Chapter 13
13
LEXI
L exi woke up to the soft weight of Catherine’s body draped over her. In the dim morning light filtering through the blinds, she could make out the curve of Catherine’s shoulder and strands of dark hair fanned out against the pillow. For a moment, there was peace, and a warmth she hadn’t realized she was missing.
Then reality settled in.
With a quiet sigh, Lexi shifted carefully, extracting herself from Catherine’s embrace. She sat up on the edge of the bed and pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes. Her body ached, not from exhaustion, but from the constant strain of balancing everything—this affair, the tension at work, the fragile line she was walking between what she wanted and what she knew she shouldn’t have.
Catherine stirred behind her but didn’t wake.
Lexi reached for the hoodie draped over the chair nearby and slipped it on before padding barefoot into the kitchen. The air in her apartment was cool, carrying the faint scent of coffee from the day before. She’d stopped making fresh pots in the mornings, opting instead to grab something from the hospital café on her way in, but ever since Catherine had moved in she’d started making coffee in the mornings again. It was just one of the ways her routine had shifted to accommodate Catherine’s presence.
Not that she minded. Not entirely. Having Catherine here, waking up beside her, feeling that stolen intimacy outside of the hospital walls—it was intoxicating. But it was also a weight, one that grew heavier by the day.
She leaned against the counter, arms crossed as she stared out the dark window above the sink. She was stretched thin. Catherine was here because she didn’t want to go home and face James. But Lexi had never signed up to be someone’s escape. And yet, hadn’t she done just that? She’d gone to Catherine that night, pulled her out of the house she no longer felt safe in, and given her a place to land. It had been instinctual. She hadn’t even thought twice.
But now, in the stillness of the early morning, Lexi was thinking about it. About all of it. About the way she had to keep so many parts of herself compartmentalized—Catherine, Josephine, work. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it up without something breaking.
The sound of footsteps behind her made her tense, but she forced herself to relax as Catherine appeared in the doorway. She was wearing one of Lexi’s T-shirts, her hair still sleep-mussed, her expression soft with lingering drowsiness.
“You’re up early,” Catherine murmured, stepping closer.
Lexi offered a small smile. “Couldn’t sleep.”
Catherine reached for her hand, brushing her fingers against Lexi’s wrist. It was a simple touch, but it sent a ripple of something sharp and painful through Lexi’s chest. Because Catherine didn’t belong here. Not really.
But she was here. And Lexi had let it happen.
Catherine tilted her head, studying her. “Are you okay?”
Lexi wanted to say yes. Wanted to shove her feelings down like she always did. But the words felt like ash in her mouth. Instead, she exhaled slowly and looked away. “I don’t know.”
Catherine frowned, but before she could press further, Lexi took a step back, gently untangling their fingers. “I need to get ready for work.”
She didn’t look at Catherine as she left the kitchen, knowing that if she did, she might not be able to keep pretending she was fine. And pretending was the only thing holding her together right now.
Turning her thoughts over in her mind, Lexi reached for her phone, her fingers grazing the edge of the screen as she unlocked it, eyes briefly catching on the time. She had to go to work in less than an hour, but a part of her wanted to go back to bed and hide from the reality that was waiting for her.
A quick glance at her messages told her that wasn’t an option.
Josephine: Let’s talk later.
That was all. It should have made her feel hopeful, but Lexi didn’t know what to say. Their relationship, which had been strained since the beginning with weight of their shared history, had felt like walking on eggshells since Josephine found out about the affair. Josephine had barely acknowledged Lexi since, refusing to look at her in the hallways and offering only sharp, short answers to anything Lexi said. Lexi wasn’t sure how to fix it.
She sighed, locking her phone and setting it aside. She couldn’t focus on Josephine right now. Not when the memory of Catherine’s touch was still fresh in her mind, still pulling at her heart in a way she couldn’t explain.
Her mind kept going back to the way Catherine had looked at her—like she was the only person in the room, like they had all the time in the world. But Lexi knew better than anyone that time was a luxury they didn’t have. Secrets, after all, had a shelf life.
She couldn’t avoid the truth forever.
