Page 26 of Accidentally Yours
“I—uh—hey, Derek.” Paige sat up awkwardly, shifting against the crinkly hospital pillow. “This is Ethan.”
It was only then that Derek seemed to register Ethan’s presence. His gaze flicked to Ethan’s bandaged forehead. “Oh. That makes more sense.” He strode inside, all business. “I’m Dr. Han. Dr. Milan just finished her shift, so I’ll be discharging you.”
He extended a hand. Ethan hesitated, then shook it.
“Dr. Han?” Ethan repeated, piecing it together.
“Yes.” Derek’s head tilted slightly, like he was trying to place Ethan too. Then his expression brightened. “Oh! Are you a friend of Paige’s? Did she tell you Hans was based on me?” He looked incredibly smug about it, standing there in his perfectly pressed scrubs. No mention of the fact that he and Paige had once been engaged, or even acknowledging the fact that she was lying in a hospital bed. No, the important thing was that he’d inspired a character in her—formerly—bestselling series.
Paige groaned, and both men looked at her.
“Did I do that out loud?” she asked with a grimace.
Derek crossed his arms, smirked, and looked at Ethan as if he expected him to be impressed.
Ethan didn’t miss a beat. “Paige killed off Hans. Epically.”
Paige’s eyes widened. Then, from deep in her belly, laughter erupted.
Derek turned to her, visibly unimpressed. “Well, I don’t know if that was a great decision on her part, but I’m not a writer. I’m a doctor. So what do I know?” His answer was cheeky, and it dried up Paige’s laughter.Could they get out of here now? Now was a good time to go.
“Right. You should probably stick to your day job, doc.” Ethan winked, getting under Derek’s skin, or scrubs, before adding, “And, I’m not Paige’s friend.” He stood and walked to her bedside, taking her hand and making her stomach flip. “I’m her boyfriend. We’re together.”
Paige choked on absolutely nothing.Oh my god, oh my god, what is happening? Did he just say boyfriend? Do I correct him? Do I just die instead?Pretending in a few pictures seemed easy compared to dropping this lie at Derek’s feet, someone that knew her well. Did she even know what romantic love was supposed to look like up close?
“No way.” Derek’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
Paige, still trying to regain control of her lungs, forced a smile. “Yep. Totally.”
Derek’s gaze flicked between them, clearly skeptical. “Huh. I had no idea.”
Of course he didn’t. Derek didn’t check social media. He was too busy performing surgeries and thinking the world revolved around him. She could’ve announced a pregnancy, won a Nobel Prize, or been abducted by aliens, and Derek would still be obliviously suturing someone’s spleen.
Ethan’s grip tightened on hers. “Yeah, it’s pretty new,” he said smoothly. “But we’re crazy about each other.”
Paige’s head jerked toward him.Where was this coming from? Had he been practicing lines?
Ethan just smiled like a man who had absolutely no intention of backing out now. “Our editors introduced us and it was love at first sight. Now we’re even writing a book together.”
Derek still looked unconvinced. “Huh,” he said again. “You don’t seem like Paige’s type.”
Ethan didn’t even blink. “Oh, I’m exactly her type.” Then he turned to her with a ridiculously lovesick expression that was either Oscar-worthy or concerningly natural. “Isn’t that right, babycakes?”
Babycakes?
Paige clenched her jaw, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of that. If anyone actually called her ‘babycakes’ in real life, she’d make a vomiting sound. But she refused to let Derek revel in his usual smugness.
“Of course, sweetie-poo,” she cooed, turning toward Ethan and lifting a hand to his face. “You know you’re my everything.”
Ethan gave her a smirk—curling the edge of his mouth just enough for Paige to see, and she felt like she’d just scored a point. Her stomach fluttered, wanting to continue the silly banter.
“My little love nugget,” she added, with a pat to his jaw.
“Oh, my little boo-boo buttercup.” Ethan’s blue eyes twinkled, and it was suddenly their little game. Who could come up with the most over-the-top pet name to make Derek’s eyes roll the hardest?
“My little schnookums.” She smiled.
“My sugar-muffin-cupcake-pants.” He stroked her hair, palming her head with his entire hand, like she was a cat. “Oh, pookie bear, you light up my life.”
