Page 22 of Deacon

Beside me, Evan made a quiet sound of pure dislike. “She’s not free.”

Jude looked at him, his smile thinning. “She didn’t say that herself.”

“That’s okay.” Evan smiled back, all teeth without a trace of warmth. “I’m saying it for her because I already know she has plans.”

Jude returned his attention to me. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” Evan answered before I could. “Those plans are with me.”

I made a quiet sound under my breath and shot him a look. He ignored it, took a sip of coffee, and added, “Also, our ER is slammed, and unlike some people, we actually do work here. So, I’m going to need you to head out so we can get back to saving lives.”

Behind the desk, Blue lowered her head sharply as though hiding a laugh. Jude’s jaw tightened for half a second before he smoothed his expression. “I’m trying to talk to Lila.”

“And now you’re done,” Evan sing-songed, his smile bright and vicious.

I clicked my tongue at him and turned toward Jude before he could continue. “I’m sorry, but he’s right. I do have plans with him, and we really do need to get back to work.”

That part had become true enough.

I gave Jude a small, professional smile. “It was lovely talking with you, Jude. Bye.”

He finally looked unsure of how to recover. Good.

After a beat, he stepped back, still smiling even though the edges had tightened. “Another time, then.”

“No,” Evan said cheerfully.

“Evan,” I muttered.

“What?” He looked entirely unrepentant.

Jude gave me one last glance before heading toward the exit with the slow reluctance of a man unused to being dismissed. The doors slid closed behind him, and I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Blue looked up from the desk. “That went well.”

I stared at her. “Did it?”

“For us, yes,” Evan said.

“You are impossible.”

“And yet,” he replied, pressing one hand to his chest, “heroic.”

“You are not heroic.”

Blue pointed her pen at him. “No, let him have it. He’s going to be insufferable about this either way.”

Evan grinned. “Too late. I already am.”

I shook my head, but some of the tension finally loosened. Blue’s expression shifted back to business as she glanced toward the patient board. “Trauma room three is waiting on labs, room six has been asking for pain meds every four minutes, and one of the interns looks like he’s about to cry.”

I blinked once. “Okay. Good. Normal chaos.”

“The best kind,” Evan said.

I dropped my bag behind the desk and reached for my coffee. “If either of you mentions my social life again, I’m calling in a psych consult on both of you.”

Blue smirked. Evan looked delighted, and just like that, the floor swallowed me whole.