Adley

"I need to go to work." I push on his shoulder. "Crew? Wake up. I need to go."

He lazily opens his eyes before kicking back the blanket. "Since when do you go to work before five a.m?"

"It's almost nine." I stare at his nude body. I fell asleep in his arms after we made love. I listened to his steady breathing for more than an hour before I finally drifted off too.

"What?" He sits upright, raking both hands through his hair. "What the hell? I never sleep past five a.m."

"Never say never, Benton," I quip. "There's coffee in the kitchen. Sydney will probably offer you half of her breakfast, and she'll be wearing nothing but lingerie. I suggest you don't take up either of those offers."

He wiggles his brows. "I'm only hungry for one thing."

"I can't be late." I tap my shoe on the floor. "I called Kade an hour ago. He said your dad is stable. They'll run some tests this morning, and then Dr. Tate will advise them about whether surgery is a viable option at this time."

"Thanks for the update, Dr. York."

I smile broadly. "I'm going to do it. I want it."

"You'll do it." He pulls his arms over his head in a stretch. Sweet Jesus, those biceps make me want to crawl back in bed. "Why were you so secretive about it? You could have just told me that you're going to be a doctor."

I risk being five minutes late and sit on the edge of the bed. "I needed to believe I could do it before I told anyone."

He leans back against the wooden headboard.  I know he's waiting for me to explain more.

"When I first entertained the idea, it felt like it was too much to hope for." I smooth my palms over the thighs of my scrubs. "I could see this mountain in front of me and it seemed insurmountable. I knew if I told you or Ellie, you'd tell me to chase the dream, but what good would that be if I didn't believe in myself?"

"You believe in yourself now." He searches my gaze. "I saw it at the hospital last night. You were standing there talking to John like you belonged there. You looked at home there."

"I felt that." I reach for his forearm. "John has been taking me on small tours of the cardiology department. He had a mentor who did the same for him before he went to medical school. It convinced him that he was doing the right thing by investing so much of his life in his passion. I feel that too."

"Whatever you need from me to make this a reality, you have it."

I know that. I knew it before he offered. I've looked into student loans and I've been saving like mad so I can get myself through school. "I have most everything covered but I'm going to need your emotional support. I need you in my corner telling me that all the long hours and sacrifices are worth it."

"You can count on me." He leans forward to kiss me softly. "I'm here today and when you graduate as Dr. York, I'll be there beside you."

I want that. I want him to take this journey with me, not as a friend, but as more.

"I need to get to work." I kiss him again, deeper this time, my tongue tracing a path over his lips. "Will I see you tonight?"

"You better believe it." He reaches to cup my face. "I'm so fucking crazy about you, Adley. You know that, don't you? You feel it."
I feel love. It's nothing like what I felt for Leo. This is different. It's consuming and comforting. It's where I belong.

"I feel all of it."

"I'll come back here at seven. Does that work for you?"

"I'll meet you at the hospital at seven," I counter.

Last night it felt like he was struggling over what's going on with his dad. We left the hospital quickly and he's made no effort to check in with Kade or anyone in his family since.

"Seven at the hospital it is."

"I'll meet you at the nurses' desk on the seventh floor."

"Seventh floor at seven." He taps his forehead. "Got it."

I move to stand but his hand grabs my wrist.

"Kiss me one last time, Ad."

I do. I kiss him slowly and when I pull back, I see forever in his eyes.

***

"You're Hale's babe, aren't you?"

I look over at the man standing next to the exam table holding the leash of a Boston Terrier. He can't be much older than I am. "I'm not."

"Yes, you are," he insists with a grin. "I follow those posts religiously and I know she works here. You're her."

This isn't the first or even the second, time this has happened since I stopped seeing Trey. Unfortunately, he hasn't started dating again, so those posts are still the first that pop up whenever anyone searches for the halesbabe hashtag.

I'm not going to stand here and argue the point. It's useless. "I was seeing Trey, but it's over now."

"So you're available?" He shoves a hand through his short blond hair.

"No," I answer quickly. "I'm not."

"You're sure?" He leans forward and his hot breath skirts over my cheek. I step back, wishing I would have broken clinic policy and left the door to the exam room open.

"I'm positive." I cast my gaze down to the tablet in my shaking hands. "I'm going to go see what's keeping Dr. Hunt."

He steps in front of me as I walk toward the door. "Don’t rush off, Adley."

I hate that I was tagged in any of those photographs. I never wanted my face out there. I like to live my life in private, quietly. "Please move aside."

He doesn't move. "I'm still a member. I remember the first time I ever saw you there."

Panic creeps down my spine. This can't be happening again. Please, not again.

"I don't know what you're talking about." My voice is as unsteady as my hands. "If you'll move aside, I can get the doctor."

"I'm talking about Club Skyn, Social Room A. You laid out like a feast for anyone who wanted…"

The door flies open and Dr. Hunt marches in with a smile on his face and his usual greeting. "Good morning, who do we have here?"

He stops as soon as his eyes lock on mine."Adley? What's wrong?"

I shake my head as I try and speak. "I need to take a minute."

Dr. Hunt brushes next to the man to reach for my hand. "Go to the lunchroom. Sit. I'll be in to check on you as soon as I'm done here."

I nod and as I start to walk away, I hear the bastard's voice trailing behind me. "It was good to see you again, Adley. You know where to find me."