Page 19 of Doc
I checked my watch on the nightstand.“Just after seven.”
Nova nodded, running a hand through her tangled hair.The bandage on her palm -- the one I’d carefully applied after she cut herself on the metal fragment -- was coming loose.I reached for it automatically, doctor’s instincts taking over.
“Let me check that.”I took her hand before she could pull away.
She let me examine the cut, her eyes watching my face rather than my hands.“Is it bad?”
“No.”I felt relieved to see the wound was clean with no signs of infection.“But we should change the bandage after you shower.”
“Okay.”She withdrew her hand slowly, hesitating like she wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words.“I’m going to…” She gestured toward the bathroom.
“Of course.”I moved aside, giving her space to slip past me.
When the bathroom door closed, I exhaled, running a hand through my hair.This awkwardness wasn’t what I’d expected.Last night had been intense, passionate… but morning brought with it a reality we both seemed unprepared to face.
I found my jeans and shirt, dressing quickly.My cut still lay on the floor where it had fallen last night.I picked it up, brushing off the leather before putting it on -- armor of a different kind.By the time Nova emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel with damp hair curling around her shoulders, I was in the kitchen, coffee brewing and toast in the toaster.
“Smells good.”She hovered in the doorway like she wasn’t sure of her welcome in her own kitchen.
“Not much of a breakfast, but it’s something.Coffee’s almost ready.”
She nodded and disappeared into the bedroom.When she returned, she wore jeans and a simple T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a practical ponytail.Seeing her fully dressed hit me with the sudden ache of how much I already missed the intimacy we’d shared.
I handed her a mug of coffee, careful to avoid touching her fingers with mine.“Sugar’s on the counter if you want it.”
“Thanks.”She added a spoonful, stirring slowly, her eyes focused on the swirling liquid rather than on me.“About last night…”
The toast popped up, saving me from having to respond immediately.I busied myself with butter and plates, giving myself time to form a response that wouldn’t make this moment more awkward than it already was.
“It’s okay.”I set a plate in front of her.“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
Nova looked up at that, her hazel gaze meeting mine directly for the first time that morning.“That’s not --” She stopped, took a sip of coffee, tried again.“I don’t regret it.If that’s what you’re thinking.”
Relief washed through me, though I tried not to show it.“Good.Neither do I.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes, the awkwardness not quite gone but lessened somewhat.I watched her nibble at her toast, noting the way she kept fidgeting with her coffee mug, turning it in small circles between her palms.
“This doesn’t change anything about the investigation,” she said finally, breaking the silence.Her voice was steadier now, more confident, like she was on familiar ground.
“Your safety is still my priority.Nothing changes that.”
We both reached for the butter knife at the same time, our fingers brushing.We pulled back simultaneously, the brief contact sending an electric current up my arm.Her cheeks flushed pink, the freckles across her nose standing out more prominently.
“Sorry,” we said in unison, then shared a small, tentative smile at the coincidence.
“We should call the President,” I said, steering us back to safer territory.“Let him know what we found at the crash site.And about Bailey.”
Nova nodded, visibly relaxing as we moved into the familiar territory of the investigation.“We need to analyze that metal fragment too.Even though it’s the same color as my parents’ car, it’s possible it doesn’t belong to theirs.”
“I know someone who can help with that.Retired forensics expert who owes me a favor.We can trust him to be discreet.And if that doesn’t belong to your parents’ car and they were run off the road, there’s a good chance they used a vehicle of the same color to avoid noticeable paint transference.”
“Good.”She took another sip of coffee, her gaze drifting toward the bedroom where the evidence waited.“I should get back to my mother’s files.There might be something else we missed, something that connects to Bailey or the Blood Pagans.”
I noticed how she said “we” now, not “I” -- a small shift that felt significant.Whatever had happened between us, we were in this together now, beyond just my assignment to protect her.
“Your mother was building a solid case.If we can figure out exactly what she found, who she was about to expose…”
“Then we’ll know who killed her,” Nova finished, her features hardening.She set down her mug with purpose.“I need to get back to work.”
