Aphmau's POV

*Play Song*

I raise my head in alarm, my eyes widening at her remark.

She scoffs as if in disbelief, shaking her head slowly, pulling in her bottom lip.

"Just, the way he talks of you—" She begins, her eyes blazing with what could be perceived to be hostility.

"Dr. Lycan, before you go any further, I assure you—" 

"How's the pre-op stats on my pulmonary hypertension baby?" She asks professionally, shifting the topic a bit too abruptly as if her bipolar side decided to make an appearance.

"Uh—vitals stable and patient is ready for surgery."

"Okay then, book an O.R., you can scrub in." She orders, signing off on the babies chart, stomping off to god-knows-where, clearly upset.

Well that was...odd.

What did she mean, how he talks of me?

Well, it must be nothing—it has to be nothing.

He's married, now after all...even though, from what I've heard, I can only infer it isn't the best one.......

It doesn't matter—he swore vows to this woman. That's tangible, something I go the rest of the day reminding myself. But I can't help but think about what she meant, and what he meant.

What did he mean to me? Or what did I even mean to him, anymore??

I had convinced myself to the point of utmost stubbornness—in my youth— that he was the love of my life, my soulmate, the person I was supposed to be with and grow old with...

When all along, he was probably just a painful first love gone wrong.

I'm so stupid...how could I be so stupid.

As I was making my way back towards the locker room to change out of my scrubs and go home to my comforting mattress, I miraculously encounter Aaron.

Taken aback, we both back away, both clearly unsure on what to do next.

He parts those lips to speak, but I just escape into the locker room, not letting him get a singular word in.

Why does he have to look the same?

Why does he have to look exactly, and act exactly like the Aaron Lycan I had fallen in love in?

I had spent a large majority of my life getting over him...

I can't do it a second time...

I lock the door to the locker room, putting a protective shield between the two of us, yet another band-aid on a worsening wound.

He must've left, because there was no attempt to open the door in any way.

"Got in trouble with the attending?"

I jump at the voice, unaware there was anyone else in the locker room.

Oh, it was just another intern.

"No-o."

I lean against one of the lockers in a solemn manner, massaging my temples with my fingertips in a feeble attempt to ease my disturbed conscious.

"Then—what?" Travis persists, taking his bag out of his locker.

"I used to...know him."

"Heh, like, you bumped into him at a Maid Cafe or something?" His voice basically a sexual innuendo.

"No I-I...used to know—him " I correct, emphasizing a keyword.

"...Oh."

"Well, it's not like that. W-we were childhood best friends and—that's all."

"No it's not."

"Pardon?" I ask, knitting my eyebrows together in confusion.

"That's not all—is it?"

The room falls into a silence as I fall into my thoughts.

Why...

Just when I thought I had escaped him...

He finds his way into my heart...once again...

*

"It's because the universe sucks ass." Katelyn states, answering my question with much admirable maturity.

At my house—or more our house now since they were officially my roommates—we were eating dinner to try and imbue ourselves with life after the harrowing shift.  

"That still doesn't explain why of all the jobs, and all the hospitals, and all the places in the world, he had to end up as an ATTENDING at the hospital I'm interning at." I retort, stabbing my meatloaf with much malice. 

"C'mon Aph, what did the meatloaf ever do to you?" Travis remarks, eating his piece daintily for emphasis.

"He loves meatloaf." My face blank as I continue to stab the meat, showing no mercy.

"My bad."

"MAYBE ITS FATE!" Crystal shouts, bursting through the wall.

"AUTHOR~CHAN YOU ARE BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL AGAIN!" We all scream at her.

"OOOOOH SO GARROTH CAN BREAK DOWN DOORS BUT I CANT BREAK DOWN WALLS!?"

"Dude, you break down doors?" Travis questions, sipping his beer.

"Uhhh, say HEY WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE!" Garroth nervously changes the subject.

"OKAY YEESH #CRUSTAL AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Weird way to end this part but OHIO GUYS!

Sorry for not updating this book lately!

Have a nice day my crystals!