Page 20 of What Should Have Been Ours

“Curious?” I ask, intrigued.

She finally looks back up at me. Our eyes meet, and I feel that same electric pull that’s always existed between us.

“Curious about you,” she admits. “About…who you are now.”

I swallow hard, my smirk softening just a little. Because, if we’re being honest. I’ve been wondering the same thing about her.

9

Gabrielle

Cam is still watching me carefully.

His expressions have always been so hard to read.

Outside of him being goofy and the life of the party anywhere he goes, it’s always been harder to read his real thoughts. I think that’s how he copes. He covers things up with humor, keeps things light, so no one ever sees what’s really going on beneath the surface.

But right now? There’s no humor in his eyes. No teasing remark on the tip of his tongue.

Just him.

Watching me.

And all I can focus on is the weight of this conversation that’s hanging between us.

Curious about you. About…who you are now.

I meant it. The problem is, I don’t think I’m ready for the answer. I don’t think I’m ready to know he hasn’t changed, and he’s still the same boy I fell in love with so easily before.

A small, knowing smile appears on his lips. “Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I’m still the same guy,” he says, leaning back in his seat. “Just now, with a medical degree and a few more questionable life choices on my record.”

I raise a brow at him while taking a sip of my drink. “What kind of questionable life choices are we talking about?”

He shrugs, smirking. “Mostly ones like letting Wes convince me that putting an EKG on ourselves during a night shift to see whose heart rate spiked the fastest after chugging four energy drinks wouldn’t result in actual heart palpitations.”

I choke on my hot chocolate. “Cam!” I cough, shaking my head. “I feel like that goes against every medical principle ever.”

“Yeah, well, lessons were learned. Wes almost passed out, and I had to use bribery to get my hands on the security footage before we became a cautionary tale in one of our lectures.”

I blink at him. “I have so many follow-up questions, but first—who is Wes?”

Cam tilts his head slightly like he just realized I have no idea who he’s talking about.

“Oh. Right.” He scratches the back of his neck, “Wes is my best friend. We met in undergrad and did med school together. He’s in the same residency as me, also a Peds Oncologist. Kind of a douche, but in a lovable way.”

I raise an eyebrow. “So…a second version of you, but with worse judgment?”

Cam smirks. “Depends on the day. Sometimes, he’s the responsible one. Other times, he’s the reason we almost had to explain to an attending why there was an actual fire in the resident’s lounge.”

I stare at him. “You set something on fire?”

Cam pauses. “Not on purpose. It was a minor incident. Completely under control. And technically, it was Wes who—”

“Cam.”

“Fine, we set something on fire. But in our defense, I was sleep-deprived, and he thought using a Bunsen burner to reheat takeout was a great idea.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I don’t even know where to begin with that.”