“Dr. Fisher?”
Samantha’s voice pulls me back abruptly. I turn, grateful for the interruption, even as irritation flares.
“Yes?”
She gestures down the hall. “Room 446 is ready whenever you are.”
“In a minute,” I say automatically.
She nods and walks off, leaving me alone with the noise in my head and the realization I can’t undo.
I turn back toward the counter as Melissa and Trudy begin to move past me.
Melissa stops short when she sees me, surprise flickering across her face before she schools it into neutrality. Professional.
“Dr. Fisher,” she says.
Her voice is steady, but mine almost isn’t when I reply, “Melissa.” The way her name feels in my mouth now is different. Heavier. Loaded with things I should not be carrying.
Trudy glances between us, clearly clocking the tension in my expression. “We were grabbing some coffee before heading back out,” she says lightly.
“Of course,” I manage. “Iwon’t keep you.”
Melissa nods, her eyes searching my face for acknowledgment I don’t give her.
I can’t.
They move past me, and the space she leaves behind feels wrong—like the air has been pulled from the room.
I stare down at the coffee I no longer want.
That’s why she felt familiar. That’s why I couldn’t look at her for too long. That’s why every instinct in me has been screaming to keep my distance.
Not only is she a nurse in my department. She’s a reminder of a failure I still carry.
And I’ve been standing far too close to her for a man who knows better.
I set the cup down, untouched, and turn toward the hall.
Room 446 waits.
And so does the version of myself that doesn’t get to want things anymore.
Chapter Nine
Melissa
I’ve been dragging today, and the break-room coffee is not cutting it. I need coffee bold enough to pack a punch, so I take the elevator downstairs to the main lobby, where they have a coffee shop with real coffee. The aromas alone awaken my system when I walk in. I get in line behind the two people in front of me.
Looking up at the menu, I try to decide whether I go for a regular coffee or a latte with two shots of espresso to really get the job done.
The familiar warmth of a body I’ve come to be acutely aware of stands behind me.
“Rough day?” His deep voice sounds in my ear as the warmth of his breath sends shivers down my spine.
I close my eyes as I brace for the onslaught of what his presence does to me, then look over my shoulder.
His deep green eyes hold mine with a hint of amusement I haven’t seen before.