By the time I met up with Amy, it was lunchtime, and both our stomachs grumbled in unison. We looked at each other and laughed as we pushed through the glass doors of Moonlight Terrace.
Soft music filled the air, blending seamlessly with the quiet hum of conversation. The restaurant was modern and immaculately designed; a massive glass chandelier hung in the center of the dining room, shimmering brilliantly under the ambient lights.
A hostess greeted us at the entrance, picking up two menus and motioning for us to follow. As we walked behind her, I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks, causing Amy to bump right into my back.
"Why did you suddenly stop like that?" she asked, rubbing her sore nose.
"Harley is here," I murmured under my breath.
I exhaled a shaky breath as the hostess turned down another aisle, thankfully seating us at an empty table a safe distance away.
"Your waitress will be with you shortly," she said before leaving.
We both nodded.
"What is he doing here?" Amy wondered, leaning out of her seat to conspicuously peek toward his table. "Looks like he's on a date."
Something cold stirred inside my chest at her words. I picked up the menu, forcing my eyes to focus on the list of entrees. "What are you having?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Amy picked up her own menu and scanned it. "I don't know yet."
A moment later, a waitress arrived and introduced herself as Elle. She placed two tall glasses of ice water, garnished with lemon wedges, in front of us. "Are you ready to order?"
"Could you give us a few more minutes?" I asked with a warm smile.
She nodded and politely excused herself.
We continued scanning the menu. I eventually settled on the grilled salmon with lemon butter, steamed vegetables, and jasmine rice, while Amy decided on the creamy chicken alfredo pasta with a side of garlic bread.
"And two glasses of iced tea, please," I added as Elle returned to write down our order.
As soon as she walked away, Amy leaned forward, lowering her voice to a dramatic whisper. "Do you think he's serious about her?"
I shrugged, taking a slow sip of my water. "Has he been dating while I was away?"
Amy nodded.
Hmph. Looks like he had completely moved on. Still… I didn't understand why he had to be so incredibly hostile toward me if he was doing just fine on his own.
Elle returned half an hour later with our food. The savory aroma filled the air, making my stomach grumble loudly yet again. My face flushed hot as Elle chuckled softly at my embarrassment.
"Enjoy," she smiled before leaving us to our meal.
Amy and I spent the lunch chatting about everything that had changed in our daily lives. I told her about my grueling rotations in England, and she recounted the wild story of how she became a barista at the Lumen Hotel bar.
When we finally finished our meal, we headed toward the hostess stand near the entrance to settle the bill. My eyes widened in panic when I saw Harley and his date already standing there, paying for their food.
"Hello, Harley," Amy greeted cheerfully, completely ignoring my silent pleas to keep walking.
He looked in our direction—his eyes sliding right past Amy to lock straight onto me. His gaze was freezing and distant. I immediately avoided his eyes, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. Just leave before your date gets the wrong idea.
From the corner of my eye, I watched him pull his sleek black card from the payment machine. An uneasy, twisting feeling washed over me as he offered his date a charming smile, placed a hand on the small of her back, and guided her out of the restaurant.
"What the hell?" Amy muttered, planting her hands on her hips. "He's getting an absolute earful from me the next time I see him."
I chuckled softly, just wanting to get out of there.
"What's the total?" I asked the hostess, pulling my wallet from my purse while Amy continued fuming.
The hostess smiled politely. "Ma'am, that handsome gentleman already paid for your meal."
Amy grabbed my arm, her anger instantly vanishing, replaced by beaming excitement. "Forget what I just said—Harley is the best friend any girl could ask for."
"I thought I was your best friend," I teased, trying to hide my confusion.
Amy hugged my arm tighter. "Second to you, of course."
We left the restaurant and walked toward her car, her arm still hooked through mine. My mind replayed the hostess's words on a loop as we drove back in silence.
How did he know exactly which table was ours? Better yet… why did he pay for our meal? Ugh… he was so infuriatingly confusing.
When Amy pulled up to the Huang mansion, I hugged her goodbye and stepped out. As I approached the large oak doors, my heart dropped. Harley was leaning against the entrance, his arms crossed over his chest, waiting.
Adrenaline shot through my veins, but I forced myself to steady my breathing. I looked up at him, masking my nerves with annoyance. "Why are you just standing there in the dark? You almost gave me a heart attack."
"Are you following me?" he demanded, his voice dangerously low.
