?


    I nced over at Hayden. He was already awake, his gaze soft and knowing.


    "Dr. Lane," I shot back, "are you cking offtely? You''re an OB-GYN, but you''re throwing around lines like that? Who''s really got the dirty mind here?"


    Lena''sughter exploded through the phone. "Me? All I said was ''love paradise''! You''re the one who made it sound X-rated. Don''t me me for where your mind went!"


    I was speechless for a moment, then blurted out, "How are you? Are you hurt?"


    This was what worried me most.


    Even though Hayden had promised me Lena was fine, I needed to hear it from her directly.


    "Didn''t your Hayden already tell you? Or did you not even let him talk and just went straight for the jugr?" Lena teased, knowing me all too well. When it came down to Hayden or my best friend, I was always picking her.


    "I want to hear it from you," I said, noticing it wasn''t a video call.


    "Fine, I''ll call you on video. I didn''t start with that in case I interrupted something... intimate. You know, a live show," she said, her words dripping with innuendo.


    "Knock it off and turn your camera on," I huffed, ending the call so she could switch to


    video.


    As I waited, Hayden asked, "Want some water?"


    I nodded, and he got up to grab it just as Lena''s video call came through.


    "Where''s Hayden?" she asked immediately.


    "He''s getting me water. What, you miss him already? Catch feelings after all that time together?" I teased.


    "Honestly? Not gonna lie-Hayden''s the kind of guy who could make anyone''s heart skip. If I''d been around him for a year, I might''ve been in trouble," Lena said casually, totally unbothered by how bold she sounded.


    I didn''t overthink it. I knew her too well to take her seriously. Besides, Hayden had already exined how he''d taken care of her during those days- every move calcted to keep her safe and, yeah, probably to make me go easier on him when he came back.


    I smirked, flicking my hair with dramatic ir. "Obviously. Your bestie only picks the cream of the crop. Have I ever gone for anything less than top- tier?"


    "Gotta admire the confidence!" Lenaughed.


    1/2


    She leaned into her couch, wrapped up in a plug Menket. Her fare was brierovy, alive a huge reliet


    Sull, I wasn''t about to stop worrying "Get up and jump around Spin for me $uh, squinting at the screen like I was trying to spot inviside injuries.


    Lenaughed harder. "What''s next? Want me to strip while I''m at 07


    “Sure, Gotta make sure you''re not hiding anything," I joked, ying, dong,


    "Dream on! You think you get to see this?" she tugged her nket fighter, grinning,


    Her yful tone and energy eased thest bit of my anxiety, Hayden had told the truth she was fine,pletely unharmed,


    I nced at the background behind her. “Where are you? That doesn''t look like a hotel* “Uncle Aaron brought me here. No idea where this is," she said nonchntly. Hearing she was with Aaron brought a wave of relief. "Good. If he''s with you, I can finally stop worrying. Bute back soon, okay? I won''t feel totally at ease until you''re here."


    "In a couple of days," Lena promised, but there was a pause before she added, "You didn''t give Hayden too much grief, did you?"


    I nced at the doorway where Hayden was still busy. "No," I said.


    "Seriously? Not even a little?" she pressed, clearly not buying it. "Rea, he had his reasons for taking me that day. Don''t hold it against him."


    Her defense of Hayden softened something inside me, breaking through thest bit of tension I''d been clinging to.


    "Rea, Hayden really put everything on the line this time," Lena continued, her tone serious. "He nearly died taking down a freaking international crime syndicate. Do you know how many people he''s saved?"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    It was true-he always carried thisrger-than-life sense of purpose.


    “And you''re amazing too. And Aaron," I added, hesitating for a moment. "Lena, he really cares about you."


    “I call him Uncle Aaron. Of course he cares,” she replied quickly, brushing it off.


    But I knew she understood what I was really saying.


    "His concern for you isn''t just... uncle-like. It''s more than that-" I started, but before I could finish, the call cut off.


    K