“Mr. Walker.” I hear his deep, annoyingly perfect voice. I hate it.
“I’m fine. I’m fine ...” I mutter, slowly sitting up in the guest bed, feeling like I need to reassert control over my own damn life.
I scan the room for Lauren, and there she is—on the right side of the bed, nervously biting her nails. I lock eyes with her and give her the nastiest look I can manage. She knows exactly what it means:Traitor. Her expression shifts immediately guilty but also stubborn. Like she’s ready to defend herself if I start something.
DoCtOr MIkE, standing there like he owns the place, steps closer. “Just checking in on you, Mr. Walker. Lauren mentioned?—”
“Yeah, I’m good,” I cut him off, not in the mood for his bedside manner.Or the fact that he’s even in my space.
Her eyebrows knit together in the middle of her forehead, and she bites her lower lip. “I’m sorry,” Lauren murmurs, her ears turning bright red like they always do when she’s nervous. She’s swaying slightly, back and forth like she’s barely holding it together.
“I’mfine,” I say again, this time more firmly, trying to get through to her. She looks like she’s about to unravel. I shift my glare back toDoCtOr MIkE, wondering how the hell she got him here so quickly. Did she have him on speed dial or something? And why is hesocalm, like he’s dealing with a madman?
“I know,” he says, in that tone you use when you’re just humoring someone to shut them up. He presses his stethoscope to my back. “Take a deep breath.”
I do. Three times. He moves the stethoscope around, stopping right over my heart.Great, the very thing that decided to betray me today.
“I’m going to prescribe you some medication,” he says. “Take it for a month, then come see me at my office.” He drapes the stethoscope around his neck ...And does he really need to be that... big?His fitted shirt does nothing to hide his ridiculous arms. Why isn’t he wearing a white coat, something to cover up all that muscle?
“Yes, yes, of course. We’ll be there,” Lauren says, her tone overly polite.
DoCtOr MIkEgives her one of those charming smiles, and she returns it with a shy one of her own.
For fuck’s sake.
The bastard turns his attention back to me, though it’s clear his focus is still half on Lauren. He smiles at her before saying,
“It’s the holidays. Almost mandatory to relax and have a good time.”
That’s exactly what I was trying to do before you showed up, Mike.
“I understand. Are we done here?” I snap, my tone sharp. If my mother were here, she’d be glaring daggers at me for my lack of manners, but I couldn’t care less right now.
“Yes,” he replies, standing up. He turns to Lauren and, for some reason, places a hand on her shoulder.Why is he touching her?I’m not dead yet, you son of a?—
“Any emergency, you know where to find me,” he adds, his voice dripping with charm.
“I’ll walk you out, doctor,” Lauren says, and they both turn to leave. I want to shout something, maybe tell him to keep his hands to himself, but I don’t have the energy.
In the distance, I catch a snippet of their conversation. “You know you can call meMike,right? We’re the same age.”
“Fucking idiot”, I mutter under my breath, forcing myself to sit up in bed.
As much as the situation irks me, something about it lightens my mood. The first barrier between Lauren and me has been broken.
Now, it’s just a matter of navigating the obstacles to get where I need to be.
Inside her.
Lauren
Mike is incredibly pleasant—easy to talk to, with a genuine smile that reaches his eyes. There’s a certain lightness in the air whenever he’s around, like a soft breeze. It’s the exact opposite of the tension that coils tight whenever Silas is anywhere near me.
“Thanks for everything, and again, I’m really sorry for bothering you at this hour,” I say, tucking a stray hair behind my ear.
Mike slips his hand into the pocket of his pleated trousers and gives me a soft, reassuring smile. “It’s myjob, Lauren. Don’t worry about it.” His voice lowers slightly, as if sharing a secret. “Besides, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”
I smile back, but then I notice something shift in his expression, something that makes my stomach flutter with a tinge of anxiety.
