“Like sleeping with your boss?”
My cheeks warm immediately, but Fred doesn’t wear the usual smarmy expression on his face that I’m used to seeing. He almost looks kind. “Pretty fucked up, huh?” I say quietly.
Fred shrugs. “Listen… I’m not the morality police and I don’t sit from a place that I can judge, but if you and Xander are serious?” He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a folded-up piece of paper. “Here.”
“What’s this?” I take it and start unfurling it.
“A declaration.” Fred briefly sucks on his upper teeth. “I just submitted one and I told the board that if they don’t acceptyours, then they’ll be replacingtwosurgeons and this place can’t afford to lose both Xander and me, so…”
I scan the page multiple times, my eyes widening.
While a lot of the text is legal jargon, the basics of the form seem to be a declaration of a relationship between Xander and me while absolving us of our rights to sue the hospital should our relationship sour.
“You submitted one?” I lift my head and as our eyes meet, something clicks in my mind. “June.”
Fred nods, then clears his throat and stands. “Xander’s awake, so you should go and see him.”
I watch Fred stroll away as casually as he can and for the first time, I see the man underneath.
The one who took Xander’s surgeries without batting an eye, who ran to the operating theater and saved my life when Xander couldn’t, and who now stands in solidarity with his fellow surgeon despite the hospital thinking he doesn’t care.
He’s perfect for June.
My trip to see Xander is delayed by the police who assure me that Dickson won’t bother me any longer.
They need me to make a formal statement about what happened, but Dickson will be going away for a long time.
Turns out he was in hiding since the cops were looking for him and found him because he tried to access a secret savings account in Caleb’s name.
An account that held a portion of my stolen money, which will be returned to me in the New Year.
News like that should make me happy, and in some ways it does, but as I approach Xander’s room my stomach continues churning like a restless ocean.
His door sits slightly ajar so I peek inside, my heart in my throat.
Xander sits up in his bed, delving into a pot of green Jell-O with a plastic spoon.
The edge of some gauze peeks out over the crown of his head and a few dark bruises litter his bare arms, but he’s awake and alert and tears immediately spring into my eyes.
“Xander?”
He glances up and then he sits poker straight, lowering his Jell-O pot. “Snow.”
Hearing that instead ofNoellemakes the tears swell fatter in my eyes. “You’re okay.”
“I’m okay.”
“Can I come in?” I lean on the door for support and Xander’s lips pull into a small smile.
“Please.”
I step cautiously into his room, then my legs take over and move with a will of their own.
Before I know it, I’m at his bedside and he’s abandoned the half-eaten Jell-O onto the tray beside his bed.
“You’re really okay?” I ask softly, trying not to blink so the tears don’t fall.
Xander nods slowly. “I am. Fred took far too much enjoyment in shaving some of my hair and stapling my scalp, but as long as I don’t run anywhere or knock my head anytime soon… I’ll be fine.”
