I shook my head as disbelief and anger warred for dominance over my reactions.
Then I boxed my emotions up and shoved them to that place in my head where I stashed all my unwanted feelings. Those things simply got in the way. Of all the events in my life, this was a game face moment.
Dr. Crow was still droning on in the background, and fucking Jun Park was lapping it up, his eyes bright with eagerness and his mouth fixed into a perma-grin. Well, two could play at that game. I eased my own casual smile into place, and relaxed my body, confident and laidback. Almost lounging. If I was any more comfortable in this situation, I’d be horizontal. Possibly even asleep.
Yeah… Jun Park could just keep dreaming. I was just going to ooze myself right into that chief of staff position with a mixture of my obvious confidence and my usual hard work. The change in title was going to be nice, but I couldn’t say the perks would hurt—greater responsibility would bring more money.
Dr. Crow stood. He must have finished talking, and I hadn’t even heard his speech—although the content didn’t matter. I was used to fighting Jun for first position.
Used to fighting him and winning.
This time would be no different. I’d wanted this position since Dr. Crow first started dangling it in front of me. Hell, I’d wanted it since I watched Mom rise through the ranks. I’d earned my place in the hospital at every single turn—from those moments when I did my homework in Mom’s office to walking the halls as a fresh-faced resident and thinking I ruled the fucking world because my dream had come true. Of course, I’d discovered the world had a lot to teach, but I’d learned and earned my whole life, and I’d earn my place in this office, too.
I glanced back toward Dr. Crow’s beaten-up leather office chair. That thing would definitely have to go, though. It was just a chair. His chair. But all traces of sentimentality for Dr. Crow had been wiped away the minute he sprang this Jun shit on me.
I stood and shook Dr. Crow’s hand. “Thank you,” I murmured, although God alone knew what I was thanking him for when he’d just asked me to fight for the same role he’d led me to believe he’d just usher me right into.
“Jun.” I turned mechanically toward my age-old nemesis, a guy who seemed to have been created to compete with me, and shook his hand, too.
I could be a good sport, or at least I could pretend to be a good sport.
Previous boyfriends had told me that I was like dating a robot, and I called forth all of those automaton qualities now, hoping my gaze broadcast only friendliness when that wasn’t authentic at all.
I left Dr. Crow’s office—soon to be my office—ahead of Jun, but as ever, he was right on my heels, walking in my strides—but still behind me. Where he belonged. Hopefully, he’d be savoring the very special taste of my dust, soon.
A few steps down the corridor, he chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” I threw the words over my shoulder without stopping or turning around.
“Man, your shoulders are tense, Kai.”
I ground my teeth together. Only my family got to call me Kai. Not friends, and certainly not Jun. But if I told him, he’d probably just do it more to irritate me, so I pressed my lips tighter.
I could actually hear the smirk in his voice as he continued. “It’s always been so easy to get under your skin and irritate you.”
I forced my shoulders to relax as his words hit home. And I wanted to challenge them because I was probably the most level-headed and calm Caldwell in Lakeshore. Nothing my brothers did upset me or angered me. I just dealt with all the family drama and doled out advice as they needed it.
It was easy, and it was my role.
“What’s the matter?” he continued as he pushed the little round glasses that didn’t manage to hide eyes the color of rich, dark coffee back into place on his nose. “Are you having that feeling where you think something has burrowed under your skin? Making your nerve endings twitch and your skin itch?” He grinned. “You know what that feeling is? It’s me. Always me. Every itch and twitch in your body is me.”
I shook my head. All of that and more about Jun annoyed the hell out of me. Even just hearing