Forbidden Doctor - R. S. Elliot Page 0,42

said it to myself, it left a bitter taste in the back of my throat.

The next day, I woke up with an action plan.

If Adrian could move on, so would I. I dressed and walked into work the next morning decidedly exhausted, but with a plan forming in my head. I walked into the locker room, strode up to one of the interns, an intern by the name of George Hale, and tapped him twice on the shoulder as he was placing things in his locker.

He turned to look at me, curiosity in his eyes, and I remembered the way he’d looked at me, eyed me up whenever we saw each other. He was handsome enough, with dark eyes, dark hair, and an olive complexion. He was tall, with shoulders broader than Adrian’s, and I’d heard even the older doctors fawn over just how attractive he was.

“Do you want to go out some time?” I asked before I could talk myself out of it.

I didn’t expect the confident young man to smile shyly at me. It was a happy look, though, and something in my heart blossomed and made me think that maybe I’d be able to enjoy an evening with him.

“I’d love to,” he said slowly.

I knew the rest of the people in the locker room were watching us, but I didn’t care. With a feeling of empowerment in my heart, I typed my number into George’s phone, and told him to text me.

He was still smiling when I left the room.

A new rumor began circulating amongst the interns, and it had nothing to do with my father or my affiliation to Dr. Adrian Price.

Instead, it suggested that the ice queen was melting, acknowledging her peers, and even going out with one of them. I didn’t mind that rumor as much. I held my decisions with me like a spare battery, and I powered through scut work, running to and from labs, checking patient details, and speaking to families. I felt like I was finally able to solely focus on my job—Adrian’s presence wasn’t looming over me like a dark cloud, making me wonder how it would end for us. I was worried, once, when I saw him in the cafeteria, but he just smiled, said “hey”, and moved on with his day. There was an echo of longing, but I knew I couldn’t expect it to disappear in the space of a day. There was something else there as well—the knowledge that I’d be okay without him.

Days passed, my heart settled into a rhythm, and I didn’t even wish ill will against Melissa. I began to appreciate her presence, as someone who was taking care of Adrian.

I was growing again, becoming a more mature version of myself.

It took a while for George and I to plan our date.

We both worked unsociable hours and ended up planning to meet after a shift ended. It was strange saying goodbye to him in the locker room but knowing I’d see him later in the evening. Jack teased me mercilessly, walking back with me. He was convinced George and I would become a couple, and I couldn’t admit that I had the same hopes. I’d always heard that the best way to get over someone was to get under someone new, but I wasn’t going to do that with George. We’d take our time, learn what we could about each other, and when I knew my heart had healed, when I knew I was ready, maybe then I’d sleep with him. I told Jack as much, and he just scoffed and said we’d be sleeping together before the end of the month.

Jack left me at my door and carried on to his house. I stepped through my door and thought that if I was going to be bringing someone around more often, I’d probably need to change things up a bit. My living area was depressing to me, the occupant, so I couldn’t even imagine what a date would think if I’d brought them home.

Before I even started changing, I pulled out some framed photos. I arranged them on the desk and smiled back at my family’s bright grins. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t put the pictures out before. They’d already added personality to the room. Then I brought out a couple of my battered Dan Brown books and set them on the coffee table. I didn’t know what else to do. I wasn’t someone that really invested in chachkas, and