14. Addie
ADDIE
A ddie stirred as the first light slipped through the curtains, bringing with it a warmth that wrapped around her like the memory of the night before.
She lay still, letting herself replay every detail. The memory was vivid, each touch and look feeling as fresh as if it had happened seconds ago.
Her gaze shifted, drawn to Giselle lying beside her, peaceful in sleep. Giselle’s hair fell softly against the pillow, and Addie’s eyes lingered on the gentle rise and fall of her chest and the smoothness of her skin catching the morning light.
There was something so vulnerable about seeing her like this, her face free of its usual guarded expression.
Addie felt her breathing slow, quiet awe settling over her as she admired Giselle’s features—the subtle curve of her lips, the lines of her collarbone, her steady breathing.
Last night had been unexpected, but as she looked at Giselle now, it felt more right than anything had in a long time.
Addie’s eyes moved lower, noticing the soft curves of Giselle’s body and how it fit so perfectly beside her.
Then Giselle’s eyes opened slowly, and for a moment, they both just looked at each other. There was something unreadable in Giselle’s gaze, a flash of surprise that quickly turned guarded. Addie could see the quick shift as Giselle’s face grew distant.
She felt herself draw back slightly, watching as Giselle’s expression turned neutral, the softness of the morning slipping away.
“Good morning,” Giselle said.
Addie swallowed, surprised at the coldness in Giselle’s voice.
“Morning.” She tried to keep her tone light, but the warmth from a moment ago had faded.
Giselle sat up, brushing back her hair and looking toward the window. “The weather cleared up.” Her words were flat, as if the night before hadn’t meant anything.
Addie sat up too, caught off guard by Giselle’s sudden detachment.
“Oh. That’s…good.” She watched as Giselle moved off the bed, not looking back as she grabbed a robe and headed toward the bathroom. The door closed quietly, leaving Addie sitting alone, trying to piece together what had just happened.
A soft knock broke through her thoughts. Addie turned as Sophie pushed the door open, her face lighting up when she saw her mom.
“Good morning!” Sophie’s voice was bright as she climbed onto the bed, settling close to Addie with a wide grin.
Addie managed a small smile, her attention shifting to her daughter.
“Good morning, sweetheart.” She hugged Sophie, feeling a small comfort in her warmth. “Did you sleep well? ”
Sophie nodded, her smile infectious. “Natalie and I had the best sleepover ever.”
“That’s great, honey.” Addie kissed her forehead. “Now let’s get you ready. We’ll be leaving soon.”
Sophie nodded and hopped down, running back to her room. Addie took a breath, steadying herself before getting up to join her.
She dressed quickly, hoping the coolness she’d felt with Giselle earlier was just a temporary reaction, something they could talk through. But as she walked to the living room, her mind was still swirling with questions.
In the living room, Ember was tidying up, her movements graceful, a gentle smile on her face. She looked up, and her smile grew a little wider when she saw Addie.
“Morning, Addie. How’d you sleep?” Ember’s tone held a playful note, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
Addie felt her cheeks warm under Ember’s gaze. “It was nice.” She tried to sound casual, but Ember’s knowing smile made her laugh, the faint blush deepening.
Ember chuckled, her gaze warm. “That’s good to hear.” She gave a little wink, then continued with her tidying, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Addie smiled to herself, the exchange bringing back a bit of the warmth from earlier.
She stayed there a moment, watching as Ember moved around, her mind drifting back to Giselle.
She wanted to go back to that closeness again, but she was met with an ache of uncertainty as she recalled Giselle’s distant expression.
When she returned to the bedroom, she found Giselle gathering her things, her expression calm but closed off. Addie took a breath and decided to break the silence.
“So, last night was…” She hesitated, searching for the right words, but Giselle’s face remained neutral, her gaze fixed on packing.
“It was nice, yes,” Giselle replied, her tone polite, almost too controlled. She looked up, her expression unchanging. “But we should probably get going soon.”
Addie’s heart sank a bit at her tone, but she forced a small nod, trying to keep her own expression steady. “Right, of course.”
She turned away, focusing on her own things and trying to shake off the frustration building inside.
After last night, she’d thought things might be different, that maybe there was something more between them.
But now, watching Giselle retreat into her usual guarded self, she wondered if she’d read too much into it.
They moved through the rest of their preparations in silence, the ease from last night replaced by a careful distance. Addie kept glancing over at her, trying to catch any hint of warmth in Giselle’s gaze, but each time, Giselle was focused elsewhere, her face unreadable.
As they stood by the car, Addie took a small breath and turned to Giselle. “About last night…”
Giselle looked up, her eyes steady but distant. “Let’s just leave it, Addie.”
The finality in her tone made Addie’s chest tighten, but she managed a nod, her face calm. “Right.”
Sophie tugged on her sleeve, looking up at her with wide, hopeful eyes.
“Mom, can I stay here a little longer?” Sophie glanced over to where Natalie stood, watching the two of them, clearly just as eager to extend their time together as Sophie was. “Please, Mom. Natalie says they’re going to make waffles later, and it’s not a school day.”
Addie glanced from Sophie to Natalie, then back again. “Sweetheart, we’ll be heading home soon,” she started, keeping her tone gentle but firm. She didn’t want to impose on Josephine and Ember.
But before she could continue, Josephine stepped forward, hands on her hips in mock sternness.
“Now hold on, Addie. I think Natalie would be devastated if Sophie left so soon.” She gave Addie a warm smile, her gaze shifting to the two girls who were now staring at her, waiting for the final say.
