Still strapped to an IV, I lay in the hospital bed, waiting for my mom to pick me up. The doctor said during his last visit that I was ready to be discharged. I just needed one final check-up before being released, and the bill would be charged to my account.
"It's been ages, Mom!" I said, holding the phone tight to my ear. "I've been stuck here for hours. Where are you?"
"Honey Ari, Dave and I--"
My jaw clenched. Dave. Of course. Her precious boyfriend. "What about Dave?" I snapped. "Does he have something to do with me getting discharged from this hellhole?"
"Arianne, calm down," she sighed. "You were just admitted overnight because you didn't get enough sleep--"
"Damn right, I didn't! Because I was up all night working and making sure this family eats! And now you can't even pick me up because, oh, let me guess--another dinner date with Dave?"
There was a pause. Too long a pause.
"I just thought... you're old enough to manage on your own now. You'll be fine, sweetie."
"Screw this!" I screamed into the phone. "How could you do this to me?! Your daughter over a fucking dinner reservation? Tell me the truth, Mom!"
"Okay, fine! Yes! You got me, alright? We already had dinner reservations!"
I let out a sharp laugh, more bitter than amused. "Wow. Right. Of course. God forbid your evening with Dave gets interrupted by your daughter sitting alone in a hospital bed!"
"Ari, please don't make this a big deal--"
"No, no, it's not a big deal," I cut in. "It's just your kid, in a hospital, with an IV still taped to her arm. But hey, you enjoy your night. I'll figure something out."
"Arianne! You're twenty-five years old, Jesus!"
I hung up before she could finish. Disappointment settled deep in my chest, heavier than the IV drip still ticking beside me.
Great. Happy discharge day to me.
Then came a knock. Soft. Almost apologetic. I didn't answer. Didn't even bother to look. A nurse would probably come to remind me again that the bill would be forwarded to my nonexistent insurance company.
"I'll be quick," a voice said, slipping into the room. "Sorry to interrupt your little argument, but I need to do rounds. Dr. Martinez had to head to another hospital--the older man's short-staffed, so I'm filling in."
The voice.
My blood ran cold before my eyes even confirmed it.
I turned my head, slowly, like I was bracing for a punch.
And there he was.
Him.
Hunter Evans.
Or should I say--Dr. Evans--a long-time ex of mine.
We'd been together since high school, and god forbid, it didn't work out.
Blame it on the chaos of my family back then. We were both immature, alright? Hunter was neck-deep in med school, drowning in textbooks and rotations, while I was busy dealing with my own family's bullshit.
And now here he was--in the flesh, in scrubs, holding a clipboard he probably didn't even need.
He looked just as stunned, mouth slightly open, like he hadn't expected to walk into me either.
"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, more to myself than him.
Of all the rooms. Of all the damn hospitals in the city.
"Ari?" he finally breathed out.
"Nope," I said flatly. "This isn't her. But unfortunately, I'm the Ari that you've mistaken me for, and I'm still alive."
His jaw tensed--like I'd struck something raw. Good. Let him feel it.
"I see you still have that dark humor in you," he said, voice low.
The way he looked at me made my throat go dry. I hated it. And yet--
My legs clenched without permission.
Damn it!
He still had that same voice. That same stare, like he could see past everything I was trying to hide.
"Don't flatter yourself, Dr. Evans. I'm just pissed and sleep-deprived."
"You always did talk tough when you were hurt," he murmured.
I scoffed. "Yeah? And you always ran when shit got real."
Now that hit.
His grip on the clipboard tightened.
"Maybe I did," he said quietly. "But I'm here now."
My chest burned. I wasn't ready for this. Not him. Not today.
Not while I still had a damn IV in my arm.
He stepped inside slowly, cautious, like I might throw the IV pole at him. And to be fair, I was considering it.
"Alright. Jokes aside, I didn't know you were--"
"Save it," I snapped, sitting up straighter. "If I wanted drama, I would've turned on a soap opera."
The tension in the room could've snapped steel. All those memories I had buried and burned were clawing their way back up just from being near him. His presence alone was enough to knock the air out of me. And judging by his face, he was feeling it too.
But I wasn't about to give him that satisfaction.
"Do what you came here to do," I said, voice like ice. "Then get out."
Hunter flinched. Just slightly. But I saw it.
"Stop acting so cold," he muttered, setting the clipboard down harder than he probably meant to.
I let out a bitter laugh. "Cold? Try abandoned. You don't get to waltz in here after years and lecture me about emotions."
He turned, eyes narrowed. "You think you were the only one hurting back then?"
"No," I snapped. "But if I may remind you, doctor, I was the only one left picking up pieces you helped shatter."
Hunter looked like he wanted to say something--maybe even step closer--but thought better of it.
"I was drowning, Ari. Med school... my dad... everything was falling apart."
"I had my own problems, too, Dr. Evans," I hissed, my palm clenched as his professionalism started to melt down.
"Christ, Ari," Hunter exclaimed, his stance rigid--tense in all the ways that used to make my stomach flip. And God help me, it still did. "Turn the fuck around and let me check your breathing."
I raised a brow, still facing the wall.
"Ari," he said, lower this time. Firmer. That tone--the one that used to have me wet and pulling my hoodie off before we even made it to his room. "Don't make me repeat myself."
I huffed, half from defiance, half from the stupid flutter in my chest. "Fine."
I turned slowly, deliberately, making sure he knew I wasn't doing it for him. But the moment we locked eyes, the tension shifted--thick, charged, magnetic. Like the old days we had when I openly let him suck my vagina while I devour his--
My eyes lowered to his pants.
God, I can't believe I missed that thing inside of me!
Without warning, Hunter stepped closer. Too close. Clipboard forgotten on the side.
"This isn't funny," he muttered, eyes scanning me like he didn't know whether to be angry or worried. "You've lost weight. Your hands are cold," he said after grazing my skin.
"Didn't know you still cared."
He exhaled sharply. "That's the worst part. I never stopped."
I froze when he reached for his stethoscope.
"Lift your gown," Hunter said, voice firm, clinical--but his dark eyes...they weren't.
My breath hitched. "You're joking!"
My tits were out, and I was only wearing my underwear.
"No." He slipped the earpieces in. "I need to check for fluid. It's protocol."
Protocol, my ass.
Still, my hands moved on their own--slow, hesitant. My fingers gripped the hem of the hospital shirt, and I tugged it up just enough to expose my stomach and ribs while I desperately tried to hide my tits--which, by the way, weren't really new to him.
The cold metal pressed against my skin, and I nearly flinched. Not from the chill, but from the way his fingers brushed against me. The way his jaw clenched when he noticed the faint scar near my ribs.
The silence.
My face burned.
Hunter didn't say a word, but his hands stilled for a beat too long before continuing.
"Breathe in," he said softly.
I did, and I hated how shaky it sounded.
"You okay?" he asked, not moving the stethoscope yet.
"I was. Until you walked in."
His eyes flicked up to mine--stormy, unreadable--and I quickly looked away, feeling like a fucking fool for even meeting him half way and wanting him still no matter how many years had gone by.
I didn't like this. The way my body still reacted to him. The way shame crawled up my neck like heat.
This wasn't supposed to happen.