17. Giselle
GISELLE
G iselle sat at her desk, her fingers tapping idly against the papers she’d been avoiding.
Against her will, her thoughts kept slipping back to the night at Josephine’s house. She should’ve moved on by now—work demanded it—but no amount of patient files or review notes could clear that night from her mind.
She adjusted a stack of papers, moving them from one side of her desk to the other, her gaze distant. The memories kept creeping back in—the softness in Addie’s expression, the way her hair fell loose around her shoulders, the warmth of her smile .
Giselle glanced at the empty chair across from her desk, half-expecting Addie to be there. But of course, she wasn’t. It’d only been an hour or two since she’d seen her last, yet it felt like years had passed.
The clock on the wall ticked steadily, mocking her inability to stay focused. Giselle leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. She glanced at her coffee, untouched and now cold.
Reaching for her phone, she nearly jumped when it lit up with an incoming call: Mom . The phone buzzed insistently as the name flashed on the screen. She stared at it, her finger hovering over the answer button, but something in her hesitated.
Perhaps she could tell them to leave her be for now. She’d heal faster without them peering over her shoulder and calling every damn day.
The ringing finally stopped, leaving a silence so loud she could hear her thoughts screaming at her. Maybe she’d call her parents back after work.
But even as she thought about it, she knew she wouldn’t. Not today. Maybe not tomorrow, either. She adjusted the papers again, this time stacking them perfectly square, a distraction that barely lasted a few seconds.
Giselle stood up and paced a few steps around the room.
She glanced at the small calendar on her desk, noting the appointments lined up for the rest of the week.
None of them involved Addie. That was disappointing.
She wanted to think it was just a professional preference—after all, Addie was good at what she did.
But if she was being honest, it was more than that.
She walked to the window and looked out at the hospital courtyard below. People moved in and out, some in scrubs, others in street clothes, and yet Addie was the only one she could think about.
That night, it had been so easy to forget her own rules. Addie had pulled down those walls Giselle had spent years building like it was nothing. Giselle ran a hand through her hair, almost laughing at herself.
With a quiet sigh, she moved back to her desk, glancing at the phone once more. No new messages. She knew it was silly to expect anything.
Finally, she walked to the door, her steps slower than usual. Part of her knew this was a mistake—seeking out Addie, allowing herself to let her guard down. She should stay put, focus on work, and let these feelings settle into the background. But her hand reached for the door anyway.
Her steps carried her down the hall, passing the occasional nurse or fellow doctor. She kept her gaze steady, ignoring the curious glances. The hallway stretched out in front of her, seeming longer than she remembered.
There it was: Addie’s office. She stopped just short of the door, her hand lifting to knock, but then paused.
What was she even going to say? She didn’t know. But if she knocked on Addie’s door, she had a feeling everything would change.
Giselle stood outside Addie’s office, rubbing a hand over her forehead. The fluorescent hallway lights reflected off her face, highlighting her furrowed brow.
Today had been pretty long, but it wasn’t stress written on her face. It was indecision. For so long, Giselle had been fighting the urge to see Addie and share in her space .
Fighting?
She almost laughed. The fact that she was standing outside Addie’s office showed how well she was “fighting.”
She raised her hand, hesitated, and then sighed.
“Just knock already,” she muttered to herself. But her hesitation wasn’t because she couldn’t handle being in Addie’s space—it was because she couldn’t handle not being in Addie’s space.
Everything reminded her of Addie, from the white hospital walls to the little bits of art that filled the pediatric ward.
Maybe it was just her head, but that was another problem on its own. Why couldn’t she remain as stoic as she’d been when she first came here? She was Giselle Carlisle now, so why did she love like she was still Giselle Nova?
Giselle sighed. There was no going back now. Her heart wanted what—who—it wanted. She raised her hand again, but this time she knocked.
No response. Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t have signed out already. Giselle knew that for certain. She’d checked Addie’s schedule for the day. She still had a couple of hours before she clocked out.
Perhaps she was so busy inside that she wasn’t paying attention to the door. She knocked again.
“Addie?”
No response.
“There’s no one in there,” a soft voice called.
Giselle spun around to find Addie standing behind her. Her light brown hair, as usual, was nearly tucked behind her ear. It was the glint in her hazel eyes that blew Giselle away. That, and the slow smile that was spreading over her lips.
“Oh, I was…” Giselle began. “You’re here.”
Shit . Giselle screamed at herself in her head. In her defense, she hadn’t thought out what she’d say when she saw Addie. All that made sense in her head was the fact that she wanted to see her.
“I might’ve stayed a little too long at the cafeteria,” Addie said, her eyebrows lifting slightly. “Hey.”
Hey?
Giselle found it a little too informal. Still, she liked it, the same way she liked the fluttering in her belly as Addie smiled at her.
