Page 44 of Unforgettable
She offered a small smile.
“I’ll take that.”
He glanced briefly at her hand, then back to her face, keeping his reaction measured, controlled.
“How’s therapy going? Fire Trinity yet?”
“Painful,” she said. “She keeps reminding me that means it’s working.”
A faint hint of a smile touched his mouth.
“It truly does. I promise.”
She shifted her shoulder bag slightly, suddenly aware of the awkwardness settling in.
“Well… I should—”
She gestured vaguely toward the door.
He nodded.
“Of course. It’s great to see you out and about, and I’ll see you at your final checkup.”
This was what happened now. Brief encounters. Polite exchanges. Then, separation. Again.
“Take care,” she replied and stepped past him.
One step. Two. And something in his chest tightened sharply. Too fast. Too final.
He turned and watched her, hating the distance growing between them as she reached for the door, balancing the coffee carefully, her movements still measured, still adapting. Still fighting.
And the thought of letting her walk out of his life like that again, hit harder than he expected, and he called out her name.
“Randi.”
The sound of his voice calling her name sent a chill running through her.
Yes, she whispered silently, stopped, and turned.
He was already moving, stepping out of line without asecond thought, ignoring the quiet protest behind him.
“I was going to grab something to eat,” he said, closing the distance between them. “Would you—”
He stopped himself just short of saying it wrong.
“Would you like to join me?”
There it was, not a medical question. Not a professional one. Something else.
Randi blinked, caught off guard.
Then she let out a soft, incredulous laugh, lifting her hand slightly.
“Dangerous utensil in this hand… in public?” she said lightly. “Not a good idea, Doc.”
The word hung there. Doc. A reminder. A boundary.
He didn’t back away from it.
