Dr. Do-Right (Occupational Hazards)

Epilogue

“I hate this,” I complained, flopping onto the couch.

“You’ll be fine.” Sonia smiled, taping up the last box to add to the massive pile by the front door. The movers would be here tomorrow to put it all in storage. “You’re too caught up living the glam life with my brother in the penthouse. You’ve hardly missed me these past few weeks.”

“That’s absolutely not true, and you know it!” I sat up, irritated by her words. If anything, I missed her more than I had before Christine’s attack. A week after it had all gone down, Asher had been released from the hospital, and the RISI team had returned to their home base in Atlanta. On to the next crisis, I supposed. Sonia had seemed fine when they left. Too fine. The next day, she’d packed up her own stuff and gone back to New York to finish out her travel contract there.

I worried about her every day. How was she dealing with everything? What had really gone on with her and Asher? I got the impression it was more than just a flirtation, but she hadn’t spoken about him since he left. Whenever I asked if she’d heard from him, she was noncommittal, so I had no clue what was happening there.

I’d been counting the days until she came back to the city, but last week, she’d dropped the bombshell that she’d taken another travel gig, this time in Charlotte, North Carolina. She barely had a few days to come home and pack up the apartment before she started. Apparently, she had plans to make the traveling a long-term thing.

“Whatever. We both know the truth. You have a new favorite Dobrev. No time for little old me.” She grinned, falling onto the couch so our legs banged together.

“Ow, you little skank, get off me. No wonder I like Mal more than you!” I shoved at her legs, still marveling at how easy it had been to integrate my relationship with Mal into my life. Despite her jokes, Sonia knew I still loved her fiercely. Life felt, strangely, perfect.

We all had our bad days. Sometimes, I’d catch Mal staring off into the distance and I knew he was reliving the horror we’d gone through. Every once in a while, Sonia FaceTimed me after work, content for me to place her on the counter or on the couch while Mal and I made dinner or watched a movie, happy just to have someone on the other end of the line. Dr. Peterson still made time for emergency appointments for me every once in a while. We all had a long way to go, but we were getting there one day at a time, just like Mal had said.

“You sure you don’t want me to move my flight?” Sonia asked for the bajillionth time. I sighed, head bouncing on the back couch cushion. “Don’t give me that look! You might need backup. Someone to remind you that you have a spine, or to throw down. You know I’d love to take a few swings at your mom.”

“It’ll be fine.” True to my promise, I’d let my parents know when the police apprehended Christine, and told them I was safe. When more details about the attack had come out in the media, they had well and truly freaked out, even going so far as to show up at our apartment a few days later when I didn’t answer their calls. I hadn’t even known they’d had my address. Introducing them to Joanne and Richard had been…weird.

Ever since, they’d been shockingly consistent in their outreach. Even my dad deigned to call once a week. It had taken a while for me to actually pick up. Now, though, I finally felt ready to sit down with them. We had scheduled a lunch together tomorrow to talk about our relationship. I still hadn’t decided how I wanted the conversation to go, and Sonia was on edge about it.

“At least I know Mal will be around just in case,” she relented, surveying the boxes. Our whole life together, the past few years, all packed away and ready for a new adventure. We had a whole box simply labeled twinkle lights . “This is depressing.”

“You’re the one who decided you didn’t want to stay in Chicago anymore,” I accused, poking her side as she squirmed away.

“I just…need more right now, Ri. You know?” She opened and closed her hands, as if the words she needed would fall from the sky. “You and Mal moved in together. My dad’s retiring. Maybe it’s the whole life-flashing-before-my-eyes moment, but I feel like I’m not doing what I’m meant to be doing, yet. I’m, like, play-acting as an adult. I need to find my life.”

“Hi, I’m your whole life. Sitting right here.” I waved my hand before reaching over to smoosh her face. I let her go, smoothing back some of her hair as I retreated. “I know what you mean, though. I felt like that, too, before I found nursing. I was just getting pulled along by a current, and then suddenly I felt like I had something to row toward.”

“Yes!” Sonnie snapped her fingers, pointing at me. “Yes, that, minus the boat analogy, because you know ya girl don’t row. But yes, you get it. You get me.” Her head dropped onto the couch cushion, eyes squeezed close. “I’m going to miss you, loca.”

“You too, spider monkey.”

We sat together for a few more moments, quiet, soaking in the last seconds of us in this apartment together. Tomorrow, while I was at work, the movers would come to pack all of this away. By the first of next month, someone else would be on some other couch, sitting right where we were. The tape marks from the hundreds of string lights we’d crisscrossed along the ceiling would be painted over. Our epic parties in this place only a memory. We’d only been here for two years, and I’d always known it was temporary. But leaving this apartment was an end of an era. The Rija and Sonia era.

The apartment was fine, but it was her I grieved. Sure, we’d talk and text all the time, and FaceTime, and visit each other. But…that wasn’t the same as living with her. I couldn’t help but feel, on some level, I’d just traded one Dobrev for another. Like I wasn’t allowed to have both full time.

When I’d mentioned this to Sonnie, she’d blown a raspberry in my face and told me I was being tragically dramatic, then made me paint her toenails electric blue.

