I frown. “What?”
“With Owens,” he continues. “You seemed comfortable.”
The words hit sharper than I expected.
“Excuse me?”
“You appear to enjoy getting cozy with another doctor.”
The accusation hurts. My composure snaps.
“Is that what this is?” I ask. “You ignore me all day, then corner me with that?”
“I’m not cornering you.”
“Oh, please,” I scoff. “You’ve been hot and cold for weeks.”
He steps closer. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know exactly what I’m talking about,” I say, my voice shaking now. Not with fear, but frustration. “You don’t get to act like you care and then punish me for someone else noticing I exist.”
His jaw tightens. “This isn’t about caring.”
“Then what is it about?” I challenge.
Silence. He doesn’t answer. And that’s my answer.
I laugh bitterly. “You know what? At least other doctors have the balls to take what they want.”
The words hang between us, sharp and undeniable.
His eyes flare.
“You don’t mean that,” he says.
“I absolutely do,” I reply. “Because I’m done trying to read you. I’m done waiting for you to decide whether you’re in or out.”
I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder.
“Figure it out,” I add quietly. “Or don’t. But stop acting like I owe you restraint when you won’t even be honest.”
I push past him, heart pounding. The locker room door swings shut behind me, and I don’t look back.
Chapter Eighteen
Colton
Her words don’t just land. They pierce my chest.
“At least other doctors have the balls to take what they want.”
I don’t move at first. I stand there in the locker room after the door swings shut behind her, the metal echo ringing too loud in my ears. My hands curl into fists at my sides, knuckles whitening as heat floods my chest.
Sharp anger comes first. She has no idea what she’s talking about.
I don’t take what I want because wanting has consequences. Because wanting leads to attachment. To loss. To standing in places like this hospital, watching people you love disappear one monitor beep at a time.
But the anger doesn’t hold.
