Chapter 48 A hot ass nurse
Chapter 48 A hot ass nurse
Liana's POV
The scent of sizzling oil filled the kitchen, thick and delicious. We’d barely managed to fry the meat without incident, though every sharp pop from the pan sent Adrian flinching away, a surprisingly un-doctor-like scurry that made me burst out laughing.
“Seriously?” I teased, wiping tears from my eyes. “Gordon Ramsay would be so disappointed in his star student right now.”
Adrian shot me a sheepish grin from a safe distance of three feet. “It’s the element of surprise that gets me. One minute, calm. The next, a mini explosion.” He gestured wildly with a spatula.
I shook my head, still chuckling, and turned back to the stove. The last of the stir-fry needed its finishing touch. I reached for the pot, confident, almost graceful, until my knuckles brushed against the searing metal. A sharp, blistering pain shot up my arm, and a small, involuntary yelp escaped my lips.
Adrian was at my side in an instant, his earlier skittishness completely gone, replaced by a focused concern that wiped the pain clean out of my mind. “Liana? What happened? Where does it hurt?” His hand hovered, not quite touching, but ready. His eyes scanned my arm, searching.
“Just… just my hand,” I managed, holding it up. It throbbed, a steady beat of fire, but his reaction was so immediate, so disproportionate to the actual injury, that it was hard to feel sorry for myself.
He gently took my hand, turning it over. His breath, warm and soft, ghosted over the reddening skin. “Wait here,” he instructed, his voice low, a command I found myself obeying without question. He disappeared around the corner and returned moments later with a tube of ointment.
He sat me down at the kitchen island, pulling a stool close. His fingers were surprisingly delicate as he squeezed a small pearl of cream onto the burn. A cool relief spread instantly. He massaged it in, his thumb tracing slow circles over my wrist. His gaze was fixed on my hand, then lifting to meet mine, serious.
“You need to be more careful,” he murmured, not letting go. His grip was firm, comforting.
I laughed, the sound a little shaky, a little forced. “It’s just a little burn, Adrian. It’s not like I got run over by a truck. I’m fine.”
He didn’t release me immediately. His thumb continued its gentle ministrations, and I felt a strange warmth spread beyond my hand, settling deep in my chest. Finally, with a sigh that seemed more for him than for me, he let go.
He stayed by my side for the remaining moments of cooking, watching over me like a hawk, ready to intervene if I so much as breathed near a hot surface. Once the food was ready, we carried everything to the dining table. Just as I set the bowls down, Liam ambled in, eyes glued to his tablet screen.
“Liam, put that away,” I said, before he even reached the chair. I held out my hand. “No phones at the table. You know the rules.”
He grumbled but handed it over. “But Mom, Mr. Harrison said the assignment is due tomorrow.”
“You’ll get to it after dinner,” I promised, tucking the tablet onto the counter, out of sight.
Dinner was a surprisingly pleasant affair. Adrian listened patiently as Liam recounted the day’s adventures at school, offering insightful questions and even helping him with a particularly tricky geometry problem while we ate. It felt… normal. Domestic, even.
Afterward, Adrian led Liam upstairs for bedtime, a nightly ritual that had become comfortingly familiar. I stayed downstairs, phone in hand, and dialed Lily. The call connected, and her cheerful voice instantly transported me across the miles.
“Liana! How are things across the pond?” Lily’s energy was infectious, even through the phone.
“Good, good. Just finished dinner,” I said, sinking onto the sofa. “How’s London? Any new developments I should know about?”
“Oh, darling, where do I even begin?” She launched into a rapid-fire download of hospital gossip, new rotations, and the latest relationship dramas among our mutual friends. I listened, half-amused, half-distracted by the lingering warmth in my hand from Adrian’s touch.
Eventually, her voice lowered, a mischievous tone creeping in. “So, Adrian’s still around, I take it?”
I rolled my eyes, though I was smiling. “He is. Yes.”
“And still incredibly hot and single?”
“Lily!” I admonished, but couldn’t quite hide my grin.
“What? Just asking! He’s, like, the ideal hot rich boyfriend package, Liana. And honestly, he’s going to be a good father figure for Liam.” Her voice turned serious again. “You clearly have something going on there. I mean, the man basically moved in.”
“It’s not like that,” I protested, though even to my own ears, it sounded weak. “He’s just… helping out. And I’m really not looking for anything serious. Not right now. I just want it to be me and Liam. That’s all.”
A sigh came through the line. “Liana, you can’t keep dwelling on the past. Richard is gone. It’s been… what? Three years? Life moves on. And honestly, the earlier you grab Adrian, the better. You know how these things go. He’s a catch. Give it a few months working at that new hospital, and a fine ass nurse is going to catch his eye, trust me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I mumbled, fiddling with the lamp switch. A small part of me, though, felt a strange pang. “He’s a colleague. My son’s unofficial tutor. That’s it.”
“Oh, please,” Lily scoffed. “You’re telling me you don’t feel anything? The way you two look at each other, I saw it even on that quick video call last week. It’s written all over your face, Liana. And his. He practically glows when you’re in the room.”
“He’s just being nice,” I insisted, a sudden irrational defensiveness making my voice sharper. “He’s a good person. He’s kind.”
“Kind and ridiculously handsome and clearly smitten with you,” Lily countered, unwavering. “Don’t be a fool, Liana. You deserve happiness. And Liam deserves a stable, loving family, with a male figure who actually gives a damn. Richard was a good man, we all know that, but Adrian’s here now. In person. Cooking you dinner and fixing your kid’s homework.”
I didn’t respond immediately, a silence stretching between us, heavy with unspoken truths. Lily was right, about everything. But admitting it, even to myself, felt like a betrayal. A betrayal of Richard, of the life we’d planned. A betrayal of the quiet strength I’d cultivated, just me and Liam against the world.
“I just… it feels too soon,” I finally whispered, the words barely audible.
“Too soon for what? To be happy? To move on? Liana, you’re not dishonoring anyone by living your life. He makes you happy, doesn’t he? Does he make Liam happy?” Her questions hit home, each one a tiny barb.
I thought of Adrian’s focused concern over my burned hand, the way he’d patiently explained the geometry problem to Liam, his easy laughter. A genuine smile touched my lips, unbidden. “Yes,” I admitted, a little breathlessly. “He does.”
“There you go,” Lily said, her voice full of triumph. “Now, go get that man. Before some eager intern with big dreams and even bigger… well, you know. Just saying.”
I laughed, a full, genuine laugh this time. “You’re impossible, Lily.”
“Only trying to save you from yourself, my dear. Now, I have to run. Major incident in A&E. Keep me updated. And don’t be a stranger to happiness, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with Adrian’s ointment. “Talk soon.”
I ended the call, the silence of the sitting room closing in around me again. But it wasn’t an empty silence. It was a contemplative one. I glanced at the staircase, imagining Adrian upstairs, probably reading Liam a story. The thought brought another smile to my face. Maybe Lily had a point. Maybe it wasn't about forgetting the past, but about building a new future. With the right ingredients, of course. And not just for dinner.