Chapter 24
I stretch my arms up and massage my shoulders. My whole body is terribly sore. It's almost eight in the evening, but today's shift is taking forever.
I finish my warm-up and go to the reception.
"Timur," I am surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Are you ready to meet your new colleague?" "Really?" I smile.
"Yes." He holds out his hand and shows me his badge.
The door of one of the wards opens and Danylo comes out. He walks as usual. As if he owns the whole world.
His eyes immediately fall on me and then on Timur.
"I'm glad you're going to work here, Boyko." He shakes Timur's hand and smiles.
He has a wonderful smile.
"Uh, Amelia, maybe you can show me where I can try on my new uniform?"
I inhale more air as Danylo's questioning gaze falls on me.
"Sure." I press my lips together and lead Timur into the room.
I remember how I rejected him that night and avoided him in the university corridors like a weirdo. I remember and feel guilty.
"Listen," I put my hands in my back pockets, "I wanted to apologise to you for that night. I've been really busy lately and... "
"It's okay, Am," he interrupts me, but his voice is calm.
Even soothing, I would say.
We reach the room and Timur puts his things down. I leave to give him time to change.
"Am?" Danylo asks me, and I'm almost scared because I didn't notice him at first.
If I work the same shift as these two, I'll go crazy.
"So you are now, Am?" he smiles.
I don't fully understand his tone. Is he jealous?
"Well, you're not the only one who can give me nicknames."
"Yeah. I'm the only one. So are you guys friends now or what?"
"Or what Danylo? Or do we sleep together?" The smile slips from his face.
"Do you sleep together?"
"No, we don't sleep together. And even if we were, since when are you interested in my sex life?"
"You can't be interested in something that doesn't exist, darley." That was a low blow.
"How do you know? Maybe I've changed my mind."
"Oh, so you're not a nun anymore? And who made you renounce it?" "You are an idiot," I laugh and hit him on the arm.
We continue to walk down the corridor as if it were the first time. As if nothing has changed between us. As if we had never existed.
But we did.
"By the way, how are the preparations for the wedding going?"
"Oh," Danylo groans, "I left these things to my fiancée." My fiancée.
"Just remember to come."
"I'll try, but I can't promise."
I've never seen such a charming smile before. I've never seen anyone laugh so sincerely.
"You know you're invited too, right?" "What?" I am surprised.
"Ami, you are my friend and I will need you, please," he looks at me with pleading eyes, "come to my wedding."
I swallow my saliva hard. He is asking me for the hardest thing in my life. To come to his wedding? To watch the person you're in love with marry someone else?
With the same enthusiasm, I could have jumped off a bridge head first.
"Sebastian will be there too. Oh, and Boyko, of course." That's great. That's really great. The crazy trio and me.
"Yes," I squeeze out a smile, "of course I will come. Will you have a theme or can I wear any dress?"
"You can wear anything, you'll be beautiful anyway," he looks at me with his penetrating brown eyes.
He looks at me so warmly that I can feel this warmth in my chest. I am hopeless.
And hopelessly in love.