LOGINNate's POVThe drive to the hospital felt longer than it should have.I could not remember much about the journey. I knew that I had driven through several traffic lights, taken a turn I normally wouldn't have taken, and nearly missed the entrance to the hospital because my mind was scattered all over the place and completely out of focus.All my thoughts revolved around Daniel, and his name kept repeating in my head. Every time it did, I hoped that things were being exaggerated.It couldn't be him.I had spoken to him in the afternoon and we had exchanged a couple of messages about training. Then he sent me some absolutely ridiculous video that had made me laugh while I was getting ready for dinner with Chloe.He was supposed to be perfectly fine.I parked carelessly and got out, barely remembering to lock the car before hurrying towards the entrance. There were people moving around the reception area, nurses pushing trolleys and a few patients sitting in the waiting area, but I bare
Chloe's POV I knew something was wrong the moment I saw his expression.Nathaniel had been smiling just a few minutes earlier, looking entirely too comfortable on my sofa, with one arm stretched along the backrest and his attention fixed on me. Then we had dinner and my head swam as I realized that Nathaniel Hayes was living and breathing in my tiny kitchen. But the moment his phone rang, something changed and he simply went still, and I watched him pull the phone away from his ear, staring at the screen as though he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Then he brought it back and listened again."Nate?" I moved closer, watching him. "Is everything okay?”He only raised one finger, silently asking me to wait, and I pressed my lips together as the tension started to get to me, heating up my nerves. There was something about the way he was listening that made my stomach tighten. His shoulders had stiffened, and the hand holding his phone was clenched so tightly that his knuckle
Nate's POVI was all alone and laughing to myself in Chloe's living room.It was not necessarily because I regretted coming over or because of the small environs, but because Chloe had disappeared and was now in the kitchen for nearly fifteen minutes, and I was starting to feel like a man who had been invited into a house only to be abandoned in the living room.I could hear her moving things around, occasionally opening and closing cupboards as though she was casting spells and muttering something under her breath whenever she encountered one of the containers I'd brought.There, I suddenly realized that I had never been particularly interested in domestic evenings. Dinner usually meant ordering something and eating with the boys after practice most of the time, though it could be—and these were my favourite times—having dinner with my mother and brother. Then the worst of them happened to be attending some expensive event where the food was considerably less interesting than the pe
Chloe's POV I watched as the car door opened, and Nathaniel Hayes stepped out.For a moment, I simply stood there, staring at how he was dressed unusually in a black dress shirt—which was different from his usual hockey gear or casual clothes which I had seen him more often in—with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and a pair of trousers that fit him rather well. He shut the door, retrieved something from the passenger seat, and glanced towards my house.Then, as though he knew exactly where I was standing, he looked directly at my window which made me quickly step back, afraid he had seen me. It only took my remembering that the windows were tinted to settle down. Oh, God. He was here.I glanced at myself in the mirror one last time, adjusted my earrings and hurried out of the bedroom, and had barely made it halfway across the living room when the doorbell rang, and I opened the door to him."Good evening, Doctor Chloe," he beamed."Good evening."His eyes travelled over my fa
Chloe's POVThe next day, the plans were still in place.I returned early from work, and an hour later, I thought I was going to kill myself—Not literally, of course, but I was beginning to question my sanity.What on earth had possessed me to invite Nathaniel Hayes to my house?I stood in the middle of my living room, and caught myself staring at the sofa as though it might provide an explanation for my questionable decision-making. It didn't—inanimate thing it was, and the sofa remained still, with a throw pillow hanging awkwardly over one arm and a pile of laundry occupying the other.That was just the problem. I wasn't prepared at all.I dragged both hands down my face and released a groan as I started to feel regret. I could have apologised and left things at that, or allowed him to walk out of my office, gone home, and enjoyed the peace of knowing that I had successfully avoided another uncomfortable encounter with him.But I had practically invited the man to dinner, and as th
Chloe's POV I really didn't want a complaint filed against him. "Mr. Hayes hasn't done anything to me," I repeated. "I assure you.""Alright."She picked up a pen and turned over a sheet of paper."However, I would like to remind you of something. Your relationship with your patients must remain professional at all times. It is important that you maintain your boundaries, regardless of how friendly or comfortable you become with them. I admit that many of them are young and attractive—"I swallowed.“And it's only natural that a young woman like all the blood pulsing in your veins will want to have something to do with them. At the same time, you must be careful. These things can have serious repercussions.”“Yes ma'am,” I answered with a nod."Being friendly is not necessarily a problem. In fact, I more often than not, encourage our staff to create an environment where patients feel comfortable enough to communicate their concerns. But there is a distinction between being approacha