Lexi moved through her morning routine on autopilot, trying to push away the rising tide of guilt that accompanied her every thought about Josephine. The wall Josephine had built between them was impenetrable.
Lexi had hoped for something more. She’d hoped that the bond of being sisters would be enough to bridge the gap of the years they’d lost. But every time she tried to extend an olive branch, Josephine recoiled. She was cold, distant, like she didn’t care about Lexi at all.
And Lexi didn’t know how to fix that. How could she fix something that Josephine clearly didn’t want to fix?
There had been times when Lexi had wondered if Josephine even cared. Maybe she was fine with being an only child. Maybe she didn’t want the complication of another family member, especially one who came with baggage. The realization stung more than Lexi cared to admit, but it also fueled her determination. She wasn’t going to give up. She couldn’t. Not when she’d already lost so much.
But today, like the days before, Josephine’s iciness was deafening.
Lexi’s phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. Another message from Josephine:
I’ll be at the hospital early today. Can you meet me in my office at noon?
Lexi stared at the message, her heart skipping a beat. The last thing she wanted right now was to face Josephine with the weight of her secrets hanging over her. Lexi wasn’t sure what this conversation would entail—was Josephine finally going to bring up how she felt about having a sister? Or was she going to confront Lexi about the growing tension she’d noticed at work, the distracted glances, the secret relationship?
Lexi clenched her jaw and ran a hand through her hair. This wasn’t the time for more conflict, but it felt like it was inevitable. Lexi was terrified of what Josephine might say—or worse, what she might do about the affair.
She had no idea how to balance it all. She had no idea how to reconcile her growing feelings for Catherine with her desire to forge a relationship with Josephine. The weight of the affair—her love for Catherine, their secret moments—felt like a heavy secret she carried everywhere she went.
It wasn’t just Catherine and Josephine that she was lying to. It was herself.
Lexi glanced at the clock. There wasn’t time to think about it any longer. She had a job to do, and she couldn’t let herself drown in the chaos of her emotions. She had to put one foot in front of the other, focus on work, and hope that by the time she got to the hospital, she’d have figured out what to say to Josephine.
But deep down, Lexi knew that nothing would be easy anymore. The web of secrets was tightening around her, and she was running out of time to untangle it all.
The hospital was buzzing as usual with the rhythmic sound of footsteps echoing through the halls, the distant beeping of machines, and the hurried murmur of nurses and doctors attending to their rounds. Lexi moved through it all like a ghost, her body going through the motions but her mind elsewhere. It was difficult to focus with her thoughts constantly drifting back to Catherine and the growing emotional conflict within her.
The affair with Catherine had become something more than just a physical connection. It had seeped into her mind and soul, threading its way through her every thought. But as much as it felt like the most right thing in her life, it also came with a hefty burden—the secrecy, the guilt, the fear of it all falling apart. And today, that burden felt heavier than ever.
Lexi made her way into the surgical wing, trying to push her internal chaos aside as she focused on her first patient of the day. But despite her best efforts, her mind couldn’t help but wander. It was as if every patient she passed in the hallway and every colleague she saw was a reminder that she was hiding something monumental from the people she worked with every day.
And then, there was Josephine.
Lexi spotted her half-sister as she entered the break room. Josephine stood with her arms crossed, talking with one of the senior doctors. She looked every bit the hospital’s formidable leader—confident, composed, and totally in control. Lexi felt a pang of guilt as she watched her, knowing that what could have been a budding sibling relationship was slipping through her fingers, and she had no idea how to stop it.
As Lexi entered the room, Josephine’s eyes flicked to her, but there was no warmth in the glance. It was cold, impersonal, like she was seeing a colleague instead of a long-lost sister. Lexi’s chest tightened. Despite their shared bloodline, they were still strangers to each other, and that stung more than she wanted to admit.
Trying to shake off the growing tension, Lexi approached the coffee machine and poured herself a cup. Her hands were shaking slightly, and she cursed herself for it. She needed to keep it together. But Josephine was watching her, her eyes never leaving her as Lexi moved about the room, trying to act casual, as if they weren’t both keeping secrets from their coworkers.
The silence between them felt suffocating.
