He looked into her eyes. What did that mean? She didn’twantto need him? Was she pulling away? She seemed to be doing both… leaning on him for support, while putting up emotional walls at the same time. It was so Marley—a contradiction in every way.
“Look at me, Marley,” he said. Their eyes locked for several long moments. Nikhil pulled down his mask and tried his hardest to plead with her without speaking.Don’t push me away. I love you. I’ll be here for you. No matter what.
He saw the moment she seemed to understand him. Hereyes softened and she pulled her mask down before leaning toward him. He kissed her, lingering a moment to take in her soft citrus scent.
His lips were still on hers when the nurse called out.
“Ms. Kamal, the doctor will see you now.”
“You got this, Marley,” he whispered. “I’ll be right here.”
She nodded, then followed the nurse to the examination room.
Nikhil put his mask back on and picked up his phone to read the Ironis script. He needed to be beyond ready for shooting. He couldn’t control what Serena, the publicists, or the studio executives thought of him. All Nikhil could control was how prepared he was. And he was going to be absolutely flawless.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Marley
So it’s not an infection?” Marley asked. She was in that position that she’d grown used to—standing in front of Dr. Abernathy while he was on his desk chair, his face inches from her naked breasts.
He shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Maybe a bit of inflammation. And a seroma here.” He pointed to the alarming little swelling near her left incision. “I’ll prescribe a gentle antibiotic to be safe. The seroma is harmless. It’s a fluid buildup since your drains were removed. It may absorb into your body, or it may require draining.” He rolled back a few inches to look at her whole chest. “I like what I am seeing on this side, though,” he said, waving his hand over her right breast. “The incision is healing well. Are you planning to get nipple tattoos or nipple reconstruction?”
Marley shrugged. These were questions she knew she needed to think about eventually.
“I recommend waiting a year before surgical nipple reconstruction and six months for tattoos. Sarah Kagen is the best medical tattooist in the city. If you’re interested, you should make the appointment with her now, as she books at least six months out.” He paused and smiled. “You can get dressed now. Make a follow-up appointment to see me next week. Keepwearing your tightest compression bra until then.” He handed her the script for the antibiotics.
Marley nodded, then exhaled heavily after he left the room. Thank God. She was fine. Dr. Abernathy didn’t seem worried, so she felt a lot better.
Nikhil was reading his phone with his hat pulled down and his mask on when Marley walked out.
She didn’t disturb him right away. Even with his mask on, she could see that he was tense. Was all this fair, what Marley was doing to him? One thing she’d learned about Nikhil in these last weeks was that he took on too much of other people’s… stuff. He seemed aloof with a devil-may-care attitude sometimes, but he cared deeply about what was happening to those around him. This minor emergency only added to the enormous stress he was dealing with. Maybe Marley was being selfish for leaning on him so much. The last thing Nikhil needed was complications in his life. And Marley was one giant complication.
But she was in love with him. And she would put money on his feelings being just as deep, even though neither had admitted it yet. Marley wondered if she should walk away and let him focus on making his dreams come true. Let him be a movie star, let him date movie stars, and let him create all the beautiful, healthy movie-star babies he wanted.
Yet Nikhil Shamdasani had somehow become the most important person in Marley’s life. And even though these enormous feelings might fizzle once they weren’t living in the same house anymore, she didn’t know how to walk away now.
Something out of the corner of Marley’s eye caught her attention: a woman… maybe in her early twenties. She was masked, so Marley couldn’t make out all her features, butshe was white, with a golden tan and honey-brown hair with blond highlights. And she was staring at Nikhil while holding up a phone.
Shit. He was being recognized. Had that woman been there when they first walked in? Marley didn’t remember. They needed to get the hell out of this office. Marley quickly went to the receptionist and made an appointment to see Dr. Abernathy at the hospital the following week, then waved at Nikhil. He was on his feet and followed her as she rushed out straight into an elevator. There was someone else getting on with them, so Marley didn’t speak. She shook her head when Nikhil started to say something.
“How long was that woman staring at you?” Marley said when they were finally out of the building and walking toward the car. The street was busy with downtown workers leaving their offices.
“What woman?”
“Sitting on the other side of the waiting room. I don’t remember if she was there when we arrived. I think she may have recognized you.”
“Doubt it. What did the doctor say? Do you need help with your seat belt?”
Marley got into the car. “I got it.” She carefully fastened her seat belt, cringing when the twinge of pain hit as her body turned. She leaned back into the seat, closing her eyes. “He said it’s probably not an infection but gave me a prescription for antibiotics just in case. And there is a seroma—a fluid buildup at the incision. He said it might resolve on its own, or he’ll have to drain it.”
He started the car and drove toward the exit. “Ugh. I’m sorry, Marley.”
She looked at him. “Don’t be sorry. It’s not serious. He didn’t seem that concerned.” She sighed as Nikhil paid the parking fee. “I probably overreacted. I… I’m sorry I made you leave work.”
He shook his head as he wove through the downtown traffic. “Marley, it’s no problem. It’s your body—of course you’re worried.”
“I know… I don’t want you to have to deal with me and my shit when you have enough of your own.”
