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Aria’s POV

But I thought it wasn’t any bad idea if I asked him for his number, right? At least I had nothing to lose.

Besides, I’m a very pretty girl and I know any man out there would like me. It’s just him who doesn’t seem to be attracted to me in any way, but I didn’t care. All I knew was that I would make him give me his number, then I’d call him, chat with him, and eventually make him fall for me.

My smile grew wider, and my fingers twitched against the strap of my purse as if I was holding my phone already.

But then ... .it wasn’t entirely what i expected!

He said the most shocking and embarrassing thing I’d ever heard in my entire life.

“No, Miss Aria. Please lock the door behind you. And have a great day.” His voice was a mixture of anger and dismissal.

My entire body froze at the spot.

It felt like the whole world stopped spinning. My smile melted, and the corners of my lips trembled as if my face itself couldn’t process the rejection.

My throat tightened and I could feel the burning sensation in my eyes. I felt tears building up already. I wanted to cry right there in front of him, but my pride held me and i took a deep breath.

I almost teared up, but No knewI messed up, I really messed up big time!

I shouldn’t have said that, I shouldn't have asked. I could hear my own heart cracking as though it was glass shattering against concrete. My chest hurt in a way that no doctor could heal it, so I swallowed my words back.

But deep down, even as I stood there broken, one word still kept me going: sometimes love favors the brave. And I wouldn’t give up.

I nodded at him weakly, biting the inside of my cheek so that my tears wouldn’t spill in front of him. Without another word, I turned and reached for the door handle.

My hand was already shaking, I made sure to pull the door gently, and just as he had said, I locked it behind me.

Walking down the hallway, I could feel the corners of my eyes burning more. My vision blurred for a second as tears built up. The humiliation sat on my chest like a mountain, it was too much for me to handle!

My crush—the man who had become the center of my thoughts the moment I stepped into his office had turned me down flatly, without hesitation, and without even a second thought, more like I meant nothing.

Though I didn't expect more than that reaction from him because I was a total stranger afterall, even though I didn't believe in love at first sight and women taking the first initiative sounds so odd to me, but this time… I’m following my heart.

I knew something else too, This wasn’t the end. Not at all.

As I left his office, I whispered to myself, “Dr. Nolan, this is not the end of us yet.”

***

The next day came like a punishment.

I didn’t sleep well at all last night. I tossed on my bed, hugging my pillow so tight that it almost tore. I kept seeing his face…the sharp line of his jaw, the way his hair curled slightly around his forehead, his calm sea-green eyes that captured my entire body and soul.

I thought about his voice too, how deep and steady the tone of his voice is and somehow turned me on more than I wanted to admit. Every word he spoke to me last night replayed in my head.

And now here I was, staring at the ceiling at dawn, still wide awake and I somehow wondered if he was also thinking about our encounter.

It was a brand-new day, but only one thing was on my mind—how do I go back to that hospital and see him again?

This time, I swore, I wouldn’t leave without something, definitely not his prescription or advice. I needed more of his attention, his number, maybe even a crack in that wall of professionalism he hid behind. Because I knew he might somehow be a loverboy in disguise.

The problem was my allergy had already stopped. The swelling was gone and my skin looks fine now. I didn’t have a reason to see a doctor anymore. And those nurses, they weren’t fools. They wouldn’t just let me walk into his office without a complaint.

Oh no!

I sighed in frustration, folding up the pile of clothes on my bed. As my hands smoothed out a shirt, a voice broke my thoughts.

“The wedding is next month, Aria. You’re not saying anything about that. Look at my face—I’ve got acne and pimples everywhere. I don’t know what to do. I can’t just use foundation and makeup to cover it, right? My face needs to be smooth for my husband to see more of my beauty. And it's my special day!”

It was my best friend Linda, throwing herself dramatically on my bed, her hands pressed against her cheeks and she examined her face with a small mirror.

