10. Chapter Ten #2
Paige’s breath hitched at the admiration in his response. And for the first time, she felt like maybe—just maybe—someone understood.
She grinned back at him, but sobered up when she added, “But my readers will never forgive me for it.”
“Tell them why you did it. Everyone’s had an ex who made them miserable. It’s relatable. Maybe even re-release the book with an author’s note explaining it.”
She blinked at him. Was that crazy or brilliant?
Ethan leaned back in his chair. “We’ve all had that one ex. I know I have.”
Paige tilted her head, instantly intrigued—but before she could ask, the door swung open and the doctor stepped in.
She gasped. Her stomach jumped into her throat. If the hospital blanket were any bigger, she would’ve yanked it over her head.
Standing in the doorway, staring at her in confusion, was her ex.
“Paige?” Derek’s brow creased. He glanced at his clipboard. “I was looking for an Ethan Cole. What are you doing here?”
“I—uh—hey, Derek.” Paige sat up awkwardly, shifting against the crinkly hospital pillow. “This is Ethan.”
It was only then that Derek seemed to register Ethan’s presence. His gaze flicked to Ethan’s bandaged forehead. “Oh. That makes more sense.” He strode inside, all business. “I’m Dr. Han. Dr. Milan just finished her shift, so I’ll be discharging you.”
He extended a hand. Ethan hesitated, then shook it.
“Dr. Han?” Ethan repeated, piecing it together.
“Yes.” Derek’s head tilted slightly, like he was trying to place Ethan too.
Then his expression brightened. “Oh! Are you a friend of Paige’s?
Did she tell you Hans was based on me?” He looked incredibly smug about it, standing there in his perfectly pressed scrubs.
No mention of the fact that he and Paige had once been engaged, or even acknowledging the fact that she was lying in a hospital bed.
No, the important thing was that he’d inspired a character in her—formerly—bestselling series.
Paige groaned, and both men looked at her.
“Did I do that out loud?” she asked with a grimace.
Derek crossed his arms, smirked, and looked at Ethan as if he expected him to be impressed.
Ethan didn’t miss a beat. “Paige killed off Hans. Epically.”
Paige’s eyes widened. Then, from deep in her belly, laughter erupted.
Derek turned to her, visibly unimpressed. “Well, I don’t know if that was a great decision on her part, but I’m not a writer. I’m a doctor. So what do I know?” His answer was cheeky, and it dried up Paige’s laughter. Could they get out of here now? Now was a good time to go.
“Right. You should probably stick to your day job, doc.” Ethan winked, getting under Derek’s skin, or scrubs, before adding, “And, I’m not Paige’s friend.” He stood and walked to her bedside, taking her hand and making her stomach flip. “I’m her boyfriend. We’re together.”
Paige choked on absolutely nothing. Oh my god, oh my god, what is happening?
Did he just say boyfriend? Do I correct him?
Do I just die instead? Pretending in a few pictures seemed easy compared to dropping this lie at Derek’s feet, someone that knew her well.
Did she even know what romantic love was supposed to look like up close?
“No way.” Derek’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
Paige, still trying to regain control of her lungs, forced a smile. “Yep. Totally.”
Derek’s gaze flicked between them, clearly skeptical. “Huh. I had no idea.”
Of course he didn’t. Derek didn’t check social media. He was too busy performing surgeries and thinking the world revolved around him. She could’ve announced a pregnancy, won a Nobel Prize, or been abducted by aliens, and Derek would still be obliviously suturing someone’s spleen.
Ethan’s grip tightened on hers. “Yeah, it’s pretty new,” he said smoothly. “But we’re crazy about each other.”
Paige’s head jerked toward him. Where was this coming from? Had he been practicing lines?
Ethan just smiled like a man who had absolutely no intention of backing out now. “Our editors introduced us and it was love at first sight. Now we’re even writing a book together.”
Derek still looked unconvinced. “Huh,” he said again. “You don’t seem like Paige’s type.”
Ethan didn’t even blink. “Oh, I’m exactly her type.” Then he turned to her with a ridiculously lovesick expression that was either Oscar-worthy or concerningly natural. “Isn’t that right, babycakes?”
Babycakes?
