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She had to get out of here, but before she did, she needed to ensure that something like this never happened again.
“This was a mistake.”
“What?” It was easy to hear the hurt in Cora’s voice.
“You heard me. We had a momentary lapse of judgment. It didn’t mean anything.”
“Agnes, how can you say that? You know how much you mean to me. Are you really saying I’m nothing to you?”
Agnes longed to take Cora into her arms, to kiss her gently and confess the feelings that lurked in the darkest corners of her mind, but the very thought sent her screaming right to the edge of a flashback. She fought the images back viciously. She couldn’t afford to lose her head now.
“You are a dear friend, Cora, but nothing more than that. This was entirely inappropriate. I’m your boss and nearly twenty years older than you. This was stupid of both of us. Such a lapse of judgment won’t happen again.”
Agnes didn’t wait to see if Cora would argue. She wanted too much to be dissuaded from this hard, cold course she had chosen. She got up and put her clothes on as quickly as possible with her back to Cora. Then she left, closing the door behind her without looking back.
6
Cora
Cora stared dumbly after Agnes. She was in shock. How could Agnes take that beautiful connection they had just had and say it was nothing?
She knew Agnes was still suffering so badly with grief, but Agnes was the one who had jumped her sexually. What the hell was Cora supposed to do?Notlive out her every dirtiest fantasy when Agnes was making it very clear that it was what she wanted too?
If Agnes had just wanted sex, she could have made that clear. Cora would take a friends-with-benefits situation with Agnes. It wasn’t all she wanted from Agnes, but it was certainly part of it.
However, Agnes wasn’t even saying that. She said it meant nothing, like Cora was simply disposable to her. Just using her for sex like that and then acting like Cora was a stranger to her afterward was an awful way to treat someone.
Cora had thought she knew Agnes fairly well. She was beginning to wonder if she knew her at all. If this was how Agnes treated her friends, did Cora want to be friends with her at all?
Well, she certainly wasn’t going to wait around here like a fool. She got dressed and stepped out into the hall in a daze.
Cora felt like she was still coming back down to earth in the most brutal fashion. She and Agnes should have come down together, lying entwined together, whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears.
Instead, Cora was left alone in the cold, re-examining her life choices.
Well, she wasn’t going to stand around and mope, that’s for sure. She deserved better than someone who would use her like Agnes had.
Cora took a deep breath, held her head up high and marched through to the ER. This was still a safe place for her. Here, she felt calm, confident and in control. If Agnes approached her here, on her own turf, Cora was sure that she could face her with some composure.
She threw herself into her work and did her best not to think about Agnes. She failed miserably, of course, but Cora was nothing if not determined. She would forget her friendship with Agnes. They were both mature enough to work alongside each other with a failed friendship—and a bit more—under their belts.
Cora didn’t see Agnes at all that day. The next day, Cora was immersed in updating her files when someone cleared their throat behind her. Cora turned to see Agnes behind her, twisting her scrub cap.
“Can we talk?”
“No,” Cora said shortly. “I’m busy,” she added, in an effort not to sound hostile. “These patient charts aren’t going to update themselves.”
“Have an intern do it. This is important.”
Cora narrowed her eyes. “Is this important for work, Agnes, or is it personal? Because if it’s work then I am, of course, at your disposal, but if it’s personal, then I’m afraid I’m not interested.”
Agnes’ face fell. “Please? It won’t take long.”
Cora endeavored to keep her voice friendly. “Sorry, Agnes, but I’ve got to work. I’ll see you when we next draw the same patient.”
Agnes stood there for a moment, watching Cora do her charts, perhaps hoping Cora would change her mind. She had no idea how close Cora was to that option. Cora let out a soft sigh of relief as Agnes finally walked away.
Being friends with Agnes had certainly had its challenges, but staying away from her completely? This was going to be nearly impossible.
