We had ended up in the middle of the bed, embraced and sharing body warmth on that freezing January night.I had laid my head on his chest, attentively listening to the beating of his heart, turning into music for my ears with each passing second, while we whispered about trivial things, with no desire to sleep just yet."Why did you study medicine?" he asked curiously, while stroking my hair with his fingers."Because I can earn a lot of money," I chuckled softly, with him joining in without a hint of annoyance at my premeditated response, as that decision hadn't been so random after all."Yes, but that's not the real reason.""It doesn't matter too much if I tell you now," I whispered, showering sweet kisses on his chest, indicating without the need for words that it was another secret I preferred to keep hidden from him for the time being. "It's a foolishness that no longer has relevance, Jack."He sighed deeply, reluctantly accepting my words, keeping his demeanor completely seren
Upon waking up the next day, it was a bit strange to find a sleeping Jack wrapped around me as if I were his teddy bear.My heart skipped a beat seeing his angelic face inches from mine.I carefully got out of bed, trying not to disturb his slumber, but before I could tiptoe my way to the bathroom, one of his hands grabbed my wrist."Where are you going?""To take a shower," I answered, smiling sweetly as he yawned and stretched on the bed like a little kid. "Remember, we have to work?""We can skip it for today," he mumbled drowsily, pulling me gently towards him. I sat on the edge of the bed, allowing him to wrap his arms around me and rest his head on my legs, looking too comfortable. "I'm the boss, and you're my faithful servant, so let's just stay home.""This is not your home, Jack.""From today, it might as well be," he declared, his eyes half-closed, ready to go back to the sleep he had interrupted. Noticing my lack of reaction to his suggestion of spending another day togethe
"We had a rough start, Cody Candles, but I think I have a big enough heart not to hold it against you," Jack whispered, intensifying that friendly handshake."How do you two know each other?" Nia murmured, too interested in revealing what everything had truly started with."Do you remember the thief who snatched my wallet eight years ago? Well, that was him.""Really?" she exclaimed, amazed. "How did I not know?""I'm retired; now I'm a man of the Lord," Cody smiled as he recalled it, shrugging calmly as if the matter weren't as relevant to Nia. "I sweat pure holy water.""You guys are too noisy!" I complained while finishing setting the plates for each one all by myself, as Jack was engrossed in conversation with those two.Nia opened her mouth to say something more, but then, her phone started ringing frantically in the pocket of her pants. She took it out hastily, and her expression matched the urgency upon seeing the number on the screen."Ryan? What's going on?" she whispered anx
He stopped in front of us with his hands in the pockets of his gown, and when our eyes met, I could see he had bad news to deliver."We," I stammered, tears filling my eyes."Excellent, Doctor Wolfang," he said, surprised at the size of my family. "Can I speak privately with you about this matter?"I had to entrust Brooke to Cody, who sat with her, sharing stories that she loved and that always cheered her up.I walked with Dr. Sparks in complete silence, leaving the others behind with misconceptions swirling in their heads, adding to their distress."What's going on?" I asked as we stopped at the emergency reception, where only nurses were attending."We need to operate on her heart immediately.""How serious is she?""She has a blockage in several coronary arteries, causing her heart to not receive enough blood. One of them is too blocked. Coronary artery bypass surgery will improve blood circulation to the heart, allowing oxygen and necessary nutrients to reach it.""So, what's the
Settling into Cody's apartment with practically twelve people was impossible, so Jack had offered to give the guys free rooms in one of his magnificent hotels. They gratefully thanked him before hopping into the limousine he had summoned, saving them from unnecessary taxi expenses.Thankfully, I had managed to escape from work; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to help anyone clearly. I wasn't yet in my right mind, and panic still ran through my veins at the thought of my mother not waking up."Thanks, I really owe you one," I said as we stopped in front of my building, where Jack had left his luxurious car parked."You know nothing is free in this life, so you'll have to pay me back in kind," he commented coolly as he took the driver's seat, eliciting a laugh with his words. "Not today, but someday, Lucy.""Your good intentions come with a hidden agenda," I scoffed, crossing my arms, pretending to be very angry about it."If it weren't that way, I wouldn't be the president of an
Swift as lightning, the answer came to me without thinking too much, but I desperately wished it wasn't true, that I was wrong because I knew how devastated Jack would be if I told him, or even Victoria, both would suffer too much."We need to do a complete blood count and platelet count for her, Nurse Kim," I muttered hastily for her to take care of it."Why do we have to do that?" Deborah wanted to know, raising one of her eyebrows, stopping the nurse's actions with her furious gaze, along with my breath.I wished to tell her just for revenge, to spit so many things in her face, refute everything I had kept inside for years, but I simply couldn't. Everything got stuck in my throat when I just thought about it."I want to confirm one thing, Mrs. Walters," I whispered calmly, earning her look filled with repulsion for having to follow my orders, for having to depend on me to save her granddaughter, something that was truly ironic when I thought about it carefully because the person sh
I walked alongside Lucila, our lips barely parting, heading towards the park away from the hospital.Honestly, I appreciated the silence surrounding us; it helped me think clearly about what had happened, and she seemed unaffected by my quietness.Despite her young age, she seemed to understand that I didn't want to engage in an uncomfortable conversation.After walking for what felt like an eternity, we stopped by the lake in the dense forest. Only a few patients passed by occasionally, offering brief greetings before disappearing down the paved path.Enchanted by the fluttering butterflies, Lucila ran around with a bright smile, trying to catch moths with her tiny hands. As she was distracted, I hid my face in my hands, shielding her blue eyes from my tears.The piercing pain coursed through my body every time I recalled Deborah's degrading treatment. Once again, she had used me at her whim, humiliating me at her convenience, making me look like a complete fool.When Lucila gently s
He didn't deepen the kiss, knowing we could be caught; he simply brushed my lips lightly before pulling away just as quickly, not giving me enough time to reflect on what had just happened.Startled, I glanced towards the distracted girl, who hadn't even noticed what had occurred. I jumped to my feet before Jack could attempt another reckless move, trying to calm my racing heart, but it was impossible."I-I should go," I said before walking away from him, but he stopped me, grabbing my wrist."I love you, Lucy," he reminded me, with a charming smile that took my breath away and only caused more confusion in my already jumbled mind. "No matter what you do, that won't change; you should already know that. I want to stay by your side because that's how I feel when I see you, because being with you is what makes me happy, not because it's right or wrong, it's because I desire to be with you so much that I can't control it, and nothing really scares me enough to stop."I couldn't comprehen