Page 66 of Crossing the Line
"I know that. I've always known that. But knowing and accepting are different things." Natalie met Carmen's gaze directly. "If you hurt her again?—"
"I won't. I can't. Losing her once nearly destroyed me. I'm not making that mistake again."
"What does fighting for her openly mean, exactly?"
Carmen took a deep breath. "It means approaching hospital administration about our relationship and following proper disclosure protocols. It means accepting whatever professional consequences come with loving someone who used to be under my supervision."
"And if the consequences are severe?"
"Then I'll deal with them. Harper is worth any risk or administrative hassle. I should have realized that weeks ago."
"You're serious about this."
"Completely. I love your daughter, Natalie. Not the brilliant intern or the promising surgeon, but Harper—the woman who makes me laugh, who challenges my assumptions, who sees possibilities where I see only problems. I want to build a life with her."
"Even if it means changing everything about how you approach your career?"
"Especially then. My career will survive workplace gossip. I'm not sure I'll survive losing Harper permanently."
For the first time since Carmen had entered the office, Natalie's expression held something that might have been approval. "She deserves someone willing to take that kind of risk for her."
"She does. And I'm finally ready to be that person."
Natalie nodded slowly. "Then you have my blessing, Carmen. Not because I approve of how this started, but because I can see that your feelings are genuine. Harper's happiness matters more to me than my comfort with your relationship."
Relief flooded through Carmen's chest so suddenly she felt dizzy. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. You still have to convince Harper to forgive you. And given how badly you hurt her, that's not going to be easy."
Carmen stood, feeling steadier than she had in weeks. "I know. But I'm done being afraid of difficult conversations. Harper deserves someone willing to fight for her, and I'm finally ready to prove I can be that person."
As Carmen reached the door, Natalie's voice stopped her. "Carmen? For what it's worth, I hope this works out. You and Harper. When you weren't hiding from each other, you were good together."
Carmen smiled, the expression feeling genuine for the first time in weeks. "We were, weren't we?"
"Don't lose that again."
Carmen left Natalie's office with something she hadn't felt since Harper walked out of her life: hope. The conversation hadn't erased the damage she'd caused, but it had given her permission to try making things right.
Now she just had to find the courage to approach Harper herself.
18
HARPER
Harper stared into her wine glass, watching the burgundy liquid catch the warm light from Lavender's string lights. The monthly community celebration buzzed around her, but Harper felt like she was watching it all from behind glass, present but not participating.
"You're doing that thing again," Alice said, sliding into the seat beside her at their corner table. "The brooding thing where you stare into your wine like it holds the secrets of the universe."
"Maybe it does," Harper replied, taking another sip that tasted like regret and poor choices. This was her third glass, though she'd lost count of how many times she'd refilled it from the bottles Alice and Piper had ordered for their table.
"The secrets being 'drink more wine and feel sorry for yourself'?" Piper asked, rejoining them with a fresh plate of appetizers from the bar. "Because I have to say, as secrets go, that one's pretty transparent."
Harper managed a weak smile. Her friends had been trying to cheer her up all evening, dragging her to Lavender's community event with the kind of determined optimism that suggested they thought alcohol and lesbian solidarity could cureheartbreak. They meant well, but Harper wasn't sure anything could cure the hollow feeling that had taken up permanent residence in her chest.
"Come on," Alice said, bumping Harper's shoulder with gentle persistence. "Tell us what's really going on. You've been different for weeks—distracted at work, avoiding social events, and now you're treating wine like it's your new best friend."
Harper looked around the café, taking in the celebrations happening at every table. A couple near the window was sharing a dessert, feeding each other bites while they dissolved into giggles. Two women at the bar were planning their upcoming vacation, voices low but excited as they scrolled through photos on a shared phone. Everywhere Harper looked, she saw the kind of easy intimacy she'd thought she'd found with Carmen.
