Page 26 of Worlds Collide

I’ve only worked eleven weeks in this hospital and I think I’ve learned more already than I did at med school.

The attendings in the pediatric department are amazing. They’re funny, and most important to me, they’re kind. Like every doctor who I told I wanted to go into pediatrics told me, the hardest part of the job is the parents, but since I know what it’s like when a parent literally doesn’t give a shit, I can very easily tolerate those who’re too pushy and protective.

I respect it.

I get out of the elevator and use the hallway that’s kind of hidden unless you know where it is to get to the cafeteria, and I see a man walking in my direction. He’s looking down at his phone, but I see the now-longer mop of blond hair and stop in my tracks.

“Wolf?” I ask, baffled as to why he’s here, and why he’s using this hallway.

He looks up sharply and frowns when he sees me. Yeah, I should’ve known that would be his reaction. I left him hanging in the worst of ways and I can’t blame the guy for walking out on me in the middle of the night. I don’t think I’d do the same, but it doesn’t surprise me coming from Wolf.

“Hi,” he tells me shortly. At least he’s talking to me.

“What are you doing here?” He doesn’t look sick or hurt, so that’s something I can rule out. I bring my tablet in front of me andhold it with both hands for some reason. I’m nervous. Why am I nervous?

Maybe because I haven’t stopped thinking about the way he sucked my soul out of my dick. Maybe it’s because I know he lied to his brother about why he left in the middle of the night, so I haven’t been able to talk to anyone about it. Maybe it’s because I still haven’t told anyone but him that I’m bi.

Yeah, that’s probably why.

“Came in for some tests.” He stuffs his phone in his jeans and crosses his arms. Clearly he wants to make it clear through his body language that he doesn’t want to speak to me, but all that move does is remind me of our talk in my bedroom.

“Are you going home now?”

“No. I have to stay in the city because I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow to talk about the results from my tests.”

“Where are you staying?” Maybe he’ll want to stay over at my place. Gracie and I have a spare bedroom that we use as a kind of office. I could?—

“At the Certon.” He crushes my delusions with that clipped, back-off tone of his, but his eyes lower to my lips. He looks back up at my eyes so fast that I think I might’ve imagined it.

It gives me the courage to ask what I would’ve asked if he’d been there in the morning last month.

“Do you want to go to?—”

“I have to go now,” he says before I can get the whole question out.

“Oh.” Before I can think of something else to ask him, he’s already walking around me.

“Bye.”

“See you,” I call out, then once more collapse against the wall.

I know that the night of Mike and Theo’s wedding was... well,it more than likely sucked for Wolf. I get that. He probably wants to forget the whole thing ever happened, but there’s no way I’ll ever be able to.

I want to make it up to him, in any form he’ll find acceptable, and if that makes me sound sleazy, well... I’d be more than happy to be an absolute slut for Wolf Storm, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

“What the hell am I doing?”I mumble to myself as I stand in front of the hotel door. “Come on Sounders, just raise your hand and knock on the door.”

I take a deep breath and decide I better get to it because I can’t keep talking to myself—it’s getting me nowhere.

I realize now, that the way I went about this—although it was my only option as far as I could tell—was more than likely a bad idea.

Calling Derek, telling him Wolf left his watch at the hospital, getting his room number from him... it was all so dishonest and unnecessary.

I should’ve just left it alone.

For fuck’s sake, how clearer can Wolf be?

He doesn’t want anything to do with me, so I have to back off, I have to?—