𝗧𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸

𝗦𝗶𝘅 | 𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙬, undoubtedly icy by the nightly chill of Encino's autumn weather, slickened the soles of Mallorie's Converse. As she and Michael crossed the lawn of the condo's local park, she leaned into him, savoring the little warmth that their joined hands and his body provided. After she was able to clear his recovery with a glucose level test and pack up her equipment, he invited her to accompany him on what he explained as his nightly routine. She was hesitant at first since they had already crossed a myriad of boundaries that a doctor and patient should have. But Mallorie promised herself that she would make Michael's plea for "just one night" true, and that the following day would mark the start of the end of their blurred relationship lines. For now, she would appreciate it for all the chaos, confusion and gratification it had brought to her.

Truthfully, she was glad that he had convinced her to stay. Following the late evening and night hours she had spent overwrought while also providing his medical care, she wasn't sure if she would have been able to drive herself home. Weary was too weak of a word to describe the desire for the world to stop and let her rest that was growing inside her and manifesting in the drag of her feet and the jumbling of her thoughts.

On the other hand, Mallorie was hard pressed to say no. In contrast to the crisp air nipping at her ears, she felt them aflame as she recalled Michael's sabotage.

Though they'd occurred in a modest area, something about his kisses felt intimate. Breathless, she had watched his eyes darken before he lowered his head to kiss her again and again. His voice was silky and soft but not because of shyness or impeccable manners. There was something in the way he let himself go that expressed an emotion she was too afraid to name. She had never had such an experience; because of her dedication to medical school and her mom's strict watch on her as a teen among other reasons, her knowledge of romantic situations were limited. Even so, she had seen enough movies to know where such kisses would eventually lead, and she felt mortified by how prepared her body seemed to be for it.

"Cold?" Michael's sweet voice asked from beside her. He smiled at her, using his free hand to rub some heated friction over her arm.

Her skin was raised by chills, but her temperature certainly wasn't the cause. She rid the vivid memory of his hot mouth settling over her skin in his living room then shook her head. "It's a little bit chilly, but I'm okay."

"Okay," he said yet pulled her tighter against his side, holding her gaze with his. "Just tell me if you get too cold and we can go back inside. I just wanna show you something first."

Mallorie only hummed in response, taking in the endearing glow of excitement in his face. Then a second after, her chest became constricted by guilt.

An entire month had gone by where she devoted herself to her studies. After the events of the current day transpired, she wished she could say it was because she was simply that concerned about passing her medical licensing exam. That was technically what she had told Michael when he called her out for her sudden departure from his life. However, the statement was an excuse more than it was the truth.

In complete honesty, seeing Tatiana being so physical with Michael opened a large can of worms that Mallorie wasn't ready to digest. And in order keep her emotions from soiling the objectivity needed to perform her job with integrity, she decided to make herself a background figure in his life until she was absolutely needed—until today.

Incidents that she had been at the center of in the clinic ranged from relatively tame to fitting for a code blue call. She had seen plenty other cases of hypoglycemia-induced syncope. She even had to provide chest compressions in an emergency situation until an ambulance arrived to transport the patient to a hospital. Her training had also taught her how to rely on her knowledge and observations while reacting to any medical situation, and doing so had become second nature. But none of that prepared her for the way her heart shattered from seeing Michael in a pale, barely conscious heap on the stage floor.