Chapter 5— We need to talk

The rain had finally stopped, leaving the streets washed in silver. From the window of the small apartment she shared with Audrey, Eva Meadows could still hear the soft hum of the city — the occasional car, the faint laughter from somewhere below, and the rhythmic drip of water from the roof’s edge.

She leaned back on the couch, her scrubs replaced with an oversized nighty gown and cotton shorts. The warmth of the room did little to ease the weight in her body; her limbs felt heavy.

The kettle clicked off in the kitchen, and she poured herself a cup of tea — weak, lukewarm, almost forgotten before it even reached her lips. The phone buzzed on the coffee table.

Henry: "On my way. Don’t sleep yet."

Eva blinked at the screen. She hadn’t expected that. She has been wondering why on earth will Henry just call all of a sudden in that tone that they need to talk. Could it be that he's tired of the relationship or he suspicious of something else?

A part of her wanted to text back, Why?, but her thumbs hesitated. Instead, she typed a simple Okay.

She rubbed her temples. He said we need to talk. The words sounded harmless, but tonight, they made her chest feel tight.

***

Twenty minutes later, the knock came — soft but steady.

When she opened the door, Henry stood there with his familiar, boyish smile and a paper bag in his hand. His dark hair was damp from the drizzle, sticking to his forehead, and his hoodie clung slightly to his shoulders.

One could tell he's charming but not the charm that makes girls go crazy. Just a spec charm.

“Hey,” he said, his voice gentle. “You look like you’ve wrestled ten patients and lost to nine.” he teased with a lovely smile.

Eva let out a tired laugh. “I probably did. Come on in"

He stepped inside, shaking off the cool air. “I brought something for my womannnnnn".

She peeked into the bag , A takeout noodles and a cup of iced coffee.

Her lips softened. “You remembered.” she forced a smile but who the hell take coffee at night? So obvious that his sense of humour isn't a 10/10.

“Of course,” he said, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. “My hardworking woman deserves caffeine therapy.”

“Don’t call me that,” she said, blushing faintly. “Makes me sound… old.”

He chuckled. “Fine, my hardworking girl.”

Eva rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered longer this time.

They sat on the couch, the soft yellow glow from the lamp stretching across the coffee table. Henry unpacked the food and handed her chopsticks.

“Eat,” he ordered lightly. “You look like you haven’t had a proper meal in days.”

“I had something at the hospital,” she said.

“i know, of course you'll eat food but I mean a proper meal. A meal that only I specially prepare for you” he added seductively looking at her breast. There's no doubt that Eva is beautiful but tonight, she looked hotter in his eyes.

At that instance, he became full, but was hungry for her.

“...... Yeah I guess. It's been a while I had it.” she answered stylishly looking at her cleavage.

He laughed a little. “Exactly.”

They ate quietly for a while, the silence comfortable, until Henry set his cup down and looked at her carefully. This time, he drew more closer, gently rubbing his palms on her thigh.

“Eva,” he said softly, letting his breath calloused her neck pulling strands of hair from the back of her ear. His gaze constantly fixed on her. “we used to talk all the time Eva”

She paused and looked up from her noodles. “We.... We still do Henry ". She felt his motioned cold arms on her shoulder moving down to her breasts. That made her shivered a bit.

“Not like before,” he said, releasing a warm smile. Now his gazed was fixed on hers and all he wanted at that moment was to get in “You used to tell me everything — about your shifts... your patients... even that annoying nurse who keeps misplacing files. But Now? I get one-word replies and just a goodnight text.”

Guilt pricked her heart. She wandered through his eyes like one searching for something she lost, or is it LOVE? He drew more closer into her and this time, she felt every bit of his breath while he gently caress her soft lips.

“I know. I’m sorry, Henry. Things have been… hectic....”

He nodded slowly. “I figured. I missed you. I do, all the time. At work, when I'm sleeping and even in the bathroom..” he paused for a while letting his fingers into her shorts. " I miss you Eva"

Suddenly, She felt a huge sensation running through her veins only to realise that his fingers and been buried inside her pussy. She wanted to scream,not the kind of reject but the kind that let out a feeling of relieve.

Before she could voice out, he pressed his lips on hers keeping her quiet while he thrust his fingers to and fro in her pussy, using his thumb to wiggle her cunt.

She shivered for a while as her pussy tightened around his fingers like a wave signals. It's been a while she had this feeling and she didn't expect any to happen tonight.

