Mara’s POVThe frustration from the elevator followed me for the next few hours. Every time Theo and I passed each other in the hall, our eyes would catch and hold a second too long. We didn’t talk about it outright. There wasn’t time. But the tension was there, thick and constant, making my body feel hypersensitive. Hearing his voice giving orders made my stomach tighten. I kept remembering his fingers on me, the way he’d almost gotten me there, and then the doors had opened.Tonight the shift had been especially brutal. Two new admissions, a family member who wouldn’t leave, and a storm that kept knocking the power out in short bursts. By five in the morning, I was dead on my feet. Theo looked just as worn out when he found me in the supply hallway.“You look like you need a break,” he said quietly.“I need sleep. Or coffee. Or both.” I rubbed my eyes. “You don’t look much better.”He glanced around, then lowered his voice. “There’s an on-call room down the hall. Empty, I checke
Read more