When I’d repeated it to Mal, he’d pulled me into his arms and swayed back and forth, assuring me that my feelings were valid, and change could be challenging, and he was here for me, whatever I needed. After a while, when I’d calmed down, he tucked some hair behind my ear, leaned down and whispered, “There can only be one,” then laughed hysterically while I beat him with a throw pillow.

“Come on, let’s go see what my stupid brother is up to.” Sonia heaved to her feet, pulling me up with her. We both took one last look at the apartment before we closed the door and headed to the elevators.

Maybe it was just a fact of life that I couldn’t have my best friend and my boyfriend at the same time. I’d have to learn to take Sonia in smaller doses—long distance and only during special occasions. I’d done that once with Mal, hadn’t I? And now I couldn’t imagine a world where I woke up without him next to me, Siggy sneaking in between us for an unsanctioned cuddle.

“I’m glad you two finally came to your senses. Thank God for me.” Sonia loved to take credit for our relationship, blatantly ignoring me anytime I tried to tell her that Mal and I had been a thing , even unofficially, for months before her meddling. Even with her leaving, and how awful it was going to feel to learn to live without her long-term, I was forever grateful to my friend for understanding my relationship with her brother.

“You’re welcome for this, too,” she muttered, giving me a cryptic smile as the doors slid open to the penthouse. I shuffled away, not trusting the sneaky gleam in her eye. I was so wary it took me a second to notice the candles lining the foyer and hallway.

“What?” I asked, peering out at the tea lights flickering in the dim apartment.

“Go see,” Sonnie whispered, pushing me out of the elevator. She smiled when I looked back at her, blowing me a kiss and waving me forward.

I nearly stumbled, staring at all the candles. There had to be dozens charting a pathway from the elevator to the living room. When the living room came into view, I mentally recalibrated my math. There weren’t just dozens, there were hundreds . Tiny lights danced on nearly every available surface. What wasn’t covered in candles held massive vases of fresh flowers. It smelled like a garden center.

And there, in the middle of it all, was Malachi, standing in one of his tuxes. At his feet, Siggy sat perfectly still, sporting his own little bowtie. The only movement from my favorite dog in the world was his wildly thumping tail.

“Mal?” I wasn’t sure what question to ask. What was going on? Was this what I thought it was? Was he trying to burn our apartment down? At the sound of my voice, Siggy hopped up to all four paws.

“Sigmund,” Mal warned. “We practiced this. Sit.” The dog obediently sat on his haunches, looking up at Malachi, who offered him a treat from his pocket before looking up at me. “Hi, Kitten.”

“Hi, Honey. Quite a welcome home.”

Mal nodded, looking around at his handiwork. He must have been setting this up for hours, the whole time I’d been downstairs helping Sonia pack. He’d told me he had work calls. What a stinker.

“It’s a good ambiance,” he agreed, his gaze drawing back to me like it was magnetized. My heart fluttered in my chest. His face in the candlelight, with that soft, adoring expression, was almost more than I could handle.

“Yeah, it is.” I swallowed, watching him stand perfectly calmly in the middle of our beautiful living room. The home we’d built, were re-building, together. “What the hell is going on?”

“I could have done a really great speech telling you how much I love you and the life we have together, but you already know that.” He quirked an eyebrow. I didn’t deny it. He told me every day, both aloud and through all the little things he did for me, how much he loved me. “I thought about some very epic, emotional proclamations telling you how you’re the only woman I’ve ever truly loved and the other half of my soul and all that. But every time I started practicing, my throat got a little tight, and I didn’t think that was a good idea.”

He gave a little cough, sounding like his vocal chords were squeezing, regardless. Mine were rapidly constricting, my pulse hammering harder and harder.

“Mal—”

“But really, I’ve been waiting to do this for a while and I thought at the end of the day I should just make it simple.” Mal squared his shoulders, looking me in the eye. “You said you wanted to make new, good memories here, Rija. I’m really hoping this makes your list.”

He lowered down to one knee, pulling a velvet box from his jacket pocket. My hands flew to my mouth, tears already forming in my eyes. My answer already forming on my lips.

“Rija,” Mal paused, glancing down at Siggy. “Sig, kneel,” he hissed. My puppy lowered into a little play bow. My poor heart couldn’t take this level of surprise and cuteness and joy. I laughed as tears started rolling down my cheeks.

“Rija,” he began again, looking back up at me with shining eyes. “Will you make me and Siggy the happiest creatures on the face of the earth? Will you marry me?”

A happy sob wracked my shoulders. “Carino,” I reached for him. He stood immediately, crossing the polished floor to me. Siggy close on his heels. I grabbed at his arms. “It’s only been two months.”

“Kitten, it’s been two years. I would have dropped down on one knee in your kitchen during Cinco De Mayo if I hadn’t thought you’d chase me off with a butcher knife.” His hands swept my face, wiping the tears away. “Say yes,” he whispered. “Please.”

“Say yes!” Sonia shouted from somewhere behind me.

