“It’s Kathleen, right?” He didn’t wait for me to respond, only put a hand on his chest. “Topher Brodie. Sorry to hear that things have been, uh, rough for you. But maybe this is an opportunity for you to reassess and focus on what’s important. Like finding a new job.”
I stared at him in disbelief. Was this his version of sympathy? “Wow, thanks for the heartfelt advice.” My words dripped with sarcasm.
Mr. Workaholic, er, Topher Brodie, didn’t rise to the bait, his fingers tapping away on his tablet. The sound grated on my already frayed nerves. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, and couldn’t help but notice how sharp and put-together he looked in that suit. It fit his broad shoulders to perfection, and the pants emphasized his long, muscled legs, and?—
Nope! I wouldnotlet this insufferable man distract me, no matter how hot he was.
I eyed him suspiciously. “What are you doing here anyway? You look like some kind of pharmaceutical sales rep or someone here to sell overpriced medical equipment.”
He glanced up briefly, his expression unreadable. “Right now, I’m just handling some business.”
“Did they hire you to scare patients into paying their bills on time or something?”
He shook his head, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation. “Listen, I have a lot to get done. I’d appreciate it if you found somewhere else to process your issues.”
I rolled my eyes, frustration bubbling up inside me.Like I wanted to be stuck here with him, of all people.I turned toward the door, ready to make my escape, but froze mid-step when, through the little window on the door, I caught sight of Alex outside, talking animatedly with Dr. Sparky. My stomach dropped. Oh, no. The last thing I needed was to run into them right now.
Without thinking, I ducked out of sight of the window, practically flattening myself against the wall like I was dodging laser beams in a spy movie.Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me.
Topher looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “What are you doing?”
I gave him a pointed look. “My ex-boyfriend is out there. With his new girlfriend. There’s no way I’m walking out of this room right now.”
Topher’s annoyance was palpable. “Fine, then be quiet so I can get some work done.”
“Fine,” I slumped into the nearest chair. If he wanted silence, he was going to get the most passive-aggressive silence I could muster.
A minute passed before he spoke up again, his tone dripping with irritation. “I can hear you breathing.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Oh, sorry. Let me just stop doing that for you.”
He didn’t respond, his attention already back on his screen. I crossed my arms and tried to make myself as small and invisible as possible. We fell into a tense silence. I hated him, or at least I wanted to. But sitting there, with the weight of the day pressing down on me, I realized just how alone I felt. And as much as I hated to admit it, his presence, however irritating, was the closest thing I had to comfort in this godforsaken hospital.
But I couldn’t let him see that. No, I’d rather hold my breath until I pass out.
Sitting there, I avoided even glancing in Mr. Workaholic’s direction, focusing on the wall instead. Alex’s words echoed in my mind: how he said I never really let him in, not even after two years together. Maybe he was right, but a bitter sense of satisfaction washed over me. It was good, after all, that I never let anyone in. They always ended up proving you can’t count on anyone but yourself. Alex and Mr. Workaholic were just reminders that opening up only leads to disappointment. Better to keep people at a distance, where they couldn’t hurt me.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, when suddenly, the chair wobbled. I tried to steady myself, but the chair leg must have been uneven because it tipped unexpectedly, and I found myself pitching forward. Instinctively, I reached out to grab something to stop my fall.
Unfortunately, that something was on the edge of the bed where Topher sat.
The next thing I knew, I tumbled onto the bed. There was no time to brace myself, no time to avoid what was coming next. I could only watch in horror as Topher, startled by the sudden movement, tried to sit up at the exact same moment.
Our heads collided with a dull thud, the impact sending a sharp jolt of pain through my skull. “Ouch!” I yelped, grabbing my forehead, while he let out a low grunt of pain, his eyes wide with shock. In the chaos, my legs got tangled in the sheets, trapping me against him. I could feel his hands instinctively grasping my arms as we both struggled to regain our balance, to pull ourselves out of this ridiculous mess.
But somehow, in the flurry of limbs and fabric, we ended up in a twisted, awkward heap, our faces inches apart, practically nose to nose. Time seemed to freeze, and for a second, I could only stare at him, wide-eyed and breathless.
Everything in the room disappeared—the hospital, the chair, the looming cloud of my own problems. All I could focus on was the warmth of his body pressed awkwardly against mine and the sheer embarrassment that made my cheeks burn like they were on fire. My heart hammered in my chest, a wild, erratic rhythm that only intensified the longer we stayed like that.
Just when I thought things couldn’t possibly get worse, the door swung open.
Because of course it did.
A nurse walked in, her eyes going as wide as saucers as she took in the scene: the two of us, tangled in a mess of sheets.
“What on earth is going on in here?” she demanded, her voice dripping with the kind of disbelief usually reserved for catching teenagers making out behind the bleachers. “This is a hospital, not a motel!”
Topher sprang into action with the speed of someone who had just remembered an urgent meeting. We scrambled apart in a frantic rush, practically tripping over each other to untangle the sheets and put some distance between us. I managed to roll off the bed, landing in a heap on the floor with my pride barely intact, while he tried to straighten his suit like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
