I Stopped Loving Him When He Let Me Bleed Out novel Chapter 2

York.

That must be their child.

Sienna lowered her gaze, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

She looked down at the scar on her own wrist.

So this was how it worked: trading a life for a life—one woman earned a promise, while another was told to go to hell.

They really were completely different.

She pushed the door open.

"Chloe, the observation period is over."

She walked straight toward the patient without looking at anyone else, checking the wound.

"The wound looks fine. You can be discharged after signing the paperwork."

Her tone was strictly professional, distant and cold.

Her sudden appearance shattered the atmosphere in the observation room.

Finn turned his head.

The moment their eyes met, Sienna saw his lips part, as if he wanted to say something.

"Honey, can you sign for me?"

Chloe's voice cut in at the perfect moment.

Finn took the pen and signed the paperwork.

Sienna's eyes fell on the tip of his pen; his handwriting was usually elegant, but today, it looked like a messy, illegible scrawl.

"Honey, I want to go home."

Chloe's voice was weak, laced with tears.

Finn offered a low murmur of agreement, leaning down to scoop her into his arms.

Sienna stood frozen, watching the man hold another woman the exact same way he used to hold her.

As he walked past her, he paused.

Only for a fraction of a second.

It was so brief that Chloe didn't even notice.

His gaze swept across her face, his breathing noticeably catching in his chest.

Sienna stood rooted to the spot, listening to his footsteps fade down the hall.

Looking down, she realized her knuckles were white from gripping the medical folder so tightly.

Taking a deep breath, she handed over her shift early and walked out of the emergency building.

The early morning wind whipped down the collar of her trench coat, making her shrink into it.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Zachary Vance had sent a text.

"You should be off shift soon. I brought you breakfast; I'm at the door of your break room."

Staring at the screen, she remembered the first time she met Zachary.

It was three months ago when the head nurse introduced them.

Over dinner, Zachary had asked her what her type was.

He hadn't left.

Sienna's footsteps faltered for a second.

Then, she tore her gaze away and kept walking.

But her heart was already pounding wildly against her ribs.

She suddenly remembered that he never used to smoke.

Once, she had jokingly told him to try it, and he had scrunched up his nose and dodged her, saying it "stunk."

Now, he looked like he had been doing it for years.

She reached the door of the break room, where Zachary was standing with an insulated bag in his hand.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"Just got here." Zachary smiled, handing her the bag. "Bacon and egg sandwich, eat it while it's hot."

"Thank you."

As she took the bag, she shot a glance at the end of the hallway out of the corner of her eye.

Behind the glass doors of the exit, the silhouette was still there.

The red ember flared again.

He still hadn't left.

Just standing there, chain-smoking in the dark.

Zachary's voice echoed in her ear.

"Have you thought about what I asked you last time?"