“Absolutely,” Ember added, crossing her arms with a playful grin. “It’s a weekend; let them have some fun. We can drop Sophie off later when you’re done with work.”
She gave Addie a nod, reassuring her. Addie hesitated, glancing back down at Sophie, whose expression brightened with hope. “Are you sure? I don’t want to put you both out.”
“Oh, please.” Ember waved a dismissive hand. “They’re no trouble at all. Besides, Natalie has been looking forward to this. It’d be cruel to break a kid’s heart over waffles.”
Addie laughed softly, watching as Sophie and Natalie’s faces broke into matching grins. The relief in Sophie’s expression tugged at her heart, and before she knew it, she was nodding.
“Alright, then.” Addie looked down at Sophie, who let out a delighted squeal and immediately wrapped her arms around Addie’s waist. “But make sure you listen to Josephine and Ember, okay?”
Sophie nodded vigorously, her expression lighting up. “I will, I promise!”
With that, Sophie let go and grabbed Natalie’s hand, the two of them rushing back toward the kitchen where Ember had already pulled out the ingredients for waffles. Watching them, Addie felt a warm sense of reassurance settle in her chest.
Josephine touched her arm lightly. “See? Easy as that. Don’t worry; we’ll have her home before you know it.” She gave Addie a warm, knowing smile.
“Thank you, really. I know she loves it here.” Addie’s gaze lingered on Sophie, watching her animatedly talk to Natalie as they gathered around the counter.
Josephine chuckled as she watched the scene, too. “Sophie’s a wonderful kid, Addie. You’re doing an incredible job with her.”
Addie felt a blush creep up, but managed to smile. “Thank you, Josephine.”
“May we?” Giselle asked.
Addie nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”
They climbed into the car, and as they pulled away from the beach house, Addie let the silence settle around them, her mind racing with questions she knew wouldn’t be answered today. She told herself to let it go, to accept the distance Giselle had put between them.
As they drove, she couldn’t shake the memory of the warmth they’d shared, a warmth that felt as real as the morning light now streaming through the windows.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting soft shadows across the dashboard as they drove.
Neither spoke. Addie glanced sideways, catching Giselle’s profile as she kept her eyes on the road.
Once or twice, Giselle’s gaze flicked toward her, but each time Addie looked over, Giselle’s attention snapped forward again.
Addie tried not to think too hard about it, but there was no ignoring the sense that something was unresolved between them.
Minutes passed before Giselle broke the silence.
“I hope you…didn’t think too much of…anything last night.” Her words came out hesitantly, almost like an apology she was reluctant to give.
Addie’s hand tensed against the seat.
“Just drive, Giselle.” She didn’t look at her, choosing to focus on the trees rushing by instead.
The response hung between them, simple but clear. The silence settled in again, heavier, until they finally pulled up to the hospital entrance.
The familiarity of the hospital parking lot brought a strange sense of relief, and both women shifted back into the professional roles they wore like armor.
As they entered, Addie felt herself fall back into the rhythm of work, but it wasn’t long before a nurse with an annoyingly familiar smile ambushed them in the hallway.
“Morning, Dr. Wolfe, Dr. Carlisle.” Madeline’s smile was wide and a little too knowing as her gaze flicked between them. “So both of you coming in together today?”
Addie noticed Giselle’s expression tighten, the warmth she’d felt from her that morning replaced with a brisk professionalism.
“Is there something you need?” Giselle’s tone was curt, a look of impatience crossing her face.
Madeline cleared her throat, the smirk dropping as she held out a clipboard. “Emergency in the ICU—a young girl. They brought her in early this morning.”
Addie took the clipboard, her mind already shifting to the case in front of her.
“Thank you. We’ll get on it right away.”
She moved past Madeline, Giselle close behind her, both of them already absorbed in the details of the case as they walked down the corridor. Giselle’s office was closer, and as they neared it, Addie glanced over at her.
“Let’s take a look inside.”
Giselle nodded and they slipped into the office, the door closing softly behind them. The quiet inside the room brought an unexpected intimacy, a reminder of how things had been just hours before.
They stood side by side, both absorbed in the clipboard, their shoulders nearly touching as they read through the file. Addie’s mind was on the case, but she was acutely aware of every inch between them, every brush of her shoulder against Giselle’s arm.
Their hands moved together on the clipboard, fingers almost touching, and Addie’s breath caught. She tried to push the thoughts away, but her gaze flicked up, catching the edge of Giselle’s profile.
The memory of last night lingered, making it hard to concentrate on the words in front of her.
Suddenly, Giselle’s hand brushed against hers, lingering for just a moment longer than necessary. Addie’s heart raced.
She looked up, meeting Giselle’s gaze, and for a brief second, it was as though everything else faded away—the office, the clipboard, the hospital.
Giselle moved closer, and without a word leaned in, her lips brushing against Addie’s in a kiss that was both hesitant and certain, as if it was something she’d been holding back for far too long.
Addie’s mind went blank, and the only things grounding her were the warmth of Giselle’s lips and the softness of her touch. It was slower this time, deeper, a kiss that felt like a promise neither was ready to break.
When they finally pulled back, Giselle’s expression was a mix of longing and restraint, her gaze still locked with Addie’s. She took a small breath, as if gathering her thoughts.
“We shouldn’t be doing this, Addie.”
The words were soft, almost pained, and Addie felt a pang of frustration, but she kept her face steady as she nodded.
“I agree,” Addie said. “Right now, we have a kid to save.”