Chapter 9

**Amira**

The cafeteria is bustling with activity, the sound of clattering trays and the murmur of conversation filling the air. But despite the noise, I can’t stop thinking about Ryan, about the way his touch lingered on mine, about the way my heart seems to speed up every time he’s near.

“You’re distracted,” Mia says, her eyes narrowing as she studies me.

“What? No, I’m not,” I reply, a little too quickly.

Eva smirks, leaning back in her chair with a knowing look. “She’s totally distracted.”

“By a certain surgeon, perhaps?” Mia teases, her voice light but full of implication.

I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment, and I quickly take a sip of water to hide my reaction. “You two are ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously right,” Eva quips, her grin widening. “It’s so obvious, Amira.”

“There’s nothing going on,” I protest, though the words feel hollow even to my own ears.

“Uh-huh,” Mia says, clearly unconvinced. “That’s why you practically light up every time he walks into a room.”

I open my mouth to argue, but before I can say anything, Daniel, the orthopedic surgeon, joins our table, a broad grin on his face. “What’s this about lighting up? Are we talking about Ryan?”

Eva laughs, nodding in my direction. “Yep. Amira here is trying to deny what’s clearly going on between them.”

“There’s nothing going on,” I repeat, though the heat in my cheeks gives me away.

“Sure, sure,” Daniel says, his tone teasing. “But you should see the way Ryan looks at you. It’s like he’s a goner.”

My heart skips a beat at his words, and I can’t help but wonder if they’re right. But before I can dwell on it, Mia changes the subject, launching into a story about a particularly challenging case she’s been dealing with. I listen, grateful for the distraction, but my thoughts keep drifting back to Ryan, to the way he makes me feel like I’m the only person in the room when he looks at me.

---

That afternoon, I’m in the middle of reviewing charts in the small office I share with the residents when Ryan appears in the doorway, his presence filling the room with a warmth that has nothing to do with the temperature. He leans against the doorframe, a playful smile on his lips.

“Got a minute?” he asks, his tone casual, but there’s something more behind it—something that makes my heart race.

“Sure,” I reply, setting down the chart I’m holding and giving him my full attention. “What’s up?”

“I was thinking we could go over Lily’s case together,” he says, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

My pulse quickens at the sound of the door clicking shut, and I can’t help but feel like we’re in our own little world, cut off from the rest of the hospital. Ryan moves to stand beside me, his shoulder brushing mine as he pulls up a chair. The closeness of him, the way his arm lightly presses against mine, sends a thrill through me that I can’t ignore.

We start reviewing the case, but it’s hard to focus on the details when all I can think about is how close we are, how the air between us seems to crackle with unspoken tension. Every time Ryan points something out on the chart, his fingers brush against mine, and each touch feels like a spark igniting something deep inside me.

At one point, Ryan leans in closer, his breath warm against my ear as he explains something about the treatment plan. My heart is pounding so loudly I’m sure he can hear it, and I struggle to keep my voice steady when I respond. But when he turns his head, his lips just inches from mine, it’s impossible to ignore the pull between us.

For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me—his eyes are dark, filled with something intense and undeniable. My breath catches, and I find myself leaning in, wanting nothing more than to close the distance between us. But before anything can happen, there’s a knock at the door, and we both jump apart as if we’ve been caught doing something we shouldn’t.

Jacob pokes his head in, completely oblivious to the tension in the room. “Dr. Amira, are you free to check on the new admission?”

“Of course,” I say quickly, standing up and putting some much-needed distance between Ryan and myself. “I’ll be right there.”

Ryan clears his throat, running a hand through his hair as he stands as well. “See you later”

As we leave the office, I can still feel the lingering warmth of his presence, the unspoken connection between us that seems to grow stronger with each passing day.