“What do you mean before all this?” Alex asked. “I still am. Haven’t you seen the queues lining up outside my house?”
“Seems like I’ve got competition,” Amanda quipped as they approached the steps of the infirmary.
Alex winked at her. “Never fear. I only have eyes for one girl, and she’s standing right here.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” a voice called from the entrance of the hospital. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me, Alex.”
Alex looked up into Dylan’s laughing gaze, and he shrugged. “Alas, here I am. Torn between two beautiful women. However, shall I choose?”
Amanda snorted. “You’d better make up your mind fast, Casanova. This girl doesn’t take seconds.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Alex said, watching as she joined Dylan at the entrance. “Where’s Nick? I haven’t seen him in ages.”
“Putting out fires,” Dylan replied. “Now that the winter is over, there are tons of stuff that needs to be done and not enough hands to do it.”
“Sounds like he could use some help,” Alex mused.
“I’m sure he could if you’re offering,” Dylan said.
“Where can I find him?”
“I don’t know. He could be anywhere,” Dylan said. “Maybe try the warehouses. I think he was due for an inspection today.”
“Thanks,” Alex said before looking at Amanda once more. “Will I get to see you tonight?”
“Maybe,” Amanda replied with a teasing grin. “If I get off early enough, I’ll stop by your house for a quick visit.”
“It’s a deal,” Alex said, waiting while the two women entered the infirmary. Once they were out of sight, he set a course for the warehouses that housed all their supplies. “Time to get off my ass and do some real work for a change. I’m tired of sitting around, and it sure beats raking up dead leaves.”
Chapter 2 - Dylan
“So, you and Alex, huh?” Dylan teased as she walked down the infirmary’s hallway at Amanda’s side.
Amanda affected a negligent shrug. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe.”
Dylan didn’t miss the crimson blush that crept into her cheeks despite her casual attitude, and she laughed. “Oh, come on. No need to be shy about it. We’re all grownups here.”
“Nothing has happened so far. It’s all talk,” Amanda said.
“So? What are you waiting for?” Dylan asked. “Happiness is scarce these days. You should grab it while you can.”
“Are you happy?” Amanda asked. “With Nick, I mean?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t be with him if I weren’t,” Dylan replied.
“But do you love him? Like, really love him?” Amanda asked.
Dylan nodded. “With all my heart.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Because he makes me feel good,” Dylan said. “And, he accepts me for who I am. I don’t have to hide a part of myself when I’m with him.”
“That’s pretty special,” Amanda said. “I hope to find something like that one day.”
“I’m sure you will,” Dylan said before nudging Amanda with her shoulder. “Between you and me, Alex is a stand-up guy. You won’t find much better than him.”
Amanda giggled. “We’ll see, but first, he has to work for it.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re gonna make him sweat,” Dylan teased.
“Exactly,” Amanda agreed. “By the way, what are you doing here?”
“I came in for a check-up,” Dylan said, wiggling her arm.
“Why? Is something wrong? Do you have an infection?” Amanda asked with a concerned look.
“No, nothing like that. It seems fine to me, but Ethan insisted on taking one last look. He ambushed me outside my home this morning.” Dylan grimaced at the memory. Beyond awkward.
“I see,” Amanda said.
“To be honest, I find it kind of strange,” Dylan admitted, tucking her hands into her pockets and hunching her shoulders.
“Find what strange? That he wants to take another look?” Amanda asked.
“Yeah, it’s been three weeks since I got shot, give or take. Why does he need to see me again? It’s all healed up,” Dylan said.
“I’m sure he means nothing funny by it. He just likes to be thorough. It’s the type of person he is.”
“I get that, but I’d have thought the less he could see of me, the better,” Dylan explained. “I’m not exactly his favorite person.”
“So, you two are still on the outs?” Amanda asked with a frown.
“Last time I checked, yes,” Dylan replied.
“That’s very out of character for Dr. Hayes. He’s usually so tolerant and forgiving. What happened between you, if I may ask?”
“I told him the truth about me,” Dylan said. “I told him that I was a killer and not the perfect woman he imagined me to be.”
“A killer? I know you’ve killed, but that doesn’t make you a bad person,” Amanda said. “You were defending yourself, that’s all.”
“You don’t know the whole story,” Dylan said with a sigh. “Very few people do. Nick does, and so do Saul, Tara, Alex, and Amy. Nobody else.”
“I’d like to hear the whole story,” Amanda said. “I consider myself a friend, and I hope you do too.”
“Of course, I do, but I’m due for my check-up in five minutes, and I’m supposed to meet up with Rita. She’s coming in for an exam too,” Dylan said.
“How about I meet you at the cafeteria in an hour? I haven’t had lunch yet,” Amanda asked. “Plus, it will give me time to do my rounds first.”
“I could eat,” Dylan said. “Nick is forever saying I should take better care of myself, and that I don’t eat enough.”
“Great, see you there,” Amanda said, taking her leave.
Dylan watched Amanda go with mixed feelings, her thoughts winging back in time to the day she and Ethan had their big fight. The memory still hurt, and she wasn’t looking forward to seeing him again. The silent condemnation in his eyes whenever their paths crossed was enough to drive her mad, but she supposed she had no choice. “Let’s get this over with.”
He was waiting for her in the exam room, exactly as he’d said he’d be, and she resisted the urge to say, “Punctual, as ever.” It was one of the things that made her choose Nick over him
