MAD AT HIM

~~ARIA~~

I arrived at the arena even earlier than usual, hoping the quiet would calm the storm in my head.

Sleep had been impossible. Ward’s face kept appearing every time I closed my eyes, the regret in his voice, the way his shoulders had tensed when I pushed him away.

My chest feels tight at every moment I think about him.

By 7:00 AM, I had everything ready in the treatment room. When the door opened, Ward stepped inside.

I couldn't help but notice how his exhausted eyes were puffy, with dark circles underneath, like he hadn’t slept at all. His broad shoulders seemed heavier today, and he moved with careful, pained steps toward the table.

“Morning Mr Bernett,” I said, keeping my voice professional. “Lie face down. We will start with an ultrasound on the hip.”

He obeyed without argument, lowering himself onto the table with a quiet wince.

I applied the gel and moved the wand in slow circles, watching the screen. The silence felt thick, but I forced myself to stay focused on my job.

After a few minutes, I noticed how drained he looked again. Against my better judgment, worry crept in. “You look really tired,” I said quietly.

“Make sure you’re resting properly after sessions. Ice the hip for fifteen minutes every evening, and avoid putting full weight on it when you are off the ice. Don’t push through the pain, or else it will make your injury worse.”

He stayed silent, but I could see his shoulders tense under my touch.

When the ultrasound finished, he turned over for the mobility stretches. That was when I noticed his right fist. The knuckles were bruised and swollen, with fresh scrapes across them.

I froze for a second, then pointed at his hand. “What happened to your fist?”

Ward glanced at it and looked away. “It’s nothing, I am fine.”

The casual brush-off irritated me. I felt the old anger rising again. “You are not fine. And it’s ‘nothing’ when you are under my care. If you keep getting bruises and hiding them, how am I supposed to do my job?”

He started to stand up, but I stepped closer, my voice turning sharp and hurtful. “You already made me lose one job because of your lies and silence three years ago. Do you want to ruin this one too because you refused to tell me about your wounds and make me look unprofessional?” I asked and he paused at once.

The words came out colder than I intended. Ward stopped moving. He looked at me for a long moment, something pained flashing in his tired eyes. Then he slowly sat back down without arguing.

A small wave of guilt hit me. I had spoken too rudely. Even if he deserved it, seeing him look so worn down made me feel a little bad. I sighed and reached for the antiseptic wipes.

“Give me your hand,” I said more gently.

He held it out. I cleaned the bruised knuckles carefully, my fingers light on his skin. The whole time, the room stayed completely silent except for the soft sound of our breathing. His hand was warm under mine, but I could feel the strain in his muscles.

When I finished wrapping a fresh bandage around his fist, Ward finally spoke, his voice low. “Did you feel anything strange last night? Any weird messages or… anything?”

I stared at him, then rolled my eyes. “Why is that your concern?”

He asked again, quieter this time. “Aria, please. Did anything happen?”

I ignored him completely and reached for the supplies. My fingers brushed against a small box of the premium bandages I had received anonymously yesterday.

They were expensive and hard to find. I was pretty sure they had come from him. Without saying anything, I used one on his bruised knuckles.

Ward looked down at the bandage, then back at me. “Where did you get this? These aren’t easy to come by.”

I stared at him and scoffed. “Oh please. Like I don’t know it came from you.”

His expression changed instantly, surprise mixed with worry. He stood up quickly. “When did you get it? Aria, this is important…”

“Sit your ass back down,” I snapped, pointing at the table. “Or shut up. This isn’t your issue to worry about. If it didn’t come from you, then maybe it came from an admirer. Someone who actually knows how to be decent.”

He looked shocked. “Has anyone been hovering around you?” he asked again and before I could reply he grabbed my birth arms. “Think Aria… is anyone acting strange around you?”

That was it, anger flared hot in my chest. I pushed him away and slapped him so hard on his face.

“Mr. Bennett, I am only here to treat you as a player. Not to let you dig into my personal life. Your treatment for today is over so get out!”

He stood there for a second, then lowered his head. “I am sorry,” he apologized softly. A small, sad smile touched his lips before he turned and left the room without another word.

I stood frozen, shocked by how calmly he had taken it. My heart was still racing. I sank into my chair, rubbing my temples, trying to make sense of the confusing mix of guilt and irritation I felt.

A moment later, the door opened again. Lena walked in, carrying two coffees.

“Hey, how was the session…” She stopped when she saw my face. “What happened? You look like you want to murder someone.”

I told her everything, the bruised fist, my rude outburst, the anonymous bandage, and how Ward had crossed his limit. Lena’s eyes widened with anger.

“That cunning bastard,” she muttered. “Of course, he is playing games again. I should go find him right now and give him peace of mind.”

“Lena, stop.” I grabbed her arm before she could storm out. “It’s fine. I handled it.”

She crossed her arms, still fuming. “You should throw those fancy gifts away. He’s obviously trying to get back in your head.”

“I can’t,” I admitted. “It’s expensive and exactly what I needed for the kit.”

Lena sighed dramatically and threw in her usual sassy remark. “Girl, you are too nice. Next time he pulls this, I’m ‘accidentally’ mixing laxatives into his protein shake. Call it performance enhancement.”

Despite everything, I let out a small laugh. Lena always knew how to lighten the mood. We talked a little more before she headed back to her office, leaving me to finish my paperwork.

When the day finally ended, I packed my bag and headed toward the exit. One of the receptionists stopped me with a small bouquet, my favorite white lilies.

“These just arrived for you,” she said with a smile. My stomach twisted at once.

“From who?”

“Anonymous,” she replied cheerfully.

Annoyance flared up instantly, the washer trying to apologize with these stupid followers? Oh, he must have thought I was stupid. I took the flowers, walked straight to the nearest trash bin, and dropped them inside. I didn’t need more mysterious gifts or mind games today.

I continued to the parking lot, digging in my bag for my keys. They weren’t there. I must have left them in the treatment room. Annoyed, I turned back.

When I reached the bin near the exit, I froze.

Ward was there, bending down and pulling the bouquet of lilies out of the trash.

Anger surged through me at once as I marched toward him, my voice loud enough for him to hear.

“Why are you so stupid?” I snapped.

“Didn’t I make it clear we should stay away from each other? Why are you sending stupid flowers? What do you want, Ward? Don’t you enjoy seeing me suffer enough already?”

“Aria..” he tried to say but I raised my hands for him, stopping him.

“It's Dr. Vance to you… If you won't stay professional I won't hesitate to stop being your doctor.”

I didn’t wait for him to explain. I went to my office, snatched my keys from the bench where I had left them, turned on my heel, and walked off without looking back. My hands were shaking as I got into my car and drove away, heart still pounding from the confrontation.