Page 25 of Hearts Clash

Scarlett nodded vacantly. It was nice to get support and encouragement from someone she looked up to, but this didn’t feel right. Gianna worked just as hard as she did. What would possess the brunette to pull her name out of the hat like that?

Was it her fault somehow? Guilt stabbed at her stomach. Gianna had been tense, cold, and stand-offish ever since their fight. Like there was this huge weight that had settled on her shoulders and was pushing her into herself. Had Scarlett’s reaction triggered that somehow?

“Well, anyway, I’ve got things to do, and so do you,” Carla added with a grin, pushing herself off and brushing off her lab coat. “Congratulations, Doctor Miller. I’ll be keeping an eye on you, even after I resign. I’m excited to see what you do.”

“Yes, thank you, Doctor Anderson,” Scarlett replied with a polite smile.

The older woman headed for the door and slipped back into the busy hallway, leaving Scarlett alone with her thoughts. There was this sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had won. It had all come together perfectly. She was going to become the youngest cardiology director in the history of Rose Bay Hospital. Everything was going right.

So why did it feel so wrong?

12

Gianna

Gianna had moved to Rose Bay for a fresh start. She had hoped that she’d reinvent herself, forget the past and forge a better future for herself, without being haunted by the ghost of girlfriends past. In some ways, it had been good for her. She was close to Bianca, which was nice, and there were people she liked and enjoyed spending time with. Still, outside of her sister, there was no one she really felt connected to. Wasn’t that why she’d ended up spending all her free time on an anonymous Internet forum, trying to connect with a total stranger, anyway? Because there was nobody around that she truly cared about?

It took Jade coming into her life again to make her realize that the issue wasn’t really her ex-girlfriend. Sure, Jade was absolutely a problem—the end of their relationship had been traumatic and caused Gianna to question her own self-worth—but it wasn’t about her. Not really. It had just seemed easier to run away than stay where everything haunted her.

Now, having finally had that much-needed closure with her ex, Gianna realized that she missed Sweet Hill. She had belonged there. She knew the community, her colleagues respected and admired her, and she felt like she fit. She didn’t miss Jade—it had been nice to reconnect and talk things out, but when she’d kissed her goodbye in the parking lot and watched the blonde drive away, off to wherever her next project took her, it had filled her with an incredible sense of relief. There was nothing there anymore. Absolutely nothing. Gianna could go back to Sweet Hill without having to worry about running into her ex randomly. If she did, it would be fine. It didn’t hurt anymore.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this, Gigi,” Bianca sighed, tossing another book into a cardboard box on the living room floor. “You have got to stop running away whenever some chick hurts your feelings.”

Gianna shook her head vehemently, picking up the big green potted plant in the corner and heaving it up into her arms.

“It’s not about that,” she insisted wearily, having already explained this to her sister a dozen times. “I told you. I miss Sweet Hill, and Doctor Frame was happy to let me come back. People actually respect me there. I don’t have to compete with stuck-up nepotism hires whose mommies are friends with the director.”

“Yeah, but it’s definitely not about Scarlett, huh?” Bianca retorted sarcastically with a dramatic eye roll.

Gianna mirrored the expression with a deep grimace, glaring at her baby sister. Yes, it had hurt her feelings that Scarlett had completely rejected her, and now she no longer had the one single connection that had made her feel like being here was manageable. And sure, maybe she might have stuck around a little longer if Scarlett had shown any interest in exploring that intense online connection they’d had further, and maybe that part stung a little. A lot. But still.

“No, it isn’t, Bee,” she lied defensively. “There’s no future for me here. Scarlett’s going to get the promotion, and I’m never going to have a fair shot at any career advancement here. Back home, it might take a few years, but I know for a fact that my proposal will be seriously and fairly considered. They respect me. They trust me there.”

“Yeah, okay, whatever you say,” Bianca sighed in exasperation.

They spent a few more hours packing boxes, sorting out what to keep and what was going to the nearest donation bin. Throughout it all, both sisters were sullen and snappy, neither particularly happy about the turn of events. By the end of it, though, they still hugged tightly at the door.

“Alright. I’ll bring Raoul on Friday, and we’ll get everything loaded up into the moving truck,” Bianca declared as they embraced at the front door.

“Thank you, chica,” Gianna mumbled back quietly, giving her little sister an affectionate smile.

Bianca headed home, leaving Gianna alone in an apartment that was now full of half-packed boxes and bubble wrap. Her beautiful, cozy little nest had transformed into this bare and bleak version of itself. Cocoa, at least, was thrilled about the situation, jumping from box to box to see which one was most suited for napping in. Well. Somebody had to be having fun, right?

After a quick shower, Gianna poured herself a glass of wine and flopped onto the couch. God. So much to do. And so many mixed emotions to sort through, too. Her mind drifted off as she absentmindedly watched Cocoa bat at the trailing ribbon of empty tape dispenser with his paws, growling playfully.

Just as she was starting to drift off, lulled into relaxation by the combination of the cozy domestic scene and the lovely chardonnay, the doorbell rang. Really? What was with people showing up unannounced at night these days? Groaning audibly, Gianna pulled herself to her feet, grumbling to herself and smoothing out her clothes in an attempt to look presentable despite wearing an old tank top and sweatpants.

“Coming, coming,” she announced as she dragged her feet over the floor, opening the front door.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her when she opened the door. Scarlett Miller was standing in her doorway, looking absolutely gorgeous and nervous, dressed in an elegant white blouse that offset her auburn hair and pale complexion beautifully. Her stunning hazel eyes were wide, almost frantic, full of trepidation and anxiety. The redhead cleared her throat.

“Hi,” she whispered hoarsely, “sorry for showing up like this. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time. Can I please come in?”

Gianna blinked repeatedly in shock. For a moment, she wondered if she’d fallen asleep on the couch and this was one of those weird and confusing dreams she’d been having intermittently since first meeting Scarlett. The ones that usually ended with her waking up alone and unsatisfied. Still, she stepped aside and allowed Scarlett to walk past her into the entryway.

“Thanks,” the stunning redhead replied, casting her eyes nervously around the mostly packed apartment. “Are you moving?”

“Oh. Yeah,” Gianna confirmed with an awkward shrug. “I’m going to go back to Sweet Hill. I called the director, and she offered me my old job back. I’ll be out of your hair by next week. Congrats on the promotion.”

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