He continued moving his fingers in her pussy like he's gonna give her a tear. "Henrryyyy........" She managed moaned quietly, rolling her eyes backward. The sound of his name from her aroused him and he was fed up using his fingers. It awakened his nerves in his dick which made his erect as he reached out to loosen his belt.

Now it's time for the show, he said in his mind as Eva phone buzzed disrupting his senses. He neglected it and reached out for his dick trying to insert it in her when her phone buzzed again. This time it wasn't a message, it was a call.

Eva froze

The vibration of her phone cut through the room like a blade. It was just a buzz, a tiny electronic tremor, but somehow it felt loud enough to shatter the moment hanging between them.

Henry’s body went rigid above her. The warmth that had been in his eyes seconds ago that was soft, hungry, full of her, collapsed into something cold and hard.

“Pick the damn phone, Eva,” he snapped.

The words struck her like a slap.

She blinked, breath still shaky from where they had been just moments before. She could still feel the heat of his closeness, the quiet urgency in the way he’d whispered her name. But now… now his voice was sharp enough to cut skin.

She pushed herself up slowly, arranged herself well and covered her body. confusion knotting itself in her throat. Why is he shouting? The thought rose in her, silent and small, but she swallowed it down. She didn’t trust her voice not to shake.

Henry stood and turned away from her, running a frustrated hand through his hair as if the ringing had personally insulted him. His jaw clenched, then unclenched. He wouldn’t look at her.

Eva reached for the phone on the table, her fingers trembling just enough for her to notice. The screen glowed with a name she didn’t expect.

It was Doctor Pierce.

Why would he called this late? don't he knows that we have personal lives? She said with in her angryly

" Who's that Eva?" He asked calmly this time like he was indirectly apologizing for the way he shouted.

"It's just work" she reluctantly answered ending the call. She couldn't pick the call in his presence because there's no way Nathan wouldn't be mentioned in Their conversation and she's not ready to tell him about it, at least not yet.

"Oooh... I'm sorry then. Sorry for shouting at you" he shrugged and placed his cap in a bandit way.

" Seriously Henry? Since when?..... What's wrong with you.. are you okay?" She bumped him with questions turning to take a look at him.

He didn’t answer. He just exhaled sharply, his shoulders rising and falling in a way that told her his anger wasn’t really about the phone—but he wasn’t ready to say why.

And she wasn’t ready to ask.

She noticed some symptoms of drug abuse and when she was about to ask the next question, he left.

And She didn't bother herself thinking about it.

Eva stood there for a moment, her fingers brushing the spot on her skin where he kissed. She sighed, walking back to the couch, her eyes falling on the paper bag he’d left behind.

Inside it was a small folded note stuck to the receipt.

"Don’t overwork yourself. Love you."

She smiled weakly, her heart twisting in opposite directions.

Her phone buzzed once more as she opened the text

Dr. Pierce: Reminder: Please be early by 7:00 am and prepare initial forms. Confidentiality still applies.

Eva stared at the message, thumb hovering over the screen.

Then her gaze shifted to the folded note Henry had left beside her cup.

Love you.

***

It was nearly midnight when Audrey stumbled in, kicking off her heels and stretching her arms with a groan.

“Ugh, my feet are suing me,” she muttered. “If one more guy asks me for a whiskey recommendation like it’s a pickup line, I’ll scream.”

Eva chuckled faintly. “You love it.”

“Maybe,” Audrey said with a grin, flopping onto the couch. “So? How’s my nurse doing?”

“Tired,” Eva said honestly. “Henry came over.”

“Ooh. Serious talk?”

“Yeah. But… it was sweet. He’s worried. And he acted strange.”

Audrey’s brow lifted. “About what?”

“Just us drifting apart. I can’t really blame him.”

“Long hours, huh?”

Eva hesitated. “More than that.”

Audrey’s teasing expression softened. “Okay, talk to me.”

Eva sighed, rubbing her palms together. “You remember that contract I told you about? With Nathan Ward?”

Audrey nodded tiredly.

“It’s official now. I’m his personal nurse starting tomorrow.”

Audrey blinked, then whistled. “whooaaa.. Girl. That’s big.”

“It’s… something.”

“You sure about this?”

Eva shrugged. “It’s just work. Money’s good. And I can handle him.”

Audrey gave her a look. “You say that now.”

Eva smiled faintly. “Yeah.”

Audrey stretched, yawning. “Okay, Miss Nurse Extraordinaire, I'm of to bed. I soooo tired and I'm guessing you are too. Don't stress you okay?"

“sure dear. thank you love” Eva said quietly as she watched her Audrey drifted to sleep.