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ISABELLA

"Julia Lockner is a 23-year-old female hit when she was crossing the street. Already had a CT and MRI, she has no internal organ damage, but she has an mTBI. She has an external laceration to her intrathoracic region, only down to the sub-q. She currently has a piggyback IV of O negative and LR's."

"And her vitals?" I ask.

"Blood pressure was extremely low." The night nurse continues listing off her vitals and tells me she's due for another set. Car wrecks are common in the winter, even some accidental hit-and-runs, especially in Philadelphia. We have had some pretty bad accidents within the last couple of days, even some worse than this morning.

"Thank you," I say, and the night nurse heads out. "Hi, Julia, I'm your nurse today. I'm going to take your vitals." I run another set, and her pressure is slowly stabilizing. After checking in on my other patients, I return to the nursing station to find Addy sitting at a computer.

"Look at the snow coming down," Addy points out the window as I sit beside her.

"I know, there is so much." I sigh, scanning my badge to log in. "I'm ready for summer."

"Yeah, same here. But the snow is pretty," she says.

"Any interesting cases?" I ask.

"Not really, but it's still early." She shrugs. "Oh hey, is your mom in town?"

"Yes, she is. She was asking about you last night."

Addy smiles. "I miss her! How is she?"

We chat about my mom and how she's doing, and I tell Addy she and Jasper can join us for dinner if they don't have plans. During our conversation, Camila joins us at the third computer, telling us about her violent patient, and not long later, so does Max.

"The entire crew is here," Addy says.

"Yes, even though I'm not supposed to be down here right now." Max rests his elbows on the counter. "Izzy, did you tell them about the flowers?"
I glance up from my screen and narrow my eyes at Max. I wasn't planning on telling anyone about Miles' surprise gift he sent to my front door, at least not yet. But it peaks Addy and Camila's interest almost immediately.

"Flowers?"

I swivel my chair and nonchalantly say, "Miles sent me birthday flowers." Addy's eyes widen and Camila claps softly.

"Did he now?" Addy asks.

"He did," I say, and leave the conversation at that. I look at Max again and indirectly tell him to keep his mouth shut with my expression. He raises his brows in response, and we continue charting.

The rest of the day passes at a relatively slow pace. We had no more serious accidents, thankfully, only a couple of sprained ankles and terrible fevers. Nothing that couldn't be taken care of. I text my mom and Max before leaving, asking what coffee they want from Sweetbrew.

When I'm ready to leave, I pack up my things and head to the café. The coffee scent is welcoming and wakes me up after my long, tiring day.

I order three coffees, and then the cashier asks, "Is that all?" I say yes and she walks away to make them. A beat later, she reappears with a cup holder full of coffee. I pay, thanking her, and amble out of the cafe, not wanting to go back out in the cold. But I'm stopped by my pesky curiosity when I the same black SUV sitting in front of the building. Except for today, the man in the black suit isn't handing the coffee cup through the window, he is sliding into the passenger seat.

I keep walking in the opposite direction, trying to not stare. As I bring my coffee cup to my lips, I'm halted by a door slam shut and shouting. Holding my beating heart, I turn around to see where the commotion is coming from.

"I thought that was you!"

The one person I am trying to avoid is standing in front of me. If the cold hadn't already drained the color from my skin, it would be now. "So you're stalking me now, Mr. Cunningham?" I shout back.

He walks closer until we're arm's length apart. "I don't stalk people, Ms. Gallagher."

Holy, holy, holy, deep breaths, Isabella.

Compared to him, I look a hot mess in my dirty purple scrubs with my fly-away hairs. As for Miles, he's in a nice, most likely expensive suit. Although, the bags under his eyes are like bruises. It looks like he hasn't slept in a while.

"I like the scruff." I nod towards his chin, trying to kill some tension between us. He chuckles. However, it only makes things weirder. Way-to-go, Bell. "Well, I have to get going." I turn on my heel, ready to walk back to my car.

"Wait! Do you want to get something to eat with me?" he asks, and I can tell he surprised himself with the question because his face says it all. I feel an involuntary smile forming, so I bite my lip to suppress it, even though I know it won't work.

His eyebrows furrow. "What?"

"Nothing, I have to get going." I hike my bag up my shoulder. "It was nice seeing you, Miles."

With that said, I walk away without looking back.

✤

"Hello, I come bearing coffee!" I shout, walking into the apartment. I join my mother and Max on the couch, and we each take our respected drinks. I'm slightly wet from the snow, and in dire need of warm clothes. Both of them eye me inconspicuously.

"That took longer than expected," Max says.

"Sorry, I took my time." Does he have a chip with a built-in microphone implanted inside of me?

"Oh, you didn't decide to sit and have coffee with anyone in particular?"

"You know, you're driving me a tad bit crazy today, Max," I say, sipping my lukewarm coffee.

"I saw the letter on your dresser today when I was straitening up," my mother says, "Miles Cunningham?"

I groan aloud and pretend to slam my head into the wall. I can't escape him. As much as I try, Miles is everywhere. I stand to take my coat off, walking toward the front door.

"I didn't realize you two were talking again," she says.

"We're not. I ran into him the other night, and he is adamant about trying to get to know me again."

Max and my mother exchange a glance. "Is that such a bad thing?"

Like a pouting child, I sit back down on the couch, grab a pillow and shove my face into the soft fabric. I feel my mother's soothing hand rub over my back. Neither of them presses any further, but my heart continues to ache, and my mind feels like jelly because I have no idea what to do. Usually, mothers are good at guiding, but I'm old enough to guide myself now.

"I'm going to wash up," I say, and head to my bathroom. After turning on the water to let it heat up, I stare at myself in the mirror.

Remember that night you drank too much, and Miles took you home? That was the same night you woke up in the spare room, covered in throw-up, not knowing where the hell you were. He left you sticky notes on what to do before you could leave the room. You didn't admit you had feelings for him yet, but deep down you knew. It was only a matter of time before you found out.

Then things progressed, weeks passed, and he asked you out on the first date. He took you to a super fancy restaurant and your stomach was in a knot the entire time. He came up with the nickname Beauty. You pretended to not like it, but truly you felt special and didn't want him to stop calling you that.

That night you two talked by the water like nothing bad had ever gone happened between you two. You opened your heart up to that bad boy from your freshmen year of college; preparing yourself to love him.

I hurry into my room and dig through my closet, materializing a box. Inside, I pull out the crinkled bucket list Miles and I made one night in his apartment. My mind digs up the memories that I have buried so deep in my head. I stare at the list of things we never got to do, because that next morning, Miles' father came and in and broke the news his motherly figures had passed.

I've thought about how different my life would be if Miles and I had never separated. Where would we be living? Would we be engaged? Would I be happier?

My attention drifts to the card perched on my dresser. I push myself off the ground and stare at Miles' number plastered on the paper. "I'm in control," I tell myself. "If I want to rekindle this relationship, I also can cut it off."

I unlock my phone, pressing the numbers into the keypad, then bring it to my ear as it rings. A moment passes before I hear another voice say hello on the line. "Hey, it's Bell. I'm going to take you up on that dinner offer." 

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QOTD: Whats your favorite disney movie? 

Answer: Peter pan always

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