The Quiet Between

Chapter Twenty-Five Cameron

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cameron

“Here.”

Sloane handed me a wrapped sandwich. “You should eat.”

I turned to her and gave a tired smile. “Thanks, Sloane.”

I’d just finished three surgeries back-to-back and was running on fumes. I planned to skip lunch and get a few minutes of rest in the break room, but the adrenaline was still pumping, and I didn’t think I could sleep.

“You had three back-to-back surgeries,” she said. “That’s too much, even for you.”

“I know,” I sighed. “Caroline’s been relentless. And we’re short-staffed — the usual problem with public hospitals. It’s not like I can say no. Someone has to step up.”

Sloane nodded, then said gently, “Try to rest before the next one. You’ve got half an hour. But eat first.”

She turned and walked off before I could say anything. But I remembered what had happened that morning with her patient, so I called after her.

“Sloane.”

She stopped and looked back. I walked up to her.

“I heard about Mrs. Swan this morning.”

Her face slightly changed, and I could still see the traces of grief clinging to her expression. Mrs. Swan had been her patient for three years. Sloane adored her, even if she never said it out loud. I saw it in the way she spoke to her, listened to her. And Mrs. Swan adored her right back.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

I braced myself.

The old Sloane would’ve brushed off the question, maybe even shut down and fired back with something sharp to push me away.

But things had changed. She had been trying, pushing herself not to let fear and insecurity take the lead anymore.

I had tested her on occasion, asking how she was feeling and how therapy was going, and she always answered. Not once with sarcasm or defensiveness.

Still, I prepared for the possibility that today might be different.

“It’s still hard to believe she’s gone,” she said quietly. “She was my patient for three years.”

I exhaled slowly, taking in just how far she’d come. And I couldn’t have been prouder.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

She nodded, a faint smile on her lips. “I just have to keep reminding myself she’s not in pain anymore.”

Our eyes met, and in that still moment, something shifted not just in her, but in us.

We’d come a long way. She was learning to trust again, to let someone in—and I knew now she was letting me in.

I understood how much that meant. And more than anything, I wanted her to feel it.

To know that every step she took, no matter how small, was never unnoticed.

I knew this wasn’t easy for her, and that made it matter even more.

“If you ever need anything, you’ll tell me, right?”

She gave a slight nod. “I’m really okay now. But I will. If I need you, I’ll ask.”

I smiled, feeling that pull in my chest. I loved her even more in that moment.

It hadn’t been easy giving her space, but I understood she needed it. Still, I missed how we used to be before everything fell apart. I was ready to try again. Just the two of us, figuring out who we were now. All I could do was hope she felt the same.

And I missed her so much.

So, I decided to ask her.

“How about we go out tonight?” I said. “After everything today, I think we could use a little fun. I know we’re not off tomorrow, but there’s a new street fair nearby. I heard some of the nurses talking about it—lots of food stalls and good stuff. Thought you might want to check it out. With me.”

She looked at me, thoughtful. My heart pounded as I waited for her response.

Then she said, “Okay.” A smile tugged at her lips. “Let’s go there.”

A wide smile broke across my face. “Okay, meet you in the lobby?”

She nodded. “Yes.” Then she turned to leave. “I’ve got to go now. Take a break, Cam, and please, eat that sandwich.”

I watched her until she disappeared down the hallway, then let out a breath.

But the smile never left my face. I couldn’t have stopped it even if I tried.

And it stayed with me the rest of the day.

I spotted a familiar figure in the distance, and a wave of nausea punched through me.

What the hell was she doing here? Was she sick—or was she here for me again?

I scanned the crowded hospital lobby, trying to make sense of it. Out of all the hospitals in the city, she chose this one?

This couldn’t be happening. Sloane would be down any minute, and we were finally going to dinner—our first real date in a long time.

I couldn’t let her mess it up.

The lobby was packed, and I could only hope she hadn’t seen me.

But she had.

Fuck.

I stood frozen, stomach tightening as she made her way toward me.

“Cameron,” she breathed when she stopped in front of me.

“Evie,” I said, my voice clipped. “I hope you’re here for medical counseling and nothing else.”

