***
I woke up the next morning in his arms, his body wrapped tightly around mine. I hadn't meant to spend the night, but weariness had left me no choice the night before. His hunger was almost insatiable, and after coming three times, he finally pulled me down to lie against him. The soft praises and sweet kisses melted my heart, and left me waking with the stark realization that I'd made a mistake.
I was going to fall head over heels in love with a man who wasn't willing to give his future to anyone but the hospital. What was worse was the fact that I completely understood. I wanted to give myself fully to my career as well. I wasn't interested in trying things out with anyone.
After carefully slipping out of bed, I dressed and called a cab, grateful that the damn thing showed up before Aiden even so much as turned over.
I couldn't help but glance back as I opened the front door. His bedroom was in my direct line of sight, and seeing him there, laid out and looking like a god, I knew I was lost.
The mid-morning sun warmed my back as I carefully closed the door and turned, jogging to the car. I could explain to him later why I’d needed to go. I would make something up about my mother if I had to. There was no way I was letting him see me as weak. He didn't need to know that I had doubts about separating my heart from my body. That was something that I could work through on my own.
I checked my phone to see that Steph had called ten times over the course of the night, and I kicked myself. I should have called her back and told her my plans. She was probably worried sick. We lived in a shitty part of town, and she always assumed the worst anyway.
After buckling up, I dialed her number, and she answered on the first ring.
"Where the fuck are you? I've been worried sick," she barked into the phone.
"I'm sorry." I ran my fingers through my hair. "I had too much to drink at the event last night, and I slept on Aiden's couch. Forgive me? Please?"
"Fine, but I'm not happy with you. Where are you, and did anything happen between you guys?"
I pressed my fingers to my forehead and tried to decide how much I should divulge.
"I'm your best friend, Elizabeth. I have been since we shit in diapers. Did you sleep with him?"
"I'll be home in about twenty minutes. I'll tell you all about it then, but no... unfortunately not. He's pretty strict on that stuff."
"Not even a kiss?" She grumbled under her breath.
"Yes, a kiss, but we were both a little out of it." I hated lying with a passion, and yet I couldn’t chance anyone finding out about me and Aiden. It would cost him his job and me my residency. Nothing was worth that.
Another reason why this is a fucking mistake.
"Alright, well, I'm headed into the hospital to pick up an extra shift because Dr. Mendom wants me there. I still don't see how it's fair that you ended up with the hottest guy in the whole damn city, and I have this crotchety old bitch riding my back all the time."
"Aiden is not the hottest guy in the whole city. I thought that was Parks." I pulled the phone from my mouth and leaned up toward the cab driver. "Third building on the left up ahead."
He nodded, and I returned in the middle of Stephanie's rant about Parks not giving her the time of day.
"Alright. We'll work on him." I got out of the car and started to tell her that I was there at the apartment and hanging up.
"No, you take Parks. I want Aiden. You're not interested, right? The kiss was an accident."
"Right. Let's think this through, ok?"
She cut me off. "There's nothing to think about. Aiden is more my type of guy, and honestly, Parks is head over heels for you, Liz. You know it."
"He is not. I've been there for a week, and you're overreacting." I walked up the stairs to the apartment and opened the door to find her pacing in the living room.
She turned and pulled the phone from her ear. "If Aiden’s not important to you, then help set me up with him."
"He's not going to date someone from the hospital, Steph. Shit." I chucked my phone onto the couch, starting to lose my patience with her. She jumped from guy to guy almost like most people changed underwear. I couldn't tell her about Aiden, but I sure as hell wasn't going to placate her with the idea of me working to get the two of them together. It wasn't happening.
"Why won't you do this for me?" She stopped behind me as I walked into my room and slammed the door in her face.
"Go away, Steph. I'm not doing it."
"Fine. Then I'll do it my damn self." She hit the door, and I listened as she stormed off.
"Great. Fucking go for it. He's an incredible lover, just in case you were wondering." I reached up and pulled my pillow over my head. I'd promised myself that I wouldn't get involved in the drama that most hospitals had pumping through them, but here I was, slam in the middle of it. It would be the most scandalous thing those people had seen in eons.
Too bad it wasn't going to last. Things like that never did.