Page 34 of Doctor's Baby: An Enemies to Lovers Romance

As soon as she turns to leave through the front door, I know I’ve made a terrible mistake.

I’ll take that stabbing to the chest now, thanks.

Chapter Sixteen

Eve

I want the world to be quiet.

I want it to stop moving.

Maybe then I’ll finally get a moment’s peace.

My feet carried me all the way to the academy. I didn’t know where else to go. I suppose I could have gone home, but A-Ma was probably still asleep and I didn’t want to wake her. She gets so little sleep as it is.

I’m already enough of a burden.

I’m in the changing room, huddled in the back corner near my locker. My limbs are sluggish and heavy. Breathing feels like a chore. The drip, drip, drip of one of the sink faucets is about to make me lose my mind.

Just go, Eve. Please.

Nate’s words clamor around in my head. I can’t believe he told me to leave. I was the one being attacked, both physically and verbally. Why wasn’t his mother the one to go?

I thought he cared.

It’s an understatement to say I don’t feel well. Everything’s off. My balance, my state of mind, my concentration.

Today’s going to be rough.

A part of me wants to call in sick. I want to go home, crawl under the covers, and sleep. Maybe this is all just one giant nightmare that I need to wake up from.

But then I think about my kids and how disappointed they’d be if I canceled classes. Besides, I can’t afford to be selfish. I need to teach that class so I can get paid. I can’t let my stupid decisions affect the realities of my life.

“Stupid decisions.” Also known as Nate Winthrop.

I should have known it was a bad idea to get involved with him. I hate that the nagging voice in the back of my head telling me I told you so is right. What is it about Nate that has me ignoring common sense and reason?

The chatter of girlish voices echoes against the changing room’s walls. A couple of dancers enter, giggling and gossiping with one another.

“That’s so not true,” one of them gasps. “I don’t believe it.”

“No wonder he stopped by the other day. I thought that was kind of weird.”

“I mean, I kind of get it. Did you see how jealous of Tom he was?”

“Oh, stop it. We shouldn’t be talking about this.”

“Why not? It’s not every day you hear about a ballerina screwing the doc—”

A group of girls rounds the corner and immediately drop their conversation upon spotting me. They’re all seventeen and eighteen—children, in my opinion. They’ve got youthful, big eyes that stare up at me like I’m some horrible monster.

“What?” I snap. I don’t mean to. It just escapes me, a reflex.

“N-nothing,” one of the girls mumbles.

“What are you guys talking about?”

“N-nothing,” she says again.

Oh shit.

Something’s wrong. I don’t know when, and I don’t know how, but I’m getting the feeling that the word’s out about Nate and me. Am I just being paranoid?

Maybe it’s another ballerina. Maybe it’s another doctor.

Maybe it’s a different Tom.

Fuck. This can’t be happening.

Ignore them. Pretend like nothing happened.

Rumors are just rumors. There’s no evidence.

I’ll be fine. Just don’t engage.

I slam my locker door shut and trudge off, eager to leave the whispers and stares behind me.

I don’t get farther than the changing room’s main doors.

Delilah Winthrop stands in my way, her arms folded across her chest. Her face is stiff, cold, and flat like someone’s smacked her over the nose with a fridge door.

My heart screams at me to run. She’s probably going to beat me again.

If she does, I’m calling the cops. Fuck it, I’ll call them right now.

She clicks her tongue, an air of disinterest radiating from every single one of her pores. “You. Come here.”

“I’d rather not. Please move out of my way.”

“We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you. If you want to give me an apology for earlier this morning, let’s hear it.”

Mrs. Winthrop looks unimpressed. “You dare say that to me after what you did?”

I glance over my shoulder. The girls from before are hovering around the corner, peeking their heads out to get a glimpse of all the drama.

“If you want to talk, let’s do it somewhere private.”

“Fine. Lead the way.”

I circle around Mrs. Winthrop cautiously, convinced this is a trap and she’s waiting to slash at me again. When she doesn’t, I speed away. I know the layout of Haven Ballet Academy like the back of my hand. I’m sure there’s an unused studio somewhere we can use.

Push comes to shove, I can always outrun Mrs. Winthrop and find the nearest exit.

Good luck chasing me in those heels, bitch.

A-Ma always told me never to stoop down to my enemy’s level. If they fight dirty, I have to take the high road. If they say awful things about me, I should shower them with nothing but compliments. They’ll look the part of the fool while I look like some kind of saint. It’s apparently the honorable thing to do.

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