Page 78 of Obeying

Eleanor catches me before she turns the corner. She stops, looks at me, and her composure cracks just enough to show something real underneath.

"If that board doesn't see the truth after what you presented in there, I'll have lost all faith in this institution." She says it plainly. No softness. Just conviction.

"Eleanor. Thank you. For being in there. For speaking for me. I don't know how to⁠—"

She holds up a hand. "You don't owe me anything, Kristen. You just owe it to yourself to keep going, okay?"

I nod, and she walks away. Steady. Composed. Eleanor Vance through and through.

Then it's just me and Logan in the hallway.

The building is quiet around us. Most people are in rounds or in the OR. The corridor is empty. I take a deep breath, let it out, and it comes out shaky.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

I hold up my hands. They're trembling. The adrenaline is draining out of me, and my body is catching up to what my brain just put it through.

Logan looks at my hands. Then he leads me gently around the corner to a quieter alcove near the stairwell, away from any door or window where someone might pass. He holds both of my hands between his, his thumbs tracing slow circles over my knuckles.

"Better?" he asks.

I nod. "I did good, right?"

"You did amazing, Kristen." His voice is quiet. His eyes are on mine. "You were absolutely incredible in there. I think I just fell in love with you all over again."

My heart slams to a stop, and I look up at him. "What did you just say?"

"What? Are you really that shocked?" He says it lightly, but won't meet my eyes.

I go with the tone. "Obviously! We've argued more times than we've kissed."

His mouth pulls into that half-smile, and his shoulders relax. "Well, I think arguing is our love language, don't you? And we can definitely change those numbers."

I stare at him. My hands have stopped shaking, and my heartbeat steadies. I lean into the quiet between us and offer a smile.

His smile softens. "Look, I said I'd wait until after the hearing to say this. But I know you. You're going to spend the next twenty-four hours overthinking the results, so I'd be waiting even longer. I'm not in a rush, but I wanted you to know how I feel." He pauses. "What I've always felt. For a long time. Since way back in med school."

Whatever coldness is left from earlier drains, and my whole body feels warm—starting from my heart.

"I feel the same way, Logan." I look at him. "I love you too." It is easier to say than I thought. My heart knew before my mouth formed the words.

His eyes widen. "You do?"

"What, the pepper spray wasn't enough proof?"

"Ah, it was plenty. I think my eyesight actually worsened after that."

My smile drops. "Wait, are you serious? Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I⁠—"

"I'm kidding." His grin comes back. "But now you'll have to make it up to me. Every day." He leans closer. "Every night."

I laugh. Loud enough that it echoes in the stairwell. I press my hand over my mouth, he's grinning at me, and I find this whole thing ridiculous. We just walked out of a hearing that could end both our careers, and we're standing here flirting in an alcove like interns.

"I want to kiss you," he says. "But I just told the board we don't have a relationship, and kissing you right now in this hospital might ruin everything we just did in there."

"Well, technically, you weren't lying. We didn't have a relationship earlier."

He shakes his head. "I think we really should have been lawyers instead of doctors."