“Hey,” Giselle said, sticking her hands in her coat pockets. The motion felt clumsy. She pulled them out immediately and cleared her throat. “Thought I’d stop by.”
Addie seemed to glow as the words left Giselle’s lips. Maybe she was just imagining things, but she’d love to imagine that her missing Addie would be enough to make Addie glow. She sure would feel great if Addie said the same thing about her.
“If I just…” Addie said, pointing toward the door to her office.
Giselle’s eyes followed Addie’s hand. She wore no bracelets. Her hands were as smooth as the curve of her lips when she spoke. Giselle smiled. Of course, she knew all about Addie’s hands. They’d caressed her so sensually when they’d made love.
She knew about her lips, too. She remembered every little detail of how they’d traced kisses down her thighs, then back up while she’d fucked her with her fingers. Giselle adjusted her stance.
“...the door,” Giselle heard Addie say .
She blinked. There was a key in Addie’s hand.
Oh. Key. Door.
Giselle turned red in the face.
“I’m sorry, I had no idea. I just…sorry,” Giselle mumbled as she stepped out of the way.
“It’s perfectly fine.”
It wasn’t for Giselle. She’d already embarrassed herself.
“There we go,” Addie said as the door finally swung open. “Come in.”
Addie stepped inside and Giselle followed closely behind.
Everything in here was just…Addie. Calm, and inviting, with the scent of coffee lingering in the air. Giselle soon found the culprit, a coffee cup sitting next to a stack of papers on her desk.
Addie leaned against her desk and glanced at Giselle. Giselle shifted from foot to foot, not quite sure where to start. She racked her brain, trying to think of something to break the ice.
When she looked up, Addie was watching her with a half-smile playing on her lips.
Typical Addie.
“You look exhausted,” Addie said, crossing her arms. She was close enough for Giselle to notice the tiny flecks of green in her eyes.
“It’s been one of those days.” Giselle took a deep breath. “You know what I mean.”
Addie chuckled softly. “I do.” She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing a fraction. “Working with you has made work a bit more enjoyable, though.”
Giselle wondered if Addie was hinting at something more sensual. She’d love to imagine that Addie craved the moments they got to spend together as much as she did.
She glanced away. “Work’s work.”
“You didn’t stop by just to chat about work, did you?” Addie asked. She wasn’t accusing, just observing in that way of hers.
Giselle shrugged again, this time a little too quickly. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I don’t see you with a clipboard or any notes,” she said. She stepped closer, and Giselle’s stomach twisted. “There’s no sign you came here for work.”
Giselle frowned. “I thought I’d break protocol for once. ”
“Protocol?”
“Yeah,” Giselle said. “Thought I’d drop by and see what’s so special about social calls.”
That part wasn’t exactly a lie. Only, she wanted more than just a social call right now.
“And?” Addie asked.
Giselle closed the space between them. Her heart thumped in her chest. Addie stepped away from the desk, moving closer to Giselle.
“You do this thing, you know?” she said softly. “You act like you’re half a world away, even when you’re standing right here.”
Giselle didn’t respond. What was she supposed to say to that? Addie was right. She wished she was half a world away, even now. She should be anywhere but here in this office.
She shouldn’t be having such tumultuous thoughts. But there she was, staring into the eyes of the one woman who made her feel mushy inside.
“Giselle,” Addie said, her voice softer now, and Giselle looked up. She couldn’t help it. “I probably sound like a broken record right now, but it’s okay to let people in.”
You mean to let you in? Giselle could’ve said, but she didn’t. Instead, she touched Addie’s cheek as softly as her fingers could muster.
“Addie,” she whispered, like her name was the only thing that made sense.
Giselle stepped even closer without thinking.
“Kiss me,” she said softly.
Addie blinked, surprised. Her eyes searched Giselle’s, but then her gaze shifted to Giselle’s lips. That was all she needed.
Giselle closed the little bit of remaining distance, pressing her lips to Addie’s. The connection was electric. Addie’s hands found Giselle’s waist as Giselle buried her hands in Addie’s hair.
Addie steadied herself against her desk, reaching lower for Giselle’s ass. Then they pulled apart, breathing heavily.
“Giselle,” Addie whispered, her cheeks flushed.
“I couldn’t stop,” Giselle admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Addie tilted her head. “It’s fine. ”
“I didn’t come here to kiss you,” Giselle said, running a hand through her hair. “It just happened.”
Addie laughed softly. “If I’m being honest, I wanted to kiss you, too.”
Giselle groaned. Addie’s words made her feel even more attached now. She didn’t want to like that feeling.
“So did I,” Giselle said, a smile tugging at her lips.
Addie stepped closer, her presence soothing. “Sometimes, you need to break the rules.”
Giselle shook her head. “Not sure I agree.”