Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
MICHAEL
I’d made my fair share of impulsive decisions in the past.
Covering my body in tattoos just to spite my father.
Stealing one of his collectible cars to take part in a street race—without a license—that ended in me wrecking it because the other arsehole had been a sore loser.
Almost breaking my oath. Multiple times.
The list went on.
I’d managed to stay on track after my last impulsive decision almost cost me medical school, but ever since Azara Ziani came into my life, my recklessness had come charging back with a vengeance.
But lately, I wasn’t concerned with the consequences that this would bring, despite knowing they’d catch up to me eventually. But having her meet my sister? That was definitely something I should’ve avoided.
Not because I didn’t want to. I did. I really did.
But there were so many things that could go wrong from me exposing her to my world. Atlases weren’t supposed to be seen out with a woman and we had a reputation to uphold. Flirting at events was frowned upon and one thing, but any form of dating, unless it was the woman assigned as our One, carried repercussions.
I hadn’t had the press breathing down my neck since I’d stopped messing about in uni, but that didn’t mean the rumor mill wouldn’t start running.
I could care less of what anyone in the circles we ran in had to say, but if my father got a hold of this...
I pushed away the possibilities of what he’d do if he found out. For now, I wanted to focus on the time I had left with her, however long that might be, and make the most of it.
I’d deal with everything else later.
“If she starts grilling you, feel free to ignore her,” I told Azara, taking her hand in mine, as we approached UMMA, the late November cold air wrapping around us.
I’d never really liked physical touch, but with Azara, I always wanted to have a part of me connected to her. There was something settling about her touch and I’d found myself craving it more often than I’d care to admit.
It was Alice’s nineteenth birthday, and we were meeting her to celebrate. We usually did lunch for her birthday every year, but since Azara and I were scheduled to work an overnight shift, we’d opted for an early dinner.
And the last time I’d spoken over the phone to my little sister who wasn’t so little anymore, she’d insisted I bring the woman that had captured my attention to this year’s celebration.
Her words, not mine. Although she wasn’t wrong.
I’d like to say I protested against the idea but she’d barely finished asking and I’d already agreed to it.
“I don’t have to come,” she offered.
I looked over at her expecting to find her mocking me, but instead I spotted something I’d never seen there. Hesitance. Azara avoided my gaze, like she wasn’t sure she was welcome and I hated that she thought I didn’t want her here.
She averted my gaze. “We have work in a few hours anyway, so I could just?—”
I abruptly halted and interrupted her. “No,” I said, facing her. I lifted my free hand to her jaw and brushed a finger over her cheekbone before tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “I want you there.”
We hadn’t had the opportunity to see each other much outside of the hospital over the last month since we’d both been so busy with work and each of us was still focused on getting the promotion, but we’d stolen moments here and there when no one was looking.
I’d missed having her to myself, but with the deadline for the new medical director position looming over our heads as well as my Ascension, I needed to be more careful. Even though over the last month of seeing each other, I’d never felt more at ease with my life than I did with her in it.
Through the stolen kisses, working by her side in surgery or even the occasional late night chats in the closet when we were both on call, she’d opened my eyes that there was more to life than just work and duty.
That happiness existed in the small moments. That in those small moments, I’d fallen for her even though I’d done my hardest not to.
But how did I even stand a chance when it came to her?
Since I’d been with Azara, I felt safe.
Something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Not since I was a kid.
She was everything I didn’t know I needed and over the course of these last few weeks, I’d let myself imagine what it would be like if I hadn’t been born an Atlas.
But I knew it was wrong to want more out of this, and that it would end.
Whether I wanted it to or not.
“Okay,” she said with a small smile. I brushed my thumb over her dimple and kissed the corner of her mouth, her skin cold against my lips. “But I will be asking her for all the embarrassing stories from when you were younger. You can’t be this perfect and not have some skeletons.”
Although there was no way for her to know about my past and it was only meant as a light hearted joke, it didn’t stop the cold shiver slithering through my body at her words. The innocence of her words only made the guilt I’d been ignoring for lying to her resurface and weigh on my shoulders.
But as I did with everything else, I buried it in the back of my mind and redirected the attention elsewhere. I raised a brow, the corner of my lips lifting. “So you think I’m perfect?”
She swatted my chest with the hand I’d been holding, a blush blooming on her cheeks. “That is not what I said.”
My laughter boomed in the empty streets as I slung my arm over her shoulder, tucking her to my side as we continued walking. “Azara Ziani thinks I’m perfect. Who would have thought?”