Linda, she’s just the lava girl in the house though I will admit it she’s Beautiful, bold, and in just a few weeks, she’d be walking down the aisle.

Meanwhile, me? Twenty-three years old, still a virgin, without a boyfriend, and the one man I dared to love had rejected me without mercy.

“I have applied almost everything recommended to me but none of them are working!” she said sadly.

I stared at her as she complained, and lots of thoughts began to form in my head.

“Yeah, that’s right,” I muttered.

But then, my eyes brightened immediately, I had an idea! More like a spotlight breaking through a dark stage.

I immediately dropped the clothes in my hands, as I rushed to her, and sat down beside her on the bed. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to myself. My heart was beating wildly, desperate with the new plan forming in my mind.

“Wait. Linda,” I said quickly, my eyes wide, my tone sharper than usual.

She frowned at me, her fingers still poking at her cheeks. “Yes? What is it? Is something wrong?”

“You have skin issues, I mean…this is part of a skin issue right?” I asked in a rush.

“Yes. Obviously.” She rolled her eyes. “These pimples are too much. I don’t even know whether I should see a doctor—”

Before she could finish, I jumped in. “Yes! You absolutely need to see a doctor. Not just any doctor. A dermatologist and… My secret crush!”

Her eyes widened slightly, confused at my sudden excitement.

“And don’t worry,” I continued breathlessly, “I know the perfect doctor you should see.”

Linda blinked at me, stunned. She tilted her head, staring at me as if she’d just noticed something unusual.

“Aria… Secret crush!? Wait_you of all people! And why do you sound like this? Is everything all right? Are you sure this is just about me seeing a dermatologist, or is there something else happening that I don’t know about? ”

My chest tightened for a moment, but I forced a calm smile, shaking my head. “No, Linda. You’re overthinking. I know a doctor that you need to see. He is definitely perfect. Nice eyes, sea-green, curly hair and his skin… God, his skin is flawless. He’ll take care of you perfectly.”

I leaned closer, lowering my voice, my lips pouting slightly like a child asking for candy. “But can I come with you?”

Linda stared at me, her lips parting. She looked shocked, maybe even suspicious. But then, after a long pause, she sighed and said, “Yes, of course. Let me just finish up what I’m doing—”

“No! You don’t have to finish up,” I cut her off almost too quickly. I grabbed her hand in a rush. “Let’s get going. Now!”

And just like that, without giving her a chance to ask more questions, I dragged her off the bed. My plan was set but I still couldn't help but feel my heart racing.

I needed to see Dr. Nolan.

Now or never!

And this time… he was going to accept me.

To me, It felt like the universe itself was setting things up for me. Finally, I think God in heaven answered both my problems and my prayers. I didn’t even waste time to think twice. I don’t even know what I was saying to her at that point, my words just tumbled out, but I had to say it.

When we got to the hospital, thank God there wasn’t much queue or delay today unlike the last time i came. The nurse who was in charge and flipping through a file, said in a clear, professional tone, “Miss Linda Martins, room 100, dermatology.. down the hall.”

Before my friend could even stand up, I already sprang to my feet. Immediately, I rushed to the nurse, and snatched the card from her hand.

The nurse blinked in surprise, her expression was filled with expression between irritation and disbelief. I could see the question in her eyes…what is wrong with this girl?, but I didn’t care.

My heart was already racing faster than it should. I grabbed my friend’s hand so tightly that she almost stumbled as I dragged her away. Both of us ran down the hall, my heels clicking against the tiled floor, I was very ready for this.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Take it easy!" Linda shouted at me as we rushed to his office.

But when we reached in front of the dermatologist’s door, I suddenly stopped. My stomach twisted with a mixture of fear and excitement.

With my trembling hands, I dug into my bag and quickly brought out my mirror. With shaky fingers, I began fixing my lashes and applying lipgloss.