“Yes! Obviously yes! Yes, times infinity. Yes, forever. Every single day, yes,” I pulled him into my arms, bawling my eyes out and clinging to the best man I’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. He sighed against me, relief pouring out of him. He squeezed me tighter.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too!” I hiccuped, pulling back to plant kisses wherever I could reach on his face. Siggy picked up on the happiness of the moment, jumping up to his hind legs to paw at us. Mal scooped him up and gathered us close. Our family.

A champagne cork popped behind me. Sonia poured three flutes that were already waiting on the counter.

“You knew?” I smiled and accused and wept and laughed all at the same time. She scoffed at me, joining our group hug after pressing a glass into my hand.

“Obviously, I knew. I told him he should do it today.”

“Not true, I told her I wanted to do it before she left for wherever the hell she’s going to now,” Mal countered, glaring while he snagged a glass from her. Sonia rolled her eyes.

“Show her the ring, you dummy.”

“Fuck.” Mal shoved the glass back at Sonia, pulling back to open the velvet box he’d been holding. A gorgeous emerald-cut diamond winked out at me, framed by a delicate, twisting platinum band. I couldn’t stop the new wave of tears that tumbled down to my chin.

“Oh, no, she hates it,” Sonia gasped, grinning. I loved it and she knew I loved it since she’d been privy to my nursing school Pinterest board era and had access to every dream wedding board I’d ever created, where emerald-cut diamonds featured prominently.

“You helped him pick out the ring?” I sounded watery, pulling them both back to me for a group hug. Siggy wiggled around our legs.

“Don’t lie,” Mal warned, smoothing his hand up and down my spine and pressing soft kisses against my neck. Sonia huffed.

“Mal picked out a few. I approved of this one.”

“I did, too,” Mal bickered back. Sonia clicked her tongue and eased out of our embrace, giving us some space. Mal scooped me up, sliding the ring onto my finger. It fit. I was still crying so much that I could barely see what it looked like against my hand. I got the impression that it was absolutely perfect.

“Our reservations are at seven, people. You have limited lovey-dovey, gooey staring time. Start now. You’d better be dressed when I come back up here!” Sonia drained her glass, pausing to wrap her arm around my neck and press a smacking kiss to my cheek. “Congrats, sis,” she whispered, before sashaying down the hall toward the elevator.

“Reservations?” I tilted my chin to rest on Mal’s chest. The backs of his fingers stroked stray tears away from my cheeks.

“La Belle Vie. Private room.” He named one of the swankier restaurants in the city, trailing kisses wherever his fingers touched.

“Fancy,” I replied just before his tongue swept into my mouth. My body sparked and fizzed like the wine in my hand. I cupped his jaw, feeling the unfamiliar weight of the ring against my skin. He groaned when I flicked my tongue across his bottom lip. “I should change, then,” I whispered, nipping my teeth along his freshly shaved jaw.

“You’re perfect,” he ducked, capturing my mouth again. He eased his hands under my shirt, stroking the skin of my back.

“I’m wearing sweatpants,” I gasped, arching into his touch. Even months later, the slightest press of his skin against mine was enough to light me up. I was still absolutely starving for him.

“If you want to get out of them, I have a fun activity for you.” He placed one last stinging, lingering kiss against my lips before leaning over to pull something out of the couch cushions. “Didn’t feel right to open this one in front of my sister.”

I’d never seen the box before, but I was familiar with the shape. Long, rectangular. I pulled on the silky white ribbon to reveal the white vibrator, decorated with little shining crystals all along the bottom. I barked out a laugh.

“You bought me a proposal vibrator?”

Mal grinned down at it like it was a treasure. “Have to hit all the big milestones, Kitten.”

“Mmhmm. Didn’t you say something once about having your cake and eating it, too?”

“Exactly.” Mal’s smile turned wicked as he reached down to pluck the toy out of the box. “I estimate we have twenty minutes before Sonia comes barging back up here.” He scanned my body, looking at me like I was wearing lingerie instead of dusty moving clothes. “How fast you think you can make yourself come?”

“Depends,” I purred, grabbing the vibrator, my ring catching on the candlelight. “How long can you keep your hands to yourself?” I pulled off my oversized t-shirt, leaving me in a black sports bra and gray sweatpants that hung low on my hips. His sweatpants. Mal swallowed.

“Not long.” He was already reaching for me, even as I backed away down the hallway to our bedroom. My champagne glass clicked on the countertop as I set it down. Mal followed, looking like he was not in control of his own actions.

I held his gaze as I flicked the toy on, buzzing filling the air between us. I gripped it as if it were his shaft, pumping my fist up and down, making sure he saw my ring flash with my hand’s motion. He groaned. I grinned.

Two months ago, I could never have imagined this would be my reality. I had hardly dared to think of a world where Mal and I would use these toys not for proxy, but for fun. I could never have dreamed of how perfectly our life with Sonia and Siggy and this apartment and his new clinic would come together.

Yes, we had gone through hell to get here, but on the other side, life looked sweet.

“You said something about making more good memories here. Maybe you can help me make another?”

He lunged, grabbing the toy out of my hands and scooping me up in one arm. I laughed all the way down the hall. He kicked the door shut behind us.