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3

Aria’s POV

I wish for one thing right now and that is, for the ground to open and swallow me up. I couldn’t believe I had disgraced myself again in front of my crush. What the hell was wrong with me? How could I do something so reckless?

And worse of all; how did I even let him, of all people, see my fake lashes lying helplessly on the table like an abandoned secret? And to crown it, why should he also be the one who asked me to throw it into the dustbin!? That meant only one thing: I disgusted him.

My friend Linda’s laughter wasn’t helping either. She couldn’t stop. Every few seconds, she burst out laughing, her face was already turning red, she was laughing until tears came out of her eyes.

My anger was bubbling inside, but I kept my composure—or at least I tried to. I walked slowly to the table with a shaky and weak knees, My hand trembled as I picked up the lashes, and without any further actions I rushed out of the room before I could see his expression. I didn’t dare look back!

But then again the worst part, he was wearing a face mask. I couldn’t really tell if he had been laughing or not. That thought gave me a little comfort that —maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t seen it as badly as I imagined. Still, the shame of the exposure burned my skin.

…

We got to the waiting room, and Linda was still laughing. I clenched my fists, trying to stay calm, but I was so impatient.

“Cut it, girl, that’s enough. I’m still here! it was just fake lashes! Nothing wrong with that,” I said sharply, my voice trembling between embarrassment and fury.

Linda laughed louder, clutching her stomach. “Really? Just fake lashes? Girl, you dropped them right in front of him like a mic drop moment and that's quite embarrassing…But don’t worry…. At least you made an impression. Trust me, he won’t forget you easily. That’s a good start!”

I rolled my eyes, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. “Oh, please stop! Don’t give me a flicker of hope or relief. Just admit it, I disgraced myself. Don’t try to convince me of something that isn’t even real.”

Her laughter softened, but she still smirked. “Tell me, which man wouldn’t want to date someone who brings her entire personality into his office? You talk too much, yes—but you’re unforgettable. Maybe that’s your charm and who knows he might also like you but just don't want a doctor-patient romance!”

I groaned and sank deeper into the chair. “Unforgettable? More like a disaster. I was just a talkative mess in there.”

Linda sighed, finally managing to compose herself. She leaned closer, and whispered to me in a concerned manner.

“Okay, fine. Let’s look at the bright side. He’s hot, really hot. But girl, you should know that everyone looks hot with a mask on. Who knows? He might have something going on underneath, something he might be hiding under the mask—like, maybe he lost a tooth or has weird lips. Ever thought of that?”

I snapped my head toward her, horrified. “Don’t you dare! My prince charming can never be like that.”

She smirked again, raising her brows playfully. “Dead serious. You only ever see him with a mask. What if ... .just what if, you see him outside and don’t even recognize him? Think about it.”

I shook my head fiercely, my chest tightening. “That’s not true. I’m good with recognition of faces. And he has this… vibe, this certain charm. Whenever I see him, I will know it’s him because only he possesses that. I would definitely recognize him anywhere.”

Linda opened her mouth to argue, but just then, a nurse walked into the waiting room and called out, “Linda Martin, please proceed to the treatment room.”

Linda stood up immediately and adjusted her bag. She touched my shoulder with a gentle tone now “I have to go now. And as for you, Aria…try not to overthink it. Just overlook the embarrassment, okay? If you really love him, then go for it. Don’t let one tiny lash ruin your fairy tale.”

She winked at me and walked off, leaving me alone.

I exhaled slowly, my chest tightening as thoughts swirled in my head. My mind was still on him. Dr. Nolan. How could I get him to see me differently? How could I make him understand that it wasn’t what he thought?

I pulled out my mirror again, adjusting my hair, and smoothing the strands into place. My reflection stared back at me and all I could see was a girl trying so hard not to cry, yet desperately convincing herself she wasn’t ugly, it was just the stages of love life.

But what if he was married?

What if he was gay?

What if I was just another nuisance to him?

The “what ifs” piled up until my head hurt.

Just then, one of the hospital doors opened, and another doctor stepped out. For a moment, the air in the room shifted. He wasn’t like Dr. Nolan who has a brutal face and goes around with a face mask.

I was glad that at least I could see the face of this doctor. His skin was smooth, his jawline was nicely sculpted and his curly neatly styled. He walked toward the nurse at the reception with calm confidence.

My eyes widened. So, this hospital didn’t just have Dr. Nolan as the most handsome doctor but it seems to me like….it was apparently a factory of handsome doctors. But I don't know why I was thinking that he looked so much like Doctor Nolan with his eye color.

I was still admiring his looks silently when an admired him silently when An elderly woman beside me tried to stand, but she held her head in dizziness, she staggered and almost collapsed on the floor when i rushed to her and caught her arm, and that was also when i realize that I wasn’t the only one who came to the rescue.

The young doctor was there too, holding her steady from the other side, our hands met immediately and I felt cold shivers down my spine more like a sharp electric spark ran through me. My heart stuttered, and my breath caught on my throat.

What was that? No—it couldn’t be. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything toward another doctor. My heart belonged to Dr. Nolan, the man behind the mask!

But the connection that I got from just touching this doctor's hands was undeniable.

We lowered the woman gently onto a nearby seat. He crouched down beside her, his face was composed but was also filled with concern “Do you have chocolate, miss?” he asked suddenly, glancing up at me, I suddenly got carried away with his sea-green eye color.

I fumbled in my bag, my fingers shaking. “Yes…yes, I do.” I pulled out a small chocolate bar and handed it to him. Our fingers brushed again and the spark jolted me once more.

He swiftly opened the chocolate and handed it to the elderly woman with steady hands. She ate it slowly muttering a “thank you” and her face which was looking so pale before returning to normal.

Relief washed over me that the woman is doing fine, but my eyes stayed glued on him. His voice and the nonchalant tone sounds so familiar to me.

A few seconds later, a younger lady who I assumed was the woman's daughter because she looked just like her rushed over, breathlessly. “I’m so sorry for the inconvenience. My mom’s blood sugar dropped, that’s why she almost fainted.”

The doctor smiled faintly, his voice low and calm. “Just keep chocolates with her. She’ll be fine.”

His smile was so bright and I quickly told myself that I was exaggerating because Dr. Nolan never smiled that way.

The woman thanked him profusely before helping her mother out.

But even as I tried to convince myself, Why do everything about him feel so familiar?

My heart beats violently.

He glanced at me one more time and turned to leave but I quickly rushed to him “Doctor—please, hold on. May I ask you something?”

He paused, and steadied his gaze on me“Yes. What is it?”

I swallowed hard, my palms sweaty. “I just… I want to know, what department are you in? I’m sorry if it sounds weird, but your voice… It feels familiar. I just wanted to know.”

He looked at me blankly, saying nothing. His silence made me restless.

Why was he acting like Dr. Nolan? Was it a coincidence? Or was every doctor here trained to be this cold and unreadable? Or probably I can get to Dr.Nolans through him.

I licked my lips nervously and whispered, “Can I… get your number, Doctor?”

His eyes widened instantly in shock. His face was unreadable, but his silence said everything. He just stared at me blankly.

And God! That was when I looked at him closely, he was breathtaking!

A demi-god.

Damn.