Ethan, the doctor, stretches his hand to shake him. I roll my eyes because he is famous, and his family owns half of the city.
“How is she, Doctor?” Ethan asks in a panic. I just stand by, watching him take over. He looks more worried than me. I admire the way he cares about Nadine; sometimes, I wonder if Mason could be as expressive as this.
The thought of Mason crosses my mind, and I wonder why he hasn’t reached out.
What I feel for Mason can’t be love, not now, not ever.
It sucks seeing the way Ethan pines for Nadine, but I’m sure her heart still belongs to that cold-blooded Logan. I don’t blame her because love can be funny.
“We’ve run some tests,” the doctor says. “The bleeding is due to a minor cervical issue. We’ll need to monitor her for the next few hours to ensure everything stabilizes.”
“Thank you, doctor. Can we see her now?” I ask, pointing toward the door.
“Of course,” he replies, giving Ethan a reassuring pat on the back before walking away.
Ethan and I sigh in relief before heading towards the door. I could see Ethan’s shoulders relax slightly, but there were still concerns in his eyes. He leads the way, and I follow.
As we enter the room, Nadine lies on the bed, her face pale but her eyes open. While I sit beside her, holding her hand. Nadine looks up, her gaze softening when she sees us.
“Hey,” Ethan says, with a gentle voice “How are you feeling?”
Nadine manages a weak smile. “Better, I think. They told me it’s just a minor issue.”
“Nadine, why didn’t you let me know you weren’t feeling well at work today?”
Nadine rolls her eyes, “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d panic. I’m fine now.
Thank you, Sydney,” she says, reaching out for my hand. “You’re a lifesaver. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
I smile, squeezing her hand gently. “Aww, you’re making me emotional. Thank God you’re okay.”
Nadine looks between Ethan and me, “When can I go home?” she asks.
“The doctor said they’ll keep an eye on you for a while. We’re all here for you.” I watch as Ethan takes a seat next to her, his hand resting on her arm support.
“The doctor said he needs to monitor you for a few hours before he can clear you to go,” I explained.
Nadine frowns, I know she is uncomfortable. “I’m fine now. Can you please tell the doctor? I don’t like how the hospital smells.”
Ethan steps closer, resting a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Don’t be a big baby, Nadine. If the doctor needs to check you, let him do his job.”
Nadine smiles at Ethan’s gesture. “Thank you, Ethan, for everything.”
“Anything for you and the baby,” he replies, taking her hands and kissing them softly.
Nadine squeezes Ethan’s hands, “You’re too good to me,” she murmurs.
Ethan smiles, but there’s concern still lurking in his eyes. “You scared us, you know. I don’t think I’ve ever driven so fast in my life.”
She chuckles weakly, trying to lighten the mood. “I guess I like keeping you on your toes.”
“Who’s hungry?” Ethan calls out, looking between me and Nadine, he says with a playful tone.
“Hurry up, Ethan, and bring us the best food from your restaurant. We’re starving,” I tease.
Ethan rolls his eyes, reaching out to ruffle my hair, but I dodge just in time, giving him a mock glare in return.
“See you later, ladies. And don’t miss me too much,” he says with a grin, the latter part directed mostly at Nadine.
“Ethan, just go. You’re so whipped,” I call after him, shaking my head.
“Only for Nadine,” he shoots back, sticking his tongue out at me before heading out the door.
As soon as I notice Ethan has left the room, I turn to Nadine with a big grin, my eyebrows wiggling mischievously.
“What?” she asks, already smiling from ear to ear. “Oh my gosh, I know what you’re about to say, but I don’t want to hear it!” She quickly covers her ears with her hands, trying to block out what she knows is coming.
“Okay,” I say, raising my hands in surrender, knowing full well that she’s right-I did want to talk about Ethan.
“Syd,” Nadine calls out softly.
“Yes?” I turn to her, giving her my full attention.
“I’m scared that I’ll hurt him,” she confesses, with worry in her eyes.
“Oh no, Nadine,” I say gently, leaning closer. “Don’t feel that way. I know it can be overwhelming, but right now, your priority should be to focus on yourself and your baby. You need to be okay before anything else.”
Nadine nods, but I can see the fear still lingering in her eyes. “But what if I mess things up? What if I can’t be what he needs?”
I shake my head, “You’re stronger than you think, Nadine. You’ve already been through so much and come out on the other side. And you’re not alone in this-Ethan cares about you, just take things one step at a time, okay?”
She sighs, the tension in her shoulders easing just a bit. “You’re right, Syd. One step at a time.”
“Exactly,” I reply, squeezing her hand.
I know Logan has been on the lookout for her, but I’ve blocked every possible channel to make sure he doesn’t reach her. I even swapped her phone for a burner without her knowing and set up email filters to send anything from Logan straight to spam. Call me petty, but I just don’t want anything to go wrong.
A nurse comes in to check on Nadine again, probably to run more tests. I’m grateful they’re being thorough.
The door creaks open, and Ethan walks in, his hands full of food bags. The delicious aroma fills the room, and my mouth waters at the sight.
I know I’d instructed the chefs to prepare something, but seeing all this, I guess those meals will have to be dumped into the freezer for later.
I hand Nadine her food while I grab mine. There’s a spread of variety, more than enough for the three of us.
“Ethan, what the hell? This is way too much,” I say, shocked as I take in the feast laid out before us.
Ethan raises his hand, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “I didn’t know what you’d like, so I just got a bit of everything,” he admits with a sheepish smile.
My eyes scan the spread: poutine fries with cheese curds and gravy, pizza, and a variety of Chinese dishes I can’t quite name. It’s a lot of food, but I appreciate the effort.
We eat in comfortable silence, though I notice Nadine’s eyes start to droop, the exhaustion catching up with her.
“We should probably head out so you can get some sleep,” I say gently, looking over at Ethan, hoping he’ll take the hint.
But Ethan isn’t moving. He’s settled in his chair, his eyes still fixed on Nadine, as if leaving her side isn’t an option he’s willing to consider just yet.
I roll my eyes, annoyed. There’s something about seeing a guy look like a lost puppy over matters of the heart that grates on me.
I lean down to kiss Nadine lightly on the forehead, whispering a quick goodbye.
But as soon as I step into the corridor, I see Mason walking towards me. Of course, he’s here to see Nadine.
I roll my eyes again, knowing full well he’s showing up now because I’m here too.
“Sup, Mason,” I greet him, trying to keep my voice casual. But as I look at him, I notice something different.
The way he’s looking at me-it’s not the same as before. The usual warmth, the emotion I’ve come to expect, isn’t there.
He just nods, his expression distant. “Is that the room Nadine’s in?” he asks, his voice flat.
I stare at him, momentarily taken aback. What the hell? Before I can respond, he turns and heads towards Nadine’s room, leaving me standing there.
Seeing his indifferent look tugs at my heart, but I push the thought away. I remind myself, “You don’t want him. Don’t let fear make you lose someone who could rock your world,” the voice taunts me in my head.