Page 42 of The Surgeon's Secret

The morning light softly spilled into the apartment as Lexi lay in bed, her body entwined with Catherine’s. The quiet stillness of the moment was a far cry from the chaos of the past few months, from the secrecy and the fear of the unknown. Today, there was no more hiding, no more sneaking around. Today was different. It was the beginning of something new, somethingreal.

Catherine shifted in Lexi’s arms, her face buried in the crook of Lexi’s neck, her breathing slow and steady. Lexi’s heart swelled with affection as she pressed a kiss to the top of Catherine’s head. They’d made it through the worst—the harddecisions, the pain, the weeks of living in the shadows. And now they had nothing left to hide. Their love, raw and unfiltered, had survived.

“I never thought this would happen,” Catherine murmured, her voice muffled against Lexi’s skin. “I didn’t think I would ever feel this…free.”

Lexi smiled softly, running her fingers through Catherine’s hair. “It’s not always easy, but you’re free now. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Catherine pulled back slightly, her eyes meeting Lexi’s with a depth that made Lexi’s heart skip a beat. There was so much in those lovely amber eyes—so much history, so much longing…and now, so much hope.

“I know,” Catherine whispered, her voice filled with sincerity. “I didn’t realize how much I needed this. How much I neededyou. To be seen. To be loved for who I really am.”

Lexi’s chest tightened. The words hit her harder than she’d expected. The pain that Catherine had carried for so long, the loneliness she’d experienced in her marriage to James, and the fear that she wasn’t worthy of love—it was all there in those words. It broke Lexi’s heart to think of the years Catherine had spent in that marriage, suffocating under someone else’s expectations.

“You deserve so much more than what you had,” Lexi said, her voice thick with emotion. “You deserve someone who loves you without reservation. Who sees all of you—your strength, your brilliance, your heart. And that’s me. I’m here, Catherine.”

Catherine’s lips curled into a small smile as she leaned forward and captured Lexi’s lips in a kiss that was soft but filled with an intensity that spoke volumes. It wasn’t just a kiss of passion. It was a kiss of reassurance, of a promise. They were building something together, brick by brick, and nothing was going to break that foundation.

When they pulled apart, Catherine rested her forehead against Lexi’s, her breath warm on her skin. “I don’t ever want to go back to that life. To pretending. To hiding.”

Lexi’s hand cupped Catherine’s cheek, her thumb brushing against the soft skin. “You don’t have to. Not anymore.”

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. They just lay there, wrapped in each other’s embrace, the quiet comfort of their shared space enough to fill the gaps that had once been filled with doubt and uncertainty. Lexi knew, without a doubt, that this was where she was meant to be.

Eventually, the silence was broken by the sound of Catherine’s phone buzzing from the bedside table. She groaned, pulling away reluctantly from Lexi’s warmth, but the reality of the world outside their bubble had to be acknowledged eventually. Catherine reached for her phone, her eyes scanning the screen before she let out a small sigh.

“James,” she muttered under her breath, her fingers pausing on the screen.

Lexi could see the tension in Catherine’s posture immediately, the familiar tightness creeping back into her shoulders.

“You don’t have to answer it,” Lexi said softly, her voice laced with both understanding and a tinge of protectiveness. “You don’t owe him anything anymore.”

Catherine hesitated, her fingers hovering over the screen, before she set the phone down without answering. She turned to Lexi, a small but resolute smile on her lips. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “I don’t owe him anything. Not anymore.”

Lexi’s heart warmed at her words. It wasn’t easy to let go of someone who’d been such a big part of her life. But Lexi knew that Catherine had already made the decision—her marriage had ended long before she’d signed those divorce papers. It had ended the moment she’d chosen herself.

“Are you okay?” Lexi asked, her hand gently squeezing Catherine’s. “I know it’s still a lot to process.”

Catherine nodded slowly, her expression softening as she met Lexi’s eyes. “I am. I’m just…I don’t know. It’s weird, you know? Finally being free. It’s like I’ve been holding my breath for so long, and now I can finally exhale.”

Lexi pressed a kiss to Catherine’s forehead. “You don’t have to do anything on your own anymore, Catherine. I’m here. Every step of the way.”

Catherine’s eyes softened. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, but this time, it wasn’t from pain or fear. It was from relief. From knowing that, finally, she wasn’t alone. “I know,” she whispered. “And I’m so grateful. I don’t even know how to thank you.”

Lexi smiled and brushed the tear from Catherine’s cheek. “You don’t have to thank me. You just need to be here. With me. That’s enough.”

For a long moment, they just held each other, basking in the warmth of their connection. Catherine had faced a lifetime of uncertainty and fear, but now she was here with Lexi, starting a new chapter of her life. And Lexi was ready for whatever that chapter held.

Finally, Catherine pulled back slightly, her hands tracing the outline of Lexi’s face with reverence. “I don’t want to waste another second,” she said, her voice filled with quiet determination.

Lexi’s heart skipped a beat as she looked into Catherine’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

Catherine leaned in, her lips brushing against Lexi’s ear as she whispered, “I want to start living for us. I want to build our future, Lexi. No more hiding. No more pretending.”

A wave of emotion washed over Lexi, her chest tightening with the intensity of Catherine’s words. She’d never been more sure of anything in her life.

“Then let’s start now,” Lexi said, her voice hushed with love and certainty.

And with that, their lips met once again, a kiss that was full of promise and hope. It was a kiss that spoke of everything they’d been through to get here, and everything they would build together in the future. No more barriers. No more doubt. Just the two of them.

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