Page 10 of Lethal Attraction

She frowns. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”

“Positive,” I smile as I pay my tab. “Enjoy your night together. I’m sure the hospital will monopolize our free time until we’re run ragged.”

“Good night, Reed,” Emma says.

“Night,” Taryn waves.

I step out into the chill nighttime air of downtown Miami with no sense of comfort calling to me. My contract is almost up here, and I’m kind of happy it’s coming to a close. Florida is cozy enough, but it’s just another stop.

I let my mind wander to a new state and city with no appeal as I start my car and pull away from the curb. Against my better judgment, I let my brain trickle over to taking a position in Ohio.

My mouth screws up as I shake my head. It’s only because Thalia’s chart said her home residence is in Columbus. It still makes me wonder what she was doing in Florida, but this is a little extreme.

“I shouldn’t be thinking about this,” I mutter as I pull into the parking garage of my apartment building. I cut the engine before resting my head back and sighing. “I’m dropping this. No more.”

Somehow, I don’t believe myself, but I let the illusion lead me upstairs to my home before I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I’m organizing the surgical supply closet when my pager rings. I rest my head back against my shoulders, closing my eyes.

This is the third time this morning.

All of my pages are coming from the ICU, and my intuition is telling me that Thalia is bugging the nurse’s station. Charlotte, an ICU nurse assigned to Thalia’s room, already cornered me this morning to tell me that my patient has been asking for me all night. I convinced myself not to give in to temptation and left a note with the nurse that was very professional and seemed final.

Hello, Thalia, I’m glad you’re feeling well enough to terrorize the ICU staff, but I’m no longer your doctor. If you would like, I can speak with Dr. Marsh about visiting your room before his daily rounds. Best wishes.

To which she responded through her nurse: Hello, Dr. Dreamy. Bullshit. Get your ass up here before I come looking for you. Hugs and kisses! <3

While it made me chuckle, Charlotte wasn’t too thrilled about switching her patient’s status to ‘potential flight risk.’ I know Thalia wouldn’t chance having a security guard posted at her door just to see me, so I left it alone. But it seems Mystery Girl isn’t having it.

The pages continue for most of the morning, and I have to keep silencing it as I talk to patients and fill out charts. Lunch steadily rolls around, and I realize I haven’t received another page in the last hour.

She must have given up.

Disappointment uncurls in my chest, and I quickly shake it off. I wanted this. I shouldn’t be upset that Thalia isn’t reaching out anymore. This is for the best.

I continue filling out a chart at my desk before Taryn plops down beside me. She gives me a mumbled ‘hello’ before ordering a flurry of tests for her code blue patient who had just been resuscitated. We work quietly alongside one another, and I don’t realize someone is standing on the other side of the glass of the nurse’s station until it’s too late.

“So, this is why you’re ignoring me?”

Taryn and I whip our heads up to the newcomer, and my eyes widen as Thalia stands propped against the counter with her IV drip at her side. She stares at me through the glass, crossing her arms.

I blink my shock away, scowling at her. “You shouldn’t be out of your room.”

Her brow lifts with amusement. “Yet here I am. What ya doing?”

Taryn’s eyes ping-pong between me and the raven-haired intruder. “Who’s this, Reed?”

Thalia’s eyes narrow on my colleague. “Wouldn’t you like to know, Edna Mode?”

Taryn laughs, throwing her head back. “Oh, that’s a good one. I haven’t heard that before. I like you.”

Mystery Girl’s eyes shift to me. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Filling out patient charts. You shouldn’t be up, Thalia. You’re on strict bed rest until physical therapy comes to work on your range of motion.”

She rests her head back against her shoulders, groaning. “But I’m so bored! And you keep ignoring me…”

Taryn’s head swivels to me. “You’ve been ignoring her?”