Chapter 2

Kristine's brain scrambled for a coherent thought. This could not be happening. Out of all the gynecologists in Seattle, how was George Mitchell standing in this room? Her George. Except he was not hers anymore and had not been for five years.

She turned sharply to the nurse standing by the counter. "I think my HMO app messed up my appointment."

The nurse looked confused. "Messed up how?"

"I just..." Kristine's mind raced. "I wasn't expecting Dr. George."

"Dr. George is one of the top gynecologists in the world," the nurse said, her tone almost reverent. "Are you sure you want to give this up, miss? His waiting list is usually six months long. You're very lucky to get in today."

Kristine swallowed hard. The cramping in her lower abdomen pulsed as if reminding her why she was here in the first place. Her condition could not wait. She had already put this off for too long. And honestly, he did not seem to recognize her anyway. Maybe five years had erased her from his memory completely. Maybe she was just another patient to him now.

She could do this. She had to do this.

"No, it's fine," Kristine said, forcing her voice to sound steady. "Let's proceed."

George stood near the door, his face carefully blank. His eyes moved over her like she was a stranger. Like they had not spent two years tangled up in each other's lives. Like he had not once known every inch of her body in ways that made her blush just thinking about it. But his expression gave nothing away now. Professional. Detached. Cold.

Fine. If he wanted to pretend they were strangers, she could play that game too.

Kristine settled back onto the examination table, the paper crinkling beneath her. She stared at the ceiling tiles and tried to pretend this was normal. Just a routine appointment. Nothing to be anxious about. Except her heart was beating so fast she worried he would hear it.

The nurse moved efficiently around the room, preparing instruments. George stepped closer, pulling on latex gloves with practiced ease. His movements were smooth and clinical, but Kristine caught the slight tension in his jaw. So maybe he was not as unaffected as he pretended to be.

"Please remove your underwear, miss." His voice was flat and professional, but his eyes locked onto hers for just a second too long.

Stay calm, Kristine. It's just a normal procedure. You can do this. she thought.

She shifted on the table, reaching under the paper gown to slide her underwear down her legs. The vulnerability of it made her want to crawl out of her own skin. This was George. The man who had kissed her like she was oxygen. The man she had loved so desperately it scared her. And now he was about to examine her in the most intimate way possible while acting like she meant nothing.

George moved to the end of the table. His expression remained neutral but something flickered in his eyes when she settled into position. The stirrups felt cold against her feet.

"This might be uncomfortable," he said, his tone detached.

Then his finger pressed inside her and Kristine bit down hard on her lip. She focused on breathing. In and out. Slow and steady. Do not think about whose hand that is. Do not think about the last time he touched you.

"Married?" George asked, his voice flat.

"No."

"Boyfriend?"

"No." Her answer came out sharper than she intended.

He withdrew his hand and reached for a metal instrument on the tray. Kristine forced herself to keep staring at the ceiling. The speculum was cold when he inserted it, and she flinched involuntarily. He adjusted her position, parting her legs wider, his movements efficient and impersonal.

"Sexually active?"

"No." The word came out clipped. Then she muttered under her breath, "Of course not."

George adjusted something and a sharp pressure made Kristine gasp. Her body jerked and a small, involuntary moan escaped her lips before she could stop it.

"Can you be more gentle?" Her voice shook. "I'm... I'm still a virgin."

The room went completely silent.

George's hands stilled. For several long seconds, he did not move at all. Then he pulled back and removed the speculum with more care than before. His movements were slower now, deliberate, like he was processing information that did not make sense.

"Virgins don't need pap smears."

Kristine's head snapped up. Heat flooded her face, anger mixing with humiliation. She jerked upright from where she had been lying, clutching the paper gown against her chest.

"You could have told me that before I took off my underwear!"

George reached up and pulled down his mask. His face was fully visible now. Those eyes she had once loved stared at her with an expression she could not quite read. Shock. Confusion. Something else underneath that made her stomach twist.

"I didn't expect you would still be a virgin, Kristine."