Page 48 of Hearts on Fire

Scotti thought she also needed to be in therapy. She feared that whatever kept her going each morning was going to give up one day and she'd crash against the ground, into her many broken pieces.

Scotti wondered what Naomi felt toward her now—resentment, disappointment or perhaps indifference. Options of better opinions crossed her mind, but Scotti shut them all out, insisting instead to leave hope out of what she felt.

A slight glimpse into Naomi's mind may have presented itself about a week ago, when on a mission, Scotti had taken off her gloves again.

She hadn't realized that Naomi was standing only a few paces away, at a good distance enough to see Scotti's hands. For the first time since the day they broke up, Naomi saw Scotti's hands.

The burns had healed very quickly, but the scars were there. Scotti had looked up and found Naomi staring. When their eyes met, it'd only been for a second. It was enough time for Scotti to see the death in her eyes, how frigid only a look at it made her. Naomi turned and walked very briskly away from the spot.

Scotti hadn't seen her again until when it was time to go.

Scotti stared now at her scars, wondering if it was really worth it that she'd broken up with Naomi.

So what if Naomi couldn't handle seeing her in pain or wounded? Some people would die to have someone dote over them as Naomi did her.

Again, as Scotti thought this, she reminded herself, Some people, not me. Not me.

Scotti sighed deeply as she shrugged her coat on.

She would need some therapy later on if things continued this way.

14

Naomi

When morning came and Naomi realized that she had fallen asleep at long last, she was relieved. To her surprise, she'd slept longer than she should have and was now behind schedule by about thirty minutes. She still felt exhausted to the bone, but a little sleep was better than none at all.

According to her timetable, she should have a session with Barb later this morning. If she hurried now, there was a chance she'd be able to make it in time. There was a lot she wanted to say to her. They were not new things, but they just needed to get off her chest following the insomnia she had struggled with the night before. However, Naomi believed she could guess what Barb would say in response; the very things she said almost every time: “Give it time.”

For a moment, Naomi pondered about visiting Barb today. At some point the previous night, she had almost called Barb to cry or rant. But that was before she'd chosen to call Scotti instead.

Naomi decided it wasn't worth it, hurrying up just to meet Barb this morning. She chose to miss her appointment this morning. There would be work waiting for her today, hopefully. She'd postponed a number of minor surgeries and hoped at least one of them had landed on today's schedule. She made a mental note to check that as soon as she got to the hospital.

Remembering she'd flung her phone somewhere, Naomi went in search of it. It didn't take her a long while before she found it where it had fallen by the bed. At her touch, it came alive.

She frowned at a missed call from an odd number on her phone.

It could be Scott or Scott’s wife.

A second look at the phone made her realize that the call had come in not too long ago.

She still had her phone in her hand when it began to vibrate. She hadn't even looked at it when her mind started to bring up ideas on what response to give Scott following the accidental call from last night.

Then her eyes set on the caller id, and she nearly dropped the phone. She tightened her grip around it as her heart began to thud.

This time, it wasn't Scott but Scotti.

This was a call she'd waited for weeks to receive, but now she did not know how to react to it other than shock. If she missed this opportunity, chances were that she was going to regret it terribly on another night when it was just herself and her thoughts again.

Naomi pressed the pickup button and put the phone to her ear.

“Hello, Scotti?” Naomi greeted.

There was a pause for a moment before she heard Scotti's voice. “Hello Doctor Crane.”

Naomi's heart skipped a beat.

Never had she had a problem with being called by her title and last name. But when Scotti said it, there was something amiss about it, in a way that was more about pasts than pronunciation.

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