My Bad Boy Doctor

BONUS CHAPTER -- VAL

WinterSleep85 came up with the lovely idea of a bonus chapter, so I'm gonna try it out.

Also, go check her out if you haven't already. Winter is super supportive, and such a nice person. She's great, and you should definitely check out her work.

Val is sort of a favorite for me, so I'm glad she was so well received, and I really do apologize for the abrupt stop with her feelings there. Hopefully, this chapter helps with questions.

Thank you all so much for making it this far and reading!

Val

I made a mistake the night I told Kelly I love her. I do, but that's neither here nor there. She wants Blake, and she deserves to be happy. She doesn't need the confusion of my unrequited feelings, nor does she deserve to feel guilty over something she can't help.

Sitting on my couch and watching Netflix alone is not as comforting as movies make it out to be. I make it about ten minutes before I shut off the TV and curl my knees into my chest, doing my best not to kick myself for my stupidity.

Kelly asked the next day about what I'd said, and like a coward, I told her she must have been dreaming. The truth is that I can't bear the rejection -- not without dissolving into a blubbering mess.

No, best to keep those feelings to myself.

A familiar ache settles into my heart, threatening to squeeze my chest until I can't breathe. I can't think about this right now. I need to find something else to occupy my time; something more constructive.

Throwing on a sports bra and a pair of yoga pants, I sit on the floor and stretch. Once I finish, I slip into my running shoes and go outside, locking the front door and stuffing my keys into my bra.

Then I run, and it takes me ten whole seconds to realize I forgot my music. I'm already moving though, and I don't want to ruin it, so I push through the jog, focusing on my breathing and counting my steps to a beat of four.

It's hot tonight and the air is dry, but that's normal. I don't expect the weather to dip below one hundred until September. And boy, do I want it to be December already so I'm not melting in my underwear. It hasn't been five minutes, and sweat is rolling down my boobs and clinging to my hair.

My pace falls into a steady rhythm, and soon, I'm on Baseline Road at a full run down the sidewalk. I ignore the catcalls and whistles from men in their calls looking for us. I tune out the occasional honk as cars pass.

Before I know it, I've run close to four miles, and I stop at the edge of a park, hands pressed to my thighs as I force myself to draw slow, even breaths. My heart races inside my chest, thumping so loud and beating so hard, it's all I can hear.

After a moment, I walk. The last thing I need is to stop my exercise without a proper cooldown. I make my way to the large, man-made lake, passing couples and families out for an evening together. Dogs tug on their leashes, kids zoom by on skateboards, and joggers carry themselves across the trail, their shoe soles slapping against the hot sidewalk.

What catches my eye though is a young woman on a bench, rubbing her eyes as if she's been crying. She is wearing a yellow sundress with white sandals, and her wavy red hair tumbles down her shoulders. She's pale, as if she'd spent her entire life out of the sun, but there's a strange appeal to her as the last vestiges of light kiss her hair.