She paused for a moment before saying, “I’m here with someone, actually.”

She nodded toward the reception desk. “I was on a date, and he suddenly had an allergic reaction. Turns out he’s allergic to peanuts. I had to bring him to the ER.”

“Oh.” The relief must’ve shown on my face because her expression shifted right away.

“Yeah. Gotta get that treated immediately.”

“He’s okay now,” she said.

“Good,” I replied, a little uneasy standing there with her. “Take care.”

I had already turned to leave when her voice stopped me.

“Initially, I thought Sloane would be his doctor, but they referred him to someone named Ally Sanchez.”

“She wouldn’t be,” I said, eyeing her with suspicion. Why the hell was she expecting Sloane? “Sloane works in the inpatient ward. If he came through the ER, they’d assign whoever’s on duty. Dr. Sanchez is probably covering that today.”

She looked like she was about to say something else, but then her face tightened as she glanced past me.

Then I heard Sloane’s voice. She stepped next to me, looking up at me before turning her attention to Evie.

“I heard my name being mentioned.”

Evie looked taken aback, clearly not expecting Sloane to show up and say that. She gaped for a second before finally speaking.

“I just said I thought you’d be in the ER. Like last time I was here. My date had an allergic reaction, so I brought him to the ER.”

I started glancing around, half-wondering if this date actually existed.

Sloane shook her head. “I’m not an ER doctor.”

“Well, I didn’t know that,” Evie said, a little defensive.

Then Sloane asked the question I’d been thinking. “Is he okay now? Where is he?”

“He’s settling the bill,” Evie replied quickly.

“You should go back to him,” Sloane said. “He might still be a little out of it.” She looked up at me. “Shall we go now?”

“Yes, please.” I let out a breath and gave Evie a slight nod.

“Are you two going out?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said, then decided to say it. Boldly. Hoping Sloane wouldn’t mind. “We’re going on a date.”

Evie’s expression shifted in an instant—caught somewhere between shock and something that looked a lot like hurt.

“Evie!”

A loud voice cut through the room, drawing our attention—and everyone else’s in the lobby—as we all turned toward the source.

A tall, broad-shouldered guy with a full beard stood near the entrance, hands on his hips, looking impatient.

“Let’s go!” he bellowed, louder than before, not giving a damn who was watching.

When Evie didn’t move, he barked again, “For fuck’s sake, move it, Evie!”

Sloane and I both looked at Evie, who seemed embarrassed.

That guy was the same type she used to date before she met me—rude, aggressive, and the kind who treated her like shit.

I knew she thought she had found something better with me. I was never cruel to her, never raised my voice, but I ended up hurting her differently.

And now it looked like she had gone right back to the same kind of man.

Evie looked at me, her eyes suddenly glassy. Then she whispered, “No one’s like you, Cam. No one’s ever been as good to me.”

“Then find one,” I said.

Sloane looked at me, waiting quietly, like she knew I had more to say.

“This is too much, Evie. You keep showing up here. You’ve been calling me, and I’ve been ignoring you. I’ve even blocked you. I’ve seen you hanging around the lobby more than once. You need to stop.”

I glanced at the guy still waiting, his expression growing more impatient, then looked back at her.

“There are good men out there. Better than me. You need to start valuing yourself and looking in the right direction. But it’s just not me.”

Then I took Sloane’s hand and led her out of there. Neither of us looked back.

“Oh my God, this is so good,” Sloane said through a mouthful of taco. We stood next to the vendor, eating right there on the street. She had just taken a big bite, and I couldn’t help but smile at how happy she looked.

“I’ve never had tacos this good,” she added.

“Some things just taste better from a street cart,” I said, nodding. “Feels more authentic somehow.”

“I agree,” she said, taking another bite. Then her eyes wandered. “I saw ice cream and brownies when we walked past that way,” she pointed toward another area. “I want to try that after this.”

She paused then, eyes drifting back to me. After swallowing, she frowned slightly.

“Stop worrying,” she said. “You’re looking at me like you’re afraid I might snap or something.” She hesitated again. “A valid concern. But I’m not like that anymore.”

