And if being gentle was all it took to make sure this never happened again, then gentle he would be.
Even if it meant living a lie for the rest of his life.
Two Years Ago
THE LAST THING I REMEMBERis me brushing my teeth, my world suddenly starting to spin, and then...nothing.
I can only rely on what others say. That I had an aneurysm, and I could’ve and should’ve died if not for Dr. Collington being in the ER and performing a surgery that saved my life.
And now here I am waking up in a hospital bed, dressed in a hospital gown, a bandage wrapped around my head, and a heart monitor beeping beside me like it’s personally keeping score of how alive I am.
I haven’t yet seen myself in the mirror, but I’m okay with that. I don’t think I’ll like what I see right now, and—
It’s him, it’s him.
Dr. Collington.
He’s so hot.
The women outside my room sound more like fangirls than nurses or interns, and I am honestly amazed. And curious. I think I’ve heard that name before, but I’m not sure. Maybe he’s one of my doctors? The nurse told me earlier that I’ve loads of them because how serious my case was at first. She might’ve mentioned his name, but everything’s still fuzzy, so I’m not really sure.
Look at him smile at everyone!
He’s like a prince!
A knight!
Is it normal for doctors to receive so many gushing compliments? And is he really that good-looking and—
The door opens.
And the whole world just...stops,and I remember myself thinking that moment—
Ah.
I finally get it.
I get it.
Because the man walking towards me...
Tall, dark-haired, surgical mask covering half of his face, and lab coat.
He’s similar to any other doctor in that sense.
But at the same time, he’s not like anyone else.
He walks with so much grace that every step he takes can turn even a muddy pathway into a catwalk for Paris Fashion Week. And the way he’s holding his clipboard? Every slight move from him is like perfect. You can just snap a photo of him, send it to a fashion magazine editor, and that’s it. Front cover material, easy.
When he’s finally standing at the foot of my bed, he’s even more beautiful up close. Silky dark curls that fall just above his forehead. Strong, chiseled features that are at the same timeelegant.Princely even. Everything about him is princely evenwhen what he has is a stethoscope and not a crown, and when our eyes finally meet—
Those eyes.
I remember them.
“Good morning.”
His voice is the gentlest I’ve ever heard, but it’s still his eyes that has me in a daze because I remember.
