Page 124 of Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That At Christmas
I take a deep breath."Chuck's going to be getting off shift soon."
Adam's eyebrow raises."Which means… he'll be on the app."
"Yep."
I grab my phone.And I wait.
I don't have to wait long.Within ten minutes, Chuck takes the bait.
Chuck:Your vet knows you're back on a dating app?Oh and I see you've changed your mind about Chicago.Good.
Eve:It looks that way.I wish I could have recorded all you told me before.I'd have everything I need.Even if you'd have destroyed me.
Chuck:I would have had.You're learning.But Eve?Even if you recorded whatever we said, it wouldn't change a thing.Shit, record this.Go the fuck ahead.It wouldn't matter.You lost.
I tilt my head toward Adam.He nods.That should be considered all-parties consent in Illinois and Pennsylvania.Sally would say he fucked around, and he's about to find out.I settle back against his chest, my dogs curled at my feet.Even they sense what's coming.
"Let's make him unravel," I murmur, sending Chuck a screenshot of an exit interview, then a nurse complaint about him that never made it to the board.
Eve:Remember when you spoke at that political fundraiser last spring?The one where you discredited your own mentor while promoting those trials with questionable methods?The ones that you'd have debunked when we met when you still cared about facts.Interesting how your standard for evidence changes depending on who's holding the microphone.Some might call that...selective skepticism.
The typing bubble appears immediately.
Chuck:That's standard practice.You wouldn't understand the complexities.
Eve:What I understand is you're becoming exactly the kind of doctor who erodes public trust in medicine.The work that kept me alive.
Chuck:You think anyone's going to believe you over me?The crazy ex who got suspended?I had the board eating out of my hand.
"A man who has to tell everyone he's winning?Isn't," Adam murmurs, his hand steadying mine on the phone.
He pulls up a spreadsheet on his laptop."Look at this."
I gasp at the numbers."Nurse turnover in his department is three times higher than any other unit?"
"Claire found fifteen formal complaints in three years.All mysteriously resolved with no action taken."Adam clicks through redacted exit interviews—the raw, painful truth of Chuck's legacy.
My phone chirps again.
Chuck:People believe what they want to believe, Eve.I just gave them the push they needed to see the truth.
There it is.The lie he's been telling himself since the day he met me.
Eve:You know what's funny?I finally understand what it's like to be with someone who actually cares about me.Adam doesn't need to control me to feel powerful.When he touches me, I don't have to fake anything.
I continue before he can answer, knowing the truth will infuriate him.
Eve:He listens when I talk.Actually listens.And when I come?It's real.Every.Single.Time.I never knew what I was missing until now.Turns out, it wasn't me who was cold after all.
The typing bubble freezes, then explodes.
Chuck:We can discuss your sexual awakening when you're back in Chicago.Maybe you've finally learned how to be a real woman.On your knees, preferably.Bring the heart ornament - we can hang it on my tree.
Eve:The heart ornament is gone.But its legacy stays.It represents everything you'll never understand.
Chuck:I'll sue you for it.And don't be dramatic.You'll come back.When you're done playing house with the dog doctor, I might even let you have your old job back.
Eve:The hospital board already has everything Claire found.Jennie knows about your dating profiles.Your podcast idea?Already countered with testimonials from every nurse you've harassed.The ethics committee has scheduled an emergency meeting.And I'm sending this to them to add to your file.It's over, Chuck.