Linda stared at me as her mouth slightly opened in disbelief, her eyes darting between me and the mirror. Then she burst into laughter. “Really, Aria? Fake lashes as well? This is a first in history—seeing you act like this for a man! He must be so lucky, I hope he feels like this for you too.” Her lips curled into a teasing smirk, and her arms folded as if she had caught me red-handed.

I bit my lip, still adjusting the lashes, and said to her with determination, “No, I need to look perfect for whatever comes next. Who knows? He might accept me today, but I'm never giving up."

Linda let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “Ha! Ha! This feels more like a date prep.”

Gosh! I hate it when she teases me like this but I didn’t care. She didn’t understand the fire burning inside me or the ache in my heart that kept me restless.

I quickly finished, applying a thin coat of my lip gloss, watching the gloss shine under the hospital’s bright white lights. I took a long deep breath and stood straight as my hands smoothed my dress. I want to look perfect!

Knock! Knock! I knocked at the door nervously.

“Come in,” we heard a deep voice say from inside.

Immediately I heard his voice. My heart skipped a beat. That deep and commanding voice that sounds so careless and nonchalant echoed in my ears like a song I didn’t want to stop hearing.

I slowly adjusted my clothes one more time, my palms brushing against the fabric of the short gown I'm wearing. It hugged me in all the wrong and right places, revealing my curves and parts of my breast.

My heart pounded as I pushed the door open and walked in with Linda.

The doctor slowly raised his eyes from his computer, and then our eyes met.

For a second, I felt like my world stopped spinning, both the air and walls of the room became blurry. Linda’s footsteps behind me also seem to disappear. All that existed to me at that moment was him and me.

My steps stopped in track and my mind created a scene that wasn’t happening at all, I just had an imagination of him getting up from his seat and walking to me, his lips parting and he whispered into my ears “I love you, Aria and I’m never letting you go.”

A smile unconsciously curved my lips that I didn't even realise I was smiling.

“Aria!” Linda’s sharp voice jolted me out of my sweet daydream. Her brows were raised, suspicion written all over her face. “What are you doing? Why are you smiling like that? Oh, I see… so that was actually the date prep!”

Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I quickly hushed her. “Shhh, let’s go.”

We were about to go but I stopped before anything else and I slowly slipped off my jacket, revealing the thin straps of my short gown. The neckline of my gown came down a bit revealing just a little of my breasts.

I hoped the subtle exposure might attract him and make him notice me as more than just another patient’s noisy friend. And I hope he recognises me this time around because the look on his face shows he did.

We sat down in front of him. His expression remained nonchalant, and calm like a rock, as if he didn’t care whether we existed or not. His eyes barely glanced at my direction even after I tried to be sexy before he turned back to his computer screen.

“Name, please,” he said in a flat voice, still typing.

Before Linda could even part her lips, I drew forward immediately, smiling, and said brightly, “Linda Martin.”

He stopped typing and slowly turned his eyes which was just emotionless and no flicker of smile on me, giving me just an unreadable stare. With his facial expression, it was clear he wasn’t asking me. But he didn’t argue. He simply wrote it down.

Linda stayed quiet, and pressed her lips together trying to stop the laughter that was almost coming out.

“What’s your issue today? Miss Linda” he asked in the same tone.

Linda opened her mouth, “Uh, I have—”

“Pimples, doctor. Pimples!” I cut her off, answering for her.

Linda’s eyes flared as she glared at me. “Aria! Calm down!” she hissed, her jaw tightening.

But I didn’t listen to whatever she was saying at all, my eyes remained fixed on the doctor smiling at him. He didn’t flinch, or even to blink at the way I interrupted. His fingers continued tapping against the keyboard as if my words had never existed.

“And what’s your sleep schedule like? Miss Linda” he asked, still not looking at me.

Linda tried to talk again. “Well, I usually—”

“Owl-like,” I interrupted again. “She doesn’t sleep. Practically it’s more like a vampire schedule.” My words rushed out, accompanied by a nervous giggle.