Paige clenched her jaw, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of that. If anyone actually called her ‘babycakes’ in real life, she’d make a vomiting sound. But she refused to let Derek revel in his usual smugness.
“Of course, sweetie-poo,” she cooed, turning toward Ethan and lifting a hand to his face. “You know you’re my everything.”
Ethan gave her a smirk—curling the edge of his mouth just enough for Paige to see, and she felt like she’d just scored a point. Her stomach fluttered, wanting to continue the silly banter.
“My little love nugget,” she added, with a pat to his jaw.
“Oh, my little boo-boo buttercup.” Ethan’s blue eyes twinkled, and it was suddenly their little game. Who could come up with the most over-the-top pet name to make Derek’s eyes roll the hardest?
“My little schnookums.” She smiled.
“My sugar-muffin-cupcake-pants.” He stroked her hair, palming her head with his entire hand, like she was a cat. “Oh, pookie bear, you light up my life.”
“Ditto, you sexy little tootsie-whoopsie.” She did not know where that one came from, but it made Ethan laugh, and she liked the low rumble from his chest.
Still standing near the door, Derek made a noise that was either a scoff or a suppressed gag. “Well. Good for you guys, I guess.”
Mission accomplished.
“Thank you.” Paige turned back to him, beaming. “I’m so happy. So, so, so, so, so happy.”
“Uh-huh.” Derek scribbled something onto Ethan’s chart. “You’re discharged. Keep the bandage clean, change it daily, and take the painkillers as needed.” He handed Ethan a paper, then added casually, “See you at your dad’s birthday dinner, Paige.”
Paige’s brain short-circuited. “What?”
Derek didn’t look up from his notes. “I did a surgery with your dad last week. He invited me. Said your grandma was making her bibimbap with homemade kimchi. You know that’s my favorite.”
Her mouth opened. Then shut. Then opened again.
Derek’s eyes flicked to her, then to Ethan. “Are you joining as well? I can’t believe your dad didn’t mention you were dating someone when I saw him.”
Something inside Paige snapped. “He’ll be there.”
The words left her mouth before she could stop them. Oh, no. Oh no, no, no. Abort. Abort mission. Ethan was looking at her like she’d just volunteered him for a Hunger Games reenactment. Which, honestly, felt accurate.
Derek’s brows lifted. “Really?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Paige said, panic thrumming in her veins. “I wouldn’t dream of going without my sexy tootsie-whoopsie.” This time the nickname came out deadpan, like a threat.
Derek stared at them for a long, loaded second. Then he shrugged. “Well. Should be interesting.” With that, he turned and strolled out the door.
Silence hung thick in the room.
Ethan let out a low, amused breath. “Well, that was fun.”
“Fun?” Paige groaned, dropping his grip and burying her face in her hands. “We’re like the worst fake-daters ever.”
He laughed. “I don’t know. I thought that was pretty good. Can you please call me your sexy tootsie-whoopsie from here on out?”
She laughed into her hands, then grimaced. She peeked through her fingers and Ethan was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, looking confident, even though she’d just signed him up for a beating.
“Guess I better start practicing my chopstick skills, huh?” he asked.
Paige groaned, rubbing her temples. “Oh, you’re going to need so much more than that.”
“How bad can it be?” He smirked. “Parents love me.”
Paige let out a humorless laugh. “You haven’t met my parents. Do you know how to debate medical ethics over dinner? Because my dad lives for that crap.”
“Well, no.”
“My mom once berated a guy I dated for an hour because he missed a cholesterol screening.”
Ethan’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second. “Okay. That’s . . . thorough.”
“Also, when Derek and I were dating, my mom made a PowerPoint presentation on why he was the ideal husband.”
Ethan blinked. “A PowerPoint?”
“Custom graphics. Animations. A closing statement.”
Ethan exhaled slowly. Then—because, of course he did—he grinned and stretched like an athlete about to run a marathon he hadn’t trained for. “I might be the underdog, but I know how to make a scene. And if we’re faking this, pookie bear, we might as well give them a love story worth talking about.”
Paige swallowed. Oh. He had no idea what he was walking into—the Lion’s den.
This was going to be a complete, painful disaster.