Page 38 of What Should Have Been Ours

He grins, nudging my shoulder. “Or, wait, do you already have a dedicated folder of Gabrielle-related moments? Maybe a cute little scrapbook hidden under your bed?”

I roll my eyes, sipping on my drink. “You’re literally the worst.”

He just smirks, looking far too pleased with himself, and thankfully, Gabrielle is too busy talking to one of the other doctors to notice the entire exchange.

It all feels so easy with her around.

And I don’t want it to end.

After a while, I nudge Gabrielle’s knee with mine, leaning in slightly. “I’m gonna grab us another round. You want the same thing?”

She nods, smiling. “Yeah, thanks.”

I push back from the table and head towards the bar. It’s crowded now, but I manage to wave down the bartender and put in my order.

Just as I’m waiting, one of the girls who was with our group at the park slides up next to me, resting her elbow on the counter.

“Hey,” she says, smiling. “You played out there today, right?”

I nod, offering a polite smile back. “Yeah.”

“You were really good.”

I chuckle. “Appreciate it. It was just for fun, though.”

She tilts her head, clearly not deterred by my lack of interest. “Are you here with anyone?”

I hesitate, glancing over my shoulder where Gabrielle is still sitting at our table, engaged in conversation. “Yeah,” I answer honestly.

The girl either doesn’t care or doesn’t pick up on my tone because she pulls out a napkin and scribbles something down, sliding it toward me. “Well, in case you ever want to grab a drink or go somewhere that’s not in a crowded bar, here’s my number.”

I don’t know what else to do, so I just nod and take it, slipping it into my palm.

As soon as she turns to walk away, I make my way back to the table, crumpling the napkin in my hand and tossing it into the trash can without a second thought.

The second I sit down, Gabrielle raises a brow at me, finishing off her old drink. “Did I just witness you getting hit on?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. Did you?”

Kinsley grins. “Oh, we definitely did. Looked like she was ready to straddle you right on the bar stool over there, Doctor Hayes.”

I shake my head, setting Gabrielle’s drink down in front of her. “Well, that’s unfortunate for her.”

Gabrielle hums, tilting her head slightly. “Why didn’t you keep her number? She was pretty.”

I give her a confused smirk, watching her reaction a little too closely. “I didn’t notice how she looked.”

Her brow furrows slightly, and I can tell she’s not sure if she believes me. “Really?”

“Really,” I say, leaning forward. “But I am glad to know you were paying attention. Taking an interest in my love life?”

She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “I am not interested in your love life. Just making an observation.”

I grin, amused. “Uh huh.”

She lifts her glass to her lips, taking a slow sip, but there’s a slight shift in her expression. Something I can’t quite read. Jealously?

Before I can think too much about it, she clears her throat and looks at me. “So…why weren’t you interested?”