For the first time, his fingers went still and he stopped typing. Slowly, he raised his eyes from the computer and looked at me for a while and finally shifted his gaze back to Linda.

“Which one is the patient?” he asked in that calm, steady voice.

My throat went dry,oh no!

That was when I realized—I had been answering every single question meant for Linda. My heart sank immediately, God, I’m disgracing myself again in front of him.

Linda sighed, exasperated. “Me. I’m the patient. She’s my friend.”

The doctor gave me a stare one more time with no further reaction, irritation, or mockery. He simply returned his focus to the laptop and continued typing, the only sound that could be heard at that moment was just the soft clacking of the keys on the keyboard.

But I couldn’t stay quiet. Not when I was sitting this close to him, and definitely Not when I had this only chance to talk to him again.

I leaned slightly forward, forcing a smile. “Dr. Nolan… I was here yesterday, you know… Egg white allergy. It affected my shoulder and my butt!”

I laughed softly, biting my lower lips nervously like a child.

He didn’t even look at me or laugh at all. He just kept typing, his face was still unreadable.

“Do you remember?” I asked, searching his face, my voice laced with a desperate hope.

He finally raised his eyes slightly, just enough to glance at me. “No.” His voice was low, final, before he returned to his work.

My chest tightened with fury and hurt. What does he mean he doesn’t remember? I was here just yesterday! Is he pretending? Is he really ignoring me like this?

Before my thoughts could spiral, he turned to Linda and said, “I’ve prescribed your treatment. If you could please wait outside, the nurses will attend to you.”

Linda smiled politely. “Thank you so much, Doctor.”

She stood, motioning for me to follow. But my feet refused to move. How the hell do I leave this place just like that again!? After all my efforts to come to his office!

We stood up to leave and Linda opened the door but I stopped immediately, my heart was racing, and quickly said “Dr. Nolan.”

He raised his head slowly and looked at me. For the first time since I entered, his eyes truly met mine, it was just steady and direct. My breath caught.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

I swallowed, forcing courage into my voice. “You know… I was thinking about something. Since I’m a returning customer, and I love this hospital a lot—I patronize you guys. This is my personal hospital, after all. Can I… can I get your number now?”

The silence that came after my statement was brutal and this time around I knew that with the ways I talked to him, it would work!

Then he said, in the firmest, most final tone I had ever heard, “No.”

The word hit me like a slap. My chest tightened in frustration. I felt like I was drowning right there in front of him, all my dreams were just crashing. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes, but I tried so hard not to cry.

Linda immediately stepped in, her voice apologetic, her face flushed with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Doctor. You see, my friend… she’s a bit too much sometimes. But don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”

She grabbed my hand, pulling me gently. My heart felt like it was breaking as we turned to leave.

But then….

“Hold on, please,” his deep voice said from behind us.

I froze in my spot. My heart thudded so loud I thought Linda could hear it.

Excitement burst through me. Did he finally change his mind? Did he finally want to give me his number? Was this the moment?

I turned to him, my eyes widened in shock, and my lips parted and I could feel butterflies in my belly.

He slowly put his hand on his catch and took out something, I looked at it closely and saw that it was a pen….

“Miss Aria? Is this yours?” he said, pointing at the table. His voice was calm, and detached.

I followed his finger, my eyes landing on the table—and my heart nearly stopped beating.

My fake lashes!

It was just lying on top of the table in front of him like a piece of evidence exposing me.

“Oh no…” my voice almost broke. My knees weakened, nearly giving out beneath me. I just disgraced myself again. Now he’ll know I wore fake lashes just to come and see him!

“If you don’t mind, please pick it up. You can throw it into the dustbin outside,” he said, his tone casual.

Behind me, Linda laughed out loudly and mercilessly, her laughter echoing in the room.

That crazy girl. Seems like this is never going to be easy.