Page 125 of Sweet Heart

“You have to tell her, Cat. All of it. She’ll understand. If you keep it from her now, it will do far more damage. You needed some time to process. Your body responded before your mind could. It happens. But now… now it is time. Show her that you are with her one hundred percent.”

The way she says the words settles something in me. I lift my chin and roll my shoulders back. My lips tug up, and I give her a small nod. Sharp and decisive this time.

“Good.” She smiles, as if that concludes it all, and stands up to grab coffee.

“Good,” I echo, and the knot in my chest starts to come undone.

“Ready for our meeting?”

Alex steps inside without waiting for my answer, and I have to fight the urge to look up at her. The way she so seamlessly takes control of the room is almost admirable if it isn’t so out of place.

Right before she starts to sit down, I raise my hand, and I see her freeze in my peripheral vision. Good. My fingers fly over the keyboard in a steady, rhythmic flow as I go through the chart I am just signing off on. The resident made a small error I need to make them aware of, but nothing major. They can take it up with Honda, who oversaw that case.

It takes me four minutes to read through it and leave notes. Alex doesn’t move for a single one of them. When I finally glance up, her jaw is tense, and her lips are curled into a dismissive smile. I have seen this look more than once, and it takes everything I have not to shudder.

“Look at you being all important.” Her voice is honey-sweet.

She doesn’t say one wrong word. She is too smart for that, but the tone has an edge.

“Comes with the territory,” I reply, my voice softer than I like, but at least it doesn’t waver.

“Mm-hm,” she hums, unconvinced, and this time, she does sit down. “Listen, Cat, I wanted to go over a few improvements for peds, but let’s address the elephant in the room first.”

I feel the muscle in my jaw roll, but I remain silent. The longer I stare at her, the calmer I start to feel. Alex only has the power that I give her. That I gave her. I’m under no obligation to her. I never was. How could I have been so blind?

“There will be no need. You can present your improvements now.”

“Catherine…” she purrs and leans forward a little, her eyes boring into mine. “I think there is very much a need.”

“Doctor Wu, you can present your ideas, or you can step out. The choice is yours.”

I lean back and look at her. My breathing is shallow, and I feel my fingers tremble against my legs, but I know I need to do this. I need to reestablish hierarchy.

“Look at you, acting like a grown-up. Where was this certainty in med school? You could’ve been so much further ahead.”

The remark slices through me like one of her many cuts. I know she is right. I am not where I could have been. But I am exactly where I need to be, and that is worth far more.

“Next time you want to present something, have it prepared and make an appointment. You can go now.”

My voice trembles only a little, and I am proud when I am able to tear my gaze away from her and return it to the screen in front of me.

Alex stands up from her chair and lets out a frustrated sigh. Instead of walking toward the door, she comes around the desk and yanks the chair around so that I face her.

“No, Catherine, I will not let you walk away from this conversation because you are afraid.”

“You are out of line, Doctor Wu.”

“No, you are icing me out while you crave to let me in. You’ve always done that.” Her hand comes up to cup my jaw, but I turn my head away from her. “Catherine…”

“We are nothing more than co-workers, Doctor Wu. I am your Head of Trauma. You report to me. Our history is irrelevant.”

“No, it’s not, and you know it,” she hisses back, her voice more heated now than I’ve ever heard it before. “Not when all I want to do is kiss you.”

This time, my eyes do find hers just in time to see them dip to my lips and back up. I shake my head.

“We didn’t work out for a reason, Alex. And I am thankful for that because I have found the person who does know how to make me happy.”

A painful look flashes over her face before she snarls.