Crossroads

Chapter 28

Lincoln

"Just as I almost feel her lips against mine, as I feel the flames of her smoldering fire on my skin, I see this flicker of something familiar in her eyes. It's that spark we had, that spark I knew still existed, that spark that proves that this, us, is still real."

PRESENT

I'm beginning to think it's not a coincidence that I'm running into Mia so often. And I can't deny that I'm paying meticulous attention to my surroundings by now, always looking for the petite brunette with ocean blue eyes wherever I go.

It's been a few days since our last encounter. I'm not ashamed to say that I waited on the other side of the road after I bumped into her, I just wanted to see what she was doing, where she was going... I couldn't make out which doctor she went to, though. The building is enormous and they have about every specialist in existence in there.

She looked happy when she got out of the building, though, and I just hope that whatever she did had a positive outcome. Because I want her to be happy, I really do. I just don't know if I'm the right person to give her that.

But then, then fate strikes again.

I'm just pacing down the hospital hallway, scribbling notes into the different patient files on my tablet, when I hear it.

"Oh my god, you're such an insufferable asshole!" Her familiar laugh echoes through the hallway, and the sole sound of it has me standing still, my whole body almost magnetically steering toward her voice. I end up leaning against the wall next to the break room, still tapping away on the tablet so I don't seem awkward as hell.

"Say what you want, I know I'm your favorite." I think it's Finn who's speaking.

"You won't be any longer if you keep pulling this shit, fucking hell..."

She sounds happy, even if her words might imply otherwise. There's an almost carefree element to her tone, though I can't identify if it's actually carefree, or just utterly reckless.

"Hey, at least I got myself some, unlike you," I widen my eyes at Finn's word, suddenly feeling like I'm intruding a very intimate conversation.

"Oh my god, if you try to set me up with one of your gay friends again I will kill you."

"Hey, I saw how you looked at Dr. Grumpy on your birthday! I'm still not too sure if he's playing my field or not, but I definitely know he liked what he saw," Finn laughs, and I swear I want to fucking disappear into thin air right now. I sometimes forget how much these people gossip. I also forgot they call me Dr. Grumpy. "And you liked it, too!" he suddenly adds, and that just gets my undivided attention, immediately.

There's no answer for a minute, and I can only imagine how much Mia must hate her brother now. "Shut up. I didn't," she mutters, it's almost impossible to hear her now.

"Oh my god!" he suddenly almost squeals, "Are you fucking blushing?! What the hell?!"

I get a few weird looks by the nurses walking past me, but I just can't stop the bright grin on my face, just imagining that Mia might still feel the same thing I do fills my heart with hope.

"Ugh, fuck you! You call me here to bring you lunch and now you're calling me out? How do I deserve that?"

"I didn't know I was calling you out until you turned bloody crimson!" Finn laughs again, "You have the hots for my boss!"

"Shhh! What the hell, Finn? Shut up! I don't have the hots for anyone. God, how old are you?"

"Speaking of age... Are you into older guys? You know Dr. Grumpy is in his thirties, right? I can get you Dr. Gooden's number, he's like fifty. You know I don't kink shame. If you're into that then we..."