Page 61 of Clinically Awkward

“You fucked Vivian!” he shouted.

I stared at him, and then I hung my head and groaned.

Of course Nathan knew. How did Nathan know? How did everyone know that I slept with her last night? Last night. And somehow, in the span of approximately twenty-four hours, the information had spread through the clinic like a particularly virulent STD.

“How?” I asked, not bothering to deny it.

“Fitz told me,” Nathan said, looking absolutely delighted. “Said you were spiraling about Julien finding out. Said you were going to confess this morning, but then the emergency happened. Said⁠—”

“Fitz is a dead man.”

“—that you’re completely in love with her and⁠—”

“Nathan.”

“—and that Julien is going to remove your organs with a scalpel when he finds out.”

I pressed my forehead against the supply closet shelving and seriously contemplated the logistics of murder. How hard would it be to make Fitz’s death look like an accident? Could I blame it on his own stupidity? Surely the man had enough of a track record that no one would question it.

“This is amazing,” Nathan continued, apparently oblivious to my murderous spiral. “This is the best thing that’s happened all week. You, Quinton Wesley, Mr. ‘I’m Swearing Off Dating Forever,’ are completely whipped for Vivian Darcy. And Julien doesn’t even know yet. Oh man, when he finds out⁠—”

“He’s going to kill me.”

“Absolutely,” Nathan agreed cheerfully. “But it’ll be worth it to see his face.”

I lifted my head and stared at him.

“You’re enjoying this.”

“Immensely.”

“We’re in the middle of a medical emergency.”

“Which you’ve handled brilliantly, by the way. Very impressive. Very authoritative. Very, ‘I’m a competent doctor who definitely didn’t just defile his best friend’s sister.’”

“Nathan.”

“I’m going to tell everyone,” he said, grinning like a maniac. “I’m going to walk out of this closet and announce it to the entire ER. Vivian’s going to hear it. Julien’s going to hear it, and Gabriel’s going to⁠—”

“You do that and I will personally ensure that Ester eats your car.”

“Ester’s an iguana.”

“Exactly.”

Nathan laughed. Actually laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “You’re screwed, mate. Completely and utterly screwed. But hey, at least you’ve got good taste. Vivian’s great.”

“Get out,” I said flatly.

“Fine, fine. But this conversation isn’t over. We’re talking about this. In detail. With diagrams, if necessary.”

“Get. Out.”

He left, still grinning, and I stood alone in the supply closet surrounded by boxes of gauze and the crushing realization that my secret had a shelf life of approximately zero minutes.

Fitz was dead.

I was going to kill him, and I was going to get away with it, and it was going to be glorious.