“I know,” I said softly. “But I also know it couldn’t have been easy. With Evie before.”

Still, it surprised me how she didn’t let it ruin the night.

“It’s not,” she said with a quiet sigh. “But I’m trying to let go of the fear, Cam. And I know you’re trying. You’ve shown me you’re not going anywhere.”

“Yes,” I said, just as quietly. “Always.”

“So let’s not talk about it and just enjoy the evening,” she said, taking another bite.

“Let’s,” I replied, my smile widening.

“You just need to get used to this version of me, Cam. I know the difference between right and wrong now.”

“You don’t know how happy that makes me,” I said honestly.

“Oh, I know. You keep looking at me like you’re surprised. Even Lina, Caleb, and Caroline have been acting like they don’t recognize me anymore.”

“They told me that too.”

“I’m not going back to how I used to be,” she said, sounding determined. “I’m serious about that. And honestly, I feel better. Lighter. And I love the feeling.”

“I love it too,” I said, my chest tightening in the best way. “You’ve come a long way.”

Our eyes held, soft smiles lingering. In that quiet moment, everything between us was clear—that we still cared, and the feelings hadn’t faded. We’d been through a lot, hurt each other so much, but we were healing and trying to move on.

The hesitation was still there, but she was learning to trust me again, and I was still trying to believe I deserved her. But tonight felt different, like we had finally taken the first step toward something better. Something that felt like a future.

“Okay, I want to finish this first,” she said, taking a big bite. “Then we’re getting that ice cream.”

We started walking again after finishing the tacos, and I decided to take a chance.

I reached for her hand and held it as we walked. It made me feel like a teenager on his first real date.

And she let me. She didn’t pull away. She even gave my hand a small squeeze.

God, I was so fucking happy I couldn’t stop grinning.

We bought the ice cream served over a warm brownie, but the tacos had filled us up, so we shared it. We used to do this all the time on our good days, sitting side by side, splitting meals or desserts as if it were just something we did without thinking.

It hit me then, a wave of melancholy. There were many happy moments between us, and we let the bad ones overshadow them all.

“Thank you,” I said, looking at her. She glanced up at me. “For being here tonight. I don’t remember the last time I felt this happy.”

“Me too,” she said softly. “We spent so many years being miserable, Cam. I don’t want that anymore.”

She paused for a moment, like she was sorting through her thoughts.

“I want to be better for you and Harper. I’m doing this therapy for both of you. But I’m still not fully confident I won’t slip back into who I used to be. Tonight helped, though. It gave me a small push, a bit of belief in myself again.”

“I’ll always be beside you, Sloane. From now on, we’ll show up for each other and do our best to avoid causing more pain. I won’t hurt you like that again, I promise. And I hope you can see I’ve been trying.”

“I know,” she said softly. “I see it.”

The night had been good to us. I held her hand as we strolled through the fair, stopping at nearly every stall. She picked out bracelets and hairpins for Harper, homemade candles for herself, smiling easily, talking to vendors like the weight of the world had finally lifted from her shoulders.

At one point, she stood laughing with an older woman selling jam, her voice light. But then she glanced at me, and her expression shifted.

“You look worn out,” she said.

I was. The day had drained me, but I didn’t care. Not when she was beside me.

“I’m alright,” I said. “Don’t worry.”

She pulled out some cash and paid the vendor. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll stay at your mom’s tonight so you don’t have to drive me. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I’m fine, really.”

She gave me a look, unconvinced, but let it go. “We can always come back here another time.”

She paused at the sound of her phone buzzing inside her purse. Slowly, she opened it and reached for her phone. Her hand stilled when she saw the screen.

She just stared at it.

“What is it?” I asked.

She looked up slowly, and her face was pale.

“It’s my father. He’s in the hospital. There was an accident.”

At that moment, I could see it in her.

How her body stilled, and the warmth she’d shown all night vanished, like it had never been there.

Something in her shifted. It was subtle but unmistakable.

And a chill crept down my spine.

It was like I was staring at the version of Sloane I thought we’d already left behind.