Alaina kept her eyes closed. She pressed her spine against the cold wall, taking slow, deep breaths to force her racing heart to slow down.
Leah walked out of the ER room a minute later. She stopped and looked at Alaina with concern. "Dr. Strong, you look awful. Do you need to sit down?"
Alaina shook her head. She pushed herself off the wall and walked toward the water cooler at the end of the hall.
She grabbed a small paper cup, filled it halfway with cold water, and threw it back in one gulp.
The freezing liquid hit her stomach, clearing the fog in her brain just enough to remember protocol.
She realized she hadn't gotten the secondary consent form signed by the accompanying family member. She sighed and walked back down the hall.
When she reached Room 3, she noticed the heavy door wasn't fully latched. It was slightly ajar. She nudged it open just a fraction more to listen.
Alaina raised her hand to knock, but Chelsey's soft, grateful voice drifted through the crack.
Alaina paused. Through the widened crack, she saw Chelsey looking up at Jarred, who was now sitting in the plastic visitor's chair.
Jarred didn't respond to Chelsey's thanks. He casually reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out his phone to check a notification.
As the screen lit up, Chelsey leaned forward slightly, catching a glimpse of the display.
"Oh, what a beautiful wallpaper," Chelsey said. "Is that the Redwood Grove in California?"
Outside the door, Alaina's heart skipped a violent beat.
The Redwood Grove. It was the place they had promised to visit together eight years ago. The trip they never got to take.
Inside the room, Jarred's relaxed posture vanished. His shoulders went rigid.
His thumb slammed down on the lock button. The screen went pitch black instantly.
Jarred's face darkened. "I'm just too lazy to change it," he snapped. His voice was harsh and biting.
The sudden aggression in his tone made Chelsey shrink back against the pillows, too intimidated to say another word.
Jarred yanked at his silk tie, loosening it with a frustrated jerk. He stood up abruptly. "My assistant will be here in five minutes to handle the rest of this."
He turned on his heel and strode toward the door.
Alaina panicked. She took two quick steps backward, holding the consent form up to her face, pretending to read the fine print.
The ER door was pulled open violently. Jarred stepped out into the hallway, bringing a wave of cold, intimidating energy with him.
As he walked past Alaina, his long stride faltered for a fraction of a second.
The scent of his custom cologne-a rich blend of cedarwood and mint-washed over her, suffocating her senses.
Jarred looked down at her from his height. A low, dark scoff escaped his lips.
It was a sound full of mockery, as if he could see right through her pathetic attempt to look busy.
He didn't say a word. He just kept walking, his long legs carrying him down the corridor until he disappeared around the corner.
Alaina gripped the edges of the clipboard. Her knuckles turned stark white.
The detail of the Redwood wallpaper acted like a crowbar, prying open the sealed box of her convictions. Her certainty that he had moved on began to crack.
She bit her lower lip, pushed the door open, and walked back in to face Chelsey.