"As if," I scoffed, attempting to walk past him.
Before I could take another step, his hand shot out and clamped around my wrist, stopping me dead in my tracks. I glanced back, glaring at his hand. "Let me go."
His grip tightened slightly. "Not until you answer my question."
"I already did." I stared up at his sharp jawline. Before trying to pull away again, I lowered my voice and asked, "Then why did you pay for our meal?"
His jaw clenched tightly, and he looked away, refusing to say a word. For a brief fraction of a second, the tension in his hand faltered.
The moment his grip loosened, I yanked my arm free and bolted up the stairs to my room. Slamming the door shut behind me, I collapsed onto my bed, burying my face deep in my pillow, and let out a muffled, frustrated scream.
Exhaustion quickly overtook my adrenaline, and I drifted off just like that—still in my daytime clothes, my makeup completely untouched.
I was definitely going to regret that in the morning.
The elevator dinged cheerfully on the third floor.
When the metal doors slid open, the familiar, chaotic symphony of the hospital hit me. Nurses rushed briskly back and forth down the linoleum corridors, while the front desk receptionist struggled to keep up with a never-ending chorus of ringing phones. I took a deep, grounding breath and stepped onto the internal medicine floor, leaving the mess of the Huang mansion far behind me.
"Dr. Huo," a nurse called out, looking slightly flustered as she hurried over and handed me a medical chart. "The patient in room 303 has been experiencing intense abdominal pain."
As I walked into room 303, I saw a mother frantically trying to comfort her young child. The little girl was curled into a tight ball on the hospital bed, clutching her stomach and crying softly.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Huo."
The mother turned to me, relief flooding her exhausted eyes as she quickly wiped away her tears. "What's wrong with my baby girl?" she asked, her voice trembling.
I walked over to the bed and knelt down so I was eye-level with the whimpering child. "Hi, Amber. I'm Dr. Huo. Can I take a quick look at your tummy?"
Amber sniffled and nodded. She slowly rolled onto her back and lifted the hem of her hospital gown, revealing her small stomach.
I looked at her with a warm, reassuring smile. "I'm going to touch your stomach now. You just let me know exactly where it hurts the most, okay?"
Amber nodded again.
I placed my hand on her abdomen, gently pressing in small, methodical circles while keeping my eyes fixed on her face to watch for signs of distress. As I reached her lower left side, she flinched.
"Ouch!" Amber cried out.
I immediately pulled my hand away and stood up, turning my attention back to her mother. "How has her appetite been lately?"
Amber's mother wrung her hands together. "For the past couple of days, she hasn't been eating properly at all. She says she feels too full."
I nodded thoughtfully, then turned to the attending nurse beside me. "Please arrange a full blood panel and an abdominal X-ray for Amber right away."
The nurse nodded sharply and exited the room to prepare the orders.
I turned back to Amber's mother, letting my voice drop into a soft, comforting tone. "I will be back very soon with some answers. In the meantime, I'll have a nurse bring in some mild painkillers to make Amber more comfortable."
An hour later, I returned to the room to find Amber sound asleep. Her breathing was steady and peaceful, the IV painkillers clearly having done their job. I caught her mother's eye and gently motioned for her to step outside into the hallway with me.
"It looks like Amber has a mild case of stomach inflammation," I explained softly once the door clicked shut behind us.
Visible relief washed over the woman's tense features.
"It's nothing too serious," I reassured her gently. "We'll prescribe a mild anti-inflammatory medication, along with something to protect her stomach lining. Just make sure she stays hydrated and eats light, bland foods for the next few days—broth, plain rice, toast. No spicy or heavy meals. With rest and proper care, she should recover very quickly."
Tears of gratitude welled in her eyes as she thanked me profusely for putting her mind at ease. After wishing her and Amber a quick recovery, I made my rounds across the rest of the floor, checking in on my other patients.
The rest of my shift passed with surprising ease. The rhythm of the hospital was demanding, but it was a pressure I understood perfectly.
After clocking out for the evening, I walked into the staff changing room and flopped down onto the wooden bench in front of my locker, a satisfying exhaustion settling deep into my bones. I took a moment just to breathe, then stripped off my white coat and changed back into my street clothes.
As I pushed through the hospital's glass exit doors into the cool evening air, my thoughts drifted back to the man waiting at home.
If only fixing hearts were as simple as fixing stomach aches.