I tried getting back into my routine, convincing myself that night was just... a strange, fleeting connection. Nothing more. I wasn't the type to let strangers slip into my life—but Sky had a way of lingering in my thoughts like an uninvited, but somehow welcome, storm.
My phone hadn't stopped buzzing since that night. I'd forgotten it in the car, and honestly, it had been a blessing. No shitty people to ruin that fraction of time with Sky—the time where I had escaped reality and cocooned myself in the comfort of a stranger. But the memories kept flashing—my eyes burning, my nose stinging—and like always, I shoved them away.
The screen lit up again. Texts. From my best friend. From my ex. I didn't have the courage to deal with any of it—not now, not yet. So I pushed the thoughts away and finished my shift at the hospital, reviewing patient charts in a quiet corner, coffee in one hand, stethoscope bouncing lightly against my chest.
Hospitals were supposed to be serious, orderly places. But I always managed to find little pockets of calm amidst the chaos. It was my comfort zone.
I was pacing through the area when I saw him.
Sky.
Leaning against the wall in the waiting area, black jacket slung casually over one arm, hair falling slightly into those sharp, piercing blue eyes. My heartbeat skipped—not just from surprise, but from the rush of something else I didn't want to name.
My gaze swept over him instinctively, checking for injuries, but I realized immediately he wasn't here for himself. His eyes were fixed on a hospital room, jaw tight, body tense. A nurse whispered something to him about a brother. He responded softly, concern in his voice, but it was careful, controlled. There was a weight there, a shadow that made him even more dangerous to look at.
And I had always had a knack for attracting danger.
Then his head turned, and his piercing gaze locked on me. For a second—just a second—I swore it softened.
Life was unexpected. A bitch. I didn't know if I should be happy or terrified. Did it mean anything? What game was fate playing with me? Because as far as I knew, fate didn't throw us together again for nothing. Fate had teeth.
His mouth curled into that same infuriatingly confident smirk that made my heart run a mile per second
"Fancy seeing you here, princess," he murmured, his voice low, pitched just for me.
I raised an eyebrow, trying to hide my racing pulse. "I could say the same, Night Rider."
He chuckled, dark and amused, stepping closer. "Ah... so the princess has a nickname for me now. Bold."
"Only because you earned it," I said, leaning casually against the counter, clipboard tucked under my arm. "Not everyone gets one."
"Good," he said, smirk widening. "I like special treatment."
Silence stretched for a moment, playful, heavy with everything unsaid. The hum of fluorescent lights and the steady beeps from the ward filled the background, but all I noticed was the flicker in his eyes. That shadow beneath the smirk, the tension he tried so hard to hide. Dangerous. Intriguing. And god help me—it made heat pool low in my stomach. Absurd.
"You know," he said, voice dropping slightly, "most people would run away when they can't figure me out. You... don't."
I tilted my head, meeting his gaze evenly. A subtle, innocent gesture—but I knew what I was doing. And judging by the way his eyes darkened, so did he. "Maybe I just don't like running."
He leaned a fraction closer, elbows resting lightly on the counter beside me. The scent of leather and something faintly wild clung to him. My heart beat harder.
"Hmm... clever and stubborn. Dangerous combination."
I smirked. "I could say the same about you."
His chuckle was dark, low, rolling through me like a slow burn. "Takes one to know one, princess."
Our banter was easy, sharp-edged, flirtatious—but underneath, I could feel it. The weight of secrets he wasn't sharing. I studied the way his posture was wound too tightly, the subtle clench of his jaw, the way his smirk didn't quite reach his eyes.
There was something in him—danger, yes, but depth too. Something that pulled at me whether I wanted it to or not.
"Careful, Night Rider," I teased lightly, my voice softer now. "You're walking a fine line between charming and reckless."
"I like the edge," he murmured, leaning back slightly, his gaze locked onto mine. His voice dropped to something low, almost a purr—and the heat curling in my stomach spread. "It suits me... and apparently, it suits you too."
I felt the flush creep up my neck. The spark between us was playful, dangerous, intoxicating. And though the hospital lights glared bright and the world moved around us, for a heartbeat, it was just us.
I looked into his blue eyes, the ones I had come to adore so much, searching for answers, searching for treasures buried deep in those oceans, while trying not to drown in them.
A nurse called my name, jolting me back. I glanced at him, lips twitching. "Duty calls."
He stared at me for a beat longer, then reached out. His fingers brushed against my hair, tucking a strand gently behind my ear. My breath hitched. If I didn't walk away right then, I would've melted into the floor.
I forced myself to turn, clipboard tight in my grip. But I couldn't help stealing one last glance. Sky's silhouette lingered there, leaning against the wall, that smirk firmly in place.
This wasn't a coincidence. Fate—or something darker—wasn't done with us yet.
And deep down, I wasn't sure if I wanted it to be.