She groaned and pushed the beanie that had fallen over her eyes up but didn’t protest. We walked another five minutes before we got to the popular family restaurant.
I moved to open the door when Azara spoke again. “Just so we’re on the same page, who should I say I am to you?”
“She already knows,” I simply said and her face softened. I tried not to read too much into what her reaction meant and opened the door for her, leading her inside with my hand resting on her lower back.
UMMA was Alice and I’s favorite Korean spot in the city. We’d been looking for somewhere to eat a few years ago and had walked by this place.
From the outside, it looked almost run-down, but when you stepped inside it was a completely new world. From the long neon signage running along the middle of the exposed ceiling, to the raw concrete walls painted blue or even the deep red communal booth seatings combined with wooden accents, it reminded us of a trendier version of spots back home
And the food was to die for.
My sister was seated at our regular table that faced the open kitchen, but had her head down, typing on her computer. She still technically had almost a month left of school, but since she only had papers to submit for her finals, she’d decided to come home and spend the rest of her semester here.
As if she could sense us approaching, she peered up from her screen and her entire face lit up when she spotted us. “Finally you’re both here,” she exclaimed, jumping up to her feet as we made our way to the back of the place.
Alice went straight for Azara, her arms wide open, but stopped short before she smothered Azara in a hug. “Are you a hugger? Please tell me you are, but if not that’s completely fine.”
Azara opened her arms with a laugh. “Hugs are good,” she said and the words had barely left her lips that my sister pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m Azara, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she added, her voice coming out strained with the strength my sister was wrapping her arms around her.
Alice was over a foot shorter than me but her grip put people much taller and bulkier to shame. My sister slightly pulled back, the giant smile on her face never leaving as she said, “I know exactly who you are. I’m Alice, and it’s my pleasure to meet you. Michael talks about you constantly and he’s never done that.”
“Alice,” I admonished, but she’d barely even acknowledged my presence since we came in. I had occasionally talked about Azara to my sister after the lunch we’d had, but I didn’t need her to know that.
“I hope it was all good things.” Azara briefly looked at me, a foreign glint in her eye, before she turned her attention back to Alice.
“Do I just not exist or?” I asked, chiming in with a raised brow.
They both laughed at my expense before my sister finally acknowledged me.
“Unfortunately for us, you can’t be ignored,” Alice teased, rolling her eyes as she moved to hug me.
I raised a brow. “Unfortunately?” I pulled her face tightly against my chest and scruffed a hand over her head to teach her a lesson.
“Michael, stop,” she protested in a hushed tone since the restaurant was packed with customers. “Let me go.”
I did it once more before I released her.
Alice slapped my chest once when she managed to put some distance between us. “Gosh, I hate you,” she said with a scowl as she put away her computer and took her seat, while Azara and I settled in the booth opposite to her. My sister propped her phone on the glass water bottle and fixed her hair. “I have places to be later and you’ve destroyed hours of methodical work to get this bob to sit perfectly.”
I peered over to my right to find Azara watching Alice with amusement. “Wanna be next?” I asked, resting my arm on the back panel.
“I think I’ll pass,” she said, the smile never leaving her lips.
I liked seeing her like this. Smiling and carefree.
She was always quite serious at work—which was incredibly attractive—but this felt like a side only those close to her got the privilege to see and it just added itself to the list of things I lo—liked about her.
“So tell me everything about you,” Alice began once she’d finished fixing up her hair. Eventually, the two of them fell into easy chatter like they’d been old friends as we waited for our orders which we’d placed on our phones and the sight made my heart soar.
Having two people I thought highly of getting along wasn’t necessarily something I’d ever thought about and I should be happy at how well it was going, but now that I was witnessing it, it made me crave what I knew I couldn’t have even more.
My life had been decided for me before I was even born and although it took a few years to come to terms with it, I’d accepted it.
I had a duty and I was content in fulfilling it.
I never desired for more, never even wished for it.
I had a narrow path to walk on and it had been fine.
Until now.
Until I met Azara Ziani and she completely changed the trajectory I’d been faithfully on.
I remained mostly quiet the entirety of our dinner, only occasionally chiming in when they directed their attention to me and when the staff brought the lemon cake I’d ordered—Alice’s favorite—joining in to sign happy birthday.
But for the most part, my mind was completely scattered and torn in two different directions, unsure of what path to take anymore.
When I was given my Order, I’d envisioned all the possible hindrances that could arise in the process of completing it.
Azara had simply been a part of executing that plan.
Getting close to her only had one purpose.
Distracting her while I got exactly what I wanted. The medical director position.
What I hadn’t accounted for was how hard it’d be to let her go.