Finally, Josephine spoke, her voice cutting through the quiet like a blade. “You’re off today, Lexi,” she said, her tone clipped and her expression unreadable. “You’ve been distracted lately. That’s not like you.”
Lexi’s stomach twisted as her pulse quickened. She wanted to deny it, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she settled for a half-hearted shrug. “I’m fine,” she said, even though they both knew it wasn’t true. “Just a lot on my mind.”
Josephine’s gaze remained steady and unimpressed. “That’s not an answer,” she said coolly. “And we both know why.”
Lexi tensed. The argument from weeks ago still lingered between them like an open wound, neither of them willing to touch it again. But Josephine wasn’t going to let this go. Not this time.
Before Lexi could respond, Josephine’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she excused herself to take the call. Lexi exhaled sharply, but she knew this conversation was far from over.
Lexi’s nerves gnawed at her as she made her way to Josephine’s office for their noon appointment. The weight of the conversation ahead felt almost unbearable—too much to face, too much to explain. She’d hoped for more time and space to make sense of everything, but now it was inevitable. The tension between them had already grown too thick to ignore. Josephine had seen the cracks, and now Lexi was walking straight into the storm. Every step toward the office felt like it pulled her deeper into the mess she’d created, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter how she tried to explain herself, it wouldn’t be enough.
When Lexi knocked on Josephine’s office door, she was greeted with a curt, “Come in.”
Josephine’s office was as pristine and controlled as ever. Not a single file was out of place. Lexi lowered herself into the chair across from her sister, doing her best to mask the exhaustion creeping in.
Josephine folded her hands on the desk, studying Lexi like a puzzle she didn’t have time to solve. “I’m not going to waste either of our time pretending I don’t know what’s going on and you are putting me in a very awkward position expecting me to keep your secrets.”
Lexi’s jaw tightened. “Then why are we having this conversation?”
Josephine leaned back slightly, exhaling. “Because I need to hear you say it,” she said, her tone almost clinical. “Are you really planning to keep this going? Because whatever you think this is with Catherine, it’s only going to end badly.”
Lexi clenched her fists in her lap. “You don’t know that.”
Josephine arched a brow. “She’s married, Lexi. And not to you.”
Lexi swallowed hard, her throat burning. “I know that,” she muttered. “You think I don’t know that?”
Josephine sighed, rubbing at her temple. “Look, I don’t approve of this. I won’t pretend to. But more than that, I don’t want to watch you get dragged into something that will ruin you.” Her voice was steady, almost detached, but Lexi heard the steel underneath it. “You think she’s going to leave him for you?”
Lexi didn’t respond, because she wasn’t sure she knew the answer. Catherine might be sleeping in her bed, but she certainly hadn’t officially left her husband in any way.
Josephine let the silence stretch for a moment before speaking again. “You’re my employee, and I have to separate that from…whatever family stuff is between us. But you should know that if this starts affecting your work, I won’t look the other way.”
Lexi flinched. “You don’t have to threaten me.”
Josephine’s expression didn’t change. “I’m being honest. You need to figure out what you’re doing before this blows up in your face.”
Lexi exhaled sharply, looking away. “And if I don’t?”
Josephine studied her for a long moment. “Then that’s on you.” She paused, her fingers tapping lightly on the desk. “But if you’re willing to be smart about this—to put it behind you—I’m willing to move forward. We don’t have to keep fighting. We can…try to figure this out.”
Lexi’s chest tightened. “Figure what out?”
Josephine hesitated for the briefest second before saying, “Being sisters.”
Lexi looked up sharply, searching for any sign of softness in Josephine’s face. There wasn’t one. But the fact that she’d said it at all meant something.
The air between them was still tense, but there was something else there too—an unspoken offer, a line drawn in the sand.
Lexi swallowed and nodded once. “Okay.”
Josephine nodded back, professional as ever. “Good.”
As Lexi left Josephine’s office, her mind was spinning. The conversation wasn’t what she’d expected, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
Lexi’s phone buzzed again, and she glanced down to see a message from Catherine: Thinking about you. Can’t wait to see you tonight.
A smile tugged at her lips, but it was quickly followed by a pang of guilt. How could she keep living in this web of lies?
She wasn’t sure she could.