Oh Maggie, I know how much Jake means to you."

"No, it's not about that. I got over Jake years ago."

"I'm your sister, I know better." Delia pointed out.

"Just....eat your cinnamon bun."

"Are you going to tell Liam?" Delia asked, taking a bit of pastry.

"I don't know."

Just then a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes walked into the room, he glanced at Delia and then without asking reached over to take the cinnamon bun from her hand shoving it into his mouth.

"Hey!" Delia shouted.

"That's pretty good, you the baker?" He asked Maggie.

"Yeah."

He grabbed the vacant chair and spun it around straddling it the wrong way and resting his arms on the back of the chair. He wasn't wearing traditional nurse scrubs.

"Do you have any damned manners?" Delia asked.

"Sure, when I need too."

"What are you even doing in here? You're supposed to be working."

"Well last time I checked you weren't my boss."

"This is the Doctors lounge....doctor." Delia argued back.

"Alright  I'm going, can't blame a guy that smell was so sweet and enticing." He said as he stood.

"Then take a cinnamon bun and go!" Delia cried.

"I didn't mean the cinnamon buns Dee," He said leaning in next to her for a minute.

She flinched angrily away and he laughed as he walked out of the room leaving the two sisters alone. Maggie lifted and eyebrow and cocked her head.

"Who was that?"

"He's a janitor and it's not what you think."

"Isn't it?" Maggie teased.

"No, he's a recovering drug addict that I'm not so sure is even recovered and he's a constant pain in my ass."

"So you two haven't...."

"No!" Delia interrupted instantly.

"I don't know what to do Dee, on one hand there's Liam. He's so nice and we have such a nice time and he really really likes me. On the other hand there's Jake who barely notices I exist, he married my sister and he's not interested in me."

"I think Jake has been a part of your life for so long that you've never really stood on your own two feet. You met in school and he looked out for you and he's been doing it ever since. Jake has always been safe, off limits but safe. I think you owe it to yourself to see where things go with Liam."

Maggie gave a small nod with a heavy sigh a small part of her had known that Delia would say that, she just didn't know if she could follow through with it.