Athilda's pov
I lowered my head slightly and adjusted my face mask, trying to hide as much of my face as I could.
God, please… please do not let him recognize me. He cannot find out who I am. It would ruin everything.
I took a deep breath to steady myself before speaking. "I'm done," I said quietly, picking up the tools I had used. I bowed my head slightly and turned to leave.
"Wait…"
I froze. I felt Enzo's hand rest gently on my shoulder, and my feet rooted to the floor.
"Y-yes?" I replied, trying hard not to stutter, but I failed. Ugh, self… why are you so bad at acting?! You are going to blow your cover at this rate!
"You're new?" His voice was so calm and low… but somehow carried weight. Why do guys like him always sound extra attractive when they talk like that?
"N-no," I muttered quickly, barely able to meet his eyes.
"I see." His hand lifted from my shoulder.
As soon as he pulled away, I bolted. I left the room as fast as I could without looking like I was running for my life, though honestly, that was exactly how I felt.
That was close! Way too close!
I kept walking, forcing myself not to look back. That is when I spotted Nurse Jaycee coming down the hallway toward me.
She was on her way to start her shift, and the moment I saw her, I almost cried in relief.
Thank you, Lord. I can finally go home.
I glanced at my wristwatch, 6:15 PM. Jaycee was early today. That was Enzo, but today I was beyond thankful.
"Hey, Jaycee! You're early today! Haha," I greeted her cheerfully.
"Yeah, making up for all the times I came in late," she replied with a small laugh. "Oh, are you taking that to the lab?" she asked, pointing to the tray I was holding.
"Ah, yes." I nodded.
"Alright, I'll take it. You should go clock out. You look exhausted."
She smiled at me warmly while shaking her head in amusement.
I felt my entire mood lift even more. Bless this woman!
"Thank you! Seriously, thank you!" I said gratefully, handing her the tray.
"No problem!" she said as she took it and walked away.
I let out a deep sigh, my shoulders finally relaxing. I can finally go home… rest… and not worry about Enzo being around for at least a few hours.
I quickly made my way to the staff room to grab my things, then headed to the nurse station to log out.
On my way there, I ran into Kristan just as he stepped out of the elevator.
"Oh, Baby Ath! Going home already?" he asked with a tired but playful smile. He looked exhausted, but of course, still handsome. That's Kristan for you.
"Yeah. What about you? What time are you off?" I asked.
"Not until 7:30. I just finished a surgery," he replied, rotating his wrist as if to stretch the stiffness.
"Oh yeah, I heard it was another success. Congrats, Doc!" I said, then playfully slapped his arm. "You should treat us to something for that!"
"Thanks, Baby. Game. When are you free?" Kristan laughed softly. He had always called me "Baby", nothing romantic there. We were just close, and that nickname had stuck since forever.
"Tomorrow," I replied. "Anyway, I have to go. I still need to get fitted for a dress. See you tomorrow!" I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and walked off, not waiting for his reply.
I hurried straight to the nurse station, logged out, and made my way to the parking lot to grab my car.
Once inside, I exhaled a deep breath and started the engine. I was finally heading to the boutique to get my measurements for Talia's party dress. Midway through driving, my phone suddenly rang.
Kring! Kring!
Kee is calling… I slipped on my earphones, which were already connected to my phone, and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Ath? How's work? Did you see him?"
Of course she was talking about Enzo. Ever since I told her that he was the same doctor from that night, the one who flew in from abroad, she could not stop going on about it. According to her, fate was working overtime to bring us together. She even said he might be my forever.
Ugh. Forever, my foot. I do not even believe in that crap.
"I almost made it through the whole day without seeing him," I said with a sigh. "I was doing great at avoiding him… but then right before I clocked out, bam. He was there. Talking to me. I was wearing a face mask the whole time. Kee, my heart was pounding."
"What did he say?"
"He asked if I was new at the hospital. I said no," I replied, remembering how stiff and awkward I must have looked.
"Girl, if he's even a little smart, he probably recognized you! You think a guy will forget someone who basically begged to have his baby? Please."
I went completely quiet.
Damn… she had a point.
I still remember people who had embarrassed themselves in front of me years ago. There was no way Enzo had forgotten someone who threw herself at him like I did. Not to mention… I told him I wanted a baby, his baby. Ugh.
"I don't know, Kee… I just…" I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.
"You know what annoys me, Ath? You want a child, but you refuse to think things through. A baby needs a full family, a father. Someone to protect them. Someone who will be there!"
I clenched my jaw. "I can protect my child. I'll hire security if I need to. I don't need a man to do that."
"You don't get it. It's not about guards or money. A father is a king to his child, Ath. Whether it's a girl or a boy, they deserve a king in their world."
"Kee… I don't even like him. I don't love him. That's the problem. You've said it yourself, being with someone you don't love is hell. I just want a baby. And it would be so selfish of me to drag him into something he never asked for. What if he's already in a relationship… or worse, married?"
"I don't want him stressing over a baby he didn't plan for. This is my decision, not his. I'm doing this for him, too."
"Athilda!" Kee shouted through the line. "Now you're just thinking about the fact he might be taken?! AFTER you've already tried to get pregnant by him?! You're insane! That's a huge mess waiting to explode!"
I rolled my eyes even if she could not see me. "Yeah, thanks for the support, bestie."
"Girl, you're seriously on another level of stupid right now."
"Love you too, Kee," I replied sarcastically.
"Oh, that's exactly why he should never see me again or find out I'm pregnant. No drama. No mess. You get it now?" I said firmly.
"Wow, Ath. Seriously, that mindset of yours is wild," Kee replied, clearly unimpressed. "You really think it's that easy to avoid him forever? What if he doesn't even have a girlfriend or wife? What if he wants to take responsibility? What if he actually wants to love you? What then?"
Her tone turned sarcastic. If we were face to face, I was sure we'd both be rolling our eyes or raising our brows at each other right now.
"Ugh. Whatever, I give up on you, Kee," I said, already getting tired of the conversation. "Let's talk later. I'm here at the boutique already. Babush! Love you!"
I pulled out my earphones before she could say anything else, sighed heavily, and finally stepped out of the car.
*******
The boutique looked warm and elegant as I pushed open the door. A small bell rang overhead as I entered, and the scent of new fabric and subtle perfume filled the air.
"Good evening, Miss Zane!" greeted one of the staff. "You're here for your fitting, right?"
"Yes," I smiled politely, brushing off the storm in my head. "I'm here for the dress fitting for Talia's party."
"Right this way, Ma'am. Your measurements are already on file but we'll do a quick update just to be sure," she said cheerfully, leading me to a private fitting area with soft lighting and a full-length mirror.
I changed into the gown they had prepared. It was stunning, soft satin, pastel blue, hugging my body in all the right places. For a moment, I just stared at myself.
I look… different. Not just because of the dress. Something in my face had changed lately. Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe, deep down… it was the weight of everything I was hiding.
"Wow, Miss Zane," the tailor said from behind. "You look beautiful. The gown fits you like it was made for you."
"Thank you," I said softly, smiling just enough to be polite.
As she adjusted them, my mind wandered again.
What if Kee was right?
What if Enzo wasn't taken?
What if he wanted to know?
What if… he could be someone more? I quickly shook my head.
No. Stop it, Athilda. Don't even go there. This is your choice. Your baby. Your life.