Page 44 of Doctor’s Forbidden Match

Surgeon… fisherman… what other tricks does he have up his sleeve?

As soon as he’s out the door, I grab my phone from the side table, my fingers fumbling slightly as I pull up Brooke’s number and hit dial. I know I should call Candace, but I’ll do that after. I need my best friend right now.

Brooke answers after a few rings.

“Hey.” Her greeting comes out breathy.

“Sorry, have I called at a bad time?” I wince, pressing my free hand to my forehead. I should’ve known she’d be working. What was I thinking?

“No. No. No.” There’s a rustle of fabric and the creak of a chair. “I was having a break. I’m back at my desk now.” Brooke works from home as a bookkeeper and accountant, which means her “breaks” usually involve jogging or yoga squeezed between spreadsheets.

“I won’t hold you up then.” I start to pull the phone away from my ear.

“Wait…what’s going on? You never call in the middle of the day.”

I bite my lip, then let out a long breath. “You wouldn’t believe it, but I fainted.”

“What?” she says with a gasp. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

“I’m fine. I’m at the hospital recovering. I was stupid and had those strong painkillers on an empty stomach and worked all day, and it just hit me all of a sudden. The nausea was so bad too... Like the room was spinning, and I wanted to vomit.”

“Shit.” She exhales sharply, and I can picture her running her hand through her honey-blonde hair the way she does when she’s worried. “You sound like you need someone there. Are you sure you don’t want me to come down? You know I can work from anywhere.”

I pause, my thumb tracing the edge of my phone case. Her voice makes my chest ache with homesickness. If it were Mom, I’d say no. She needs to be with Dad. He can’t cook dinner without her. But Brooke? Having her here might actually be fun. A familiar face in this small town where I’m an outsider.

“You know what? That sounds good.” A smile tugs at my lips for the first time all day. “I’ll book and pay for your flights, though.”

She whistles, low and long. “I won’t say no to a free vacation.”

“You know it’s not a beach town, right?” I can’t help the laugh that escapes.

“Oh, I know. I saw pictures online. Those parks? That little main street with the brick buildings? The bakery pies? Sign me up.”

“It’s honestly surprised me.” I glance toward the window, where late-afternoon light filters through the blinds.

“Didn’t think you’d enjoy Pulse Point as much as you are?”

“Exactly. It’s better than I thought it would be.” Quieter. Slower. Less performative than LA.

“I can’t wait to come.”

“I better let you get back to work.” I’m already feeling guilty for interrupting her routine. For being the person who always needs something.

“Yeah, but before you go, I wanted to see what you thought of your dickhead of an ex?”

My stomach coils. I’ve tried not to think about him since things ended and he broke my heart. I haven’t seen anything. I’ve been so busy being on set or in this hospital, it’s left little time to do anything else. “What about him?” I ask cautiously, my shoulders tensing.

“He did an interview talking about your break and how you’re going to get back together after filming.”

A choked noise erupts from my throat, something between a laugh and a gasp. “He’s delusional. I’m never getting back with him.” I clench my hand around the phone. I can’t believe he’s out there telling the world something that’s a complete lie.

“You might need to tell him that.”

“He knows. He just wants to be in the spotlight.” My mouth tightens. “He’s always known.”

“True. You’ve got to see the picture of him, though. It’s so staged.”

“If I reach out to him, he’ll use that against me too. He isn’t interested in me. He’s interested in the life I can give him.”