The lights were bright, yet when Jasper lifted his gaze, the whole room seemed to dim, thick with unmistakable tension
Ingrid froze, holding her breath. She pulled her hand away and looked elsewhere.
Jasper extended his injured hand. “Sorunning away. It’s my turn now.”
Ingrid dipped a cotton swab into the lodine, then deliberately pressed it hard against his scraped knuckles, dragging it across the wound “Hiss…” Jasper based his teeth
Ingrid kept a straight face. “Suck it up. What were you thinking when you swung at him?”
Jasper answered without hesitation. “You”
Ingold exhaled “You didn’t have to fight him.”
“111 weren‘“) worried about making things harder for you, I’d have sent him straight to the OR today,” Jasper said flatly.
or your reputation, to make the department la
Ingrid’s emotions churned, but she kept her expression unreadable. “This hospital isn’t your personal playground. They brought you back for good. And what do you do?
“The director punches the associate director in front of half the staff. Do you think your colleagues won’t spread the story?
“What about the patients and their families? You planning to go around silencing them all?”
Jasper smirked. “What exactly can they say? A scumbag and his trashy dabble
Would”
harassing my gelfriend. Any real man would’ve done the same. All I did was make a mistake any normal
Ingrid didn’t dwell on the girlfriend part. She focused on cleaning his wound. “I’ll go talk to the department head and the head nurse first thing in the morning”
“This has nothing to do with you,” jasper said. “I’ll handle it.”
“I’m not some damsel in distress. I don’t need to hide behind you.”
“So you want to take this on yourself?”
Ingrid grabbed a new cotton swab “I’ll talk to them and make sure Brandon doesn’t get to twist the story, I wouldn’t put it past him to play th
the victim and drag your name through the mud Aflicker of surprise crossed Jasper’s eyes. “You’re worried about me?”
Ingrid pressed the swab against his wound harder than necessary
“Ah….” Jasper winced, half serious, half playful, but he didn’t pull his hand a
away.
Ingrid kept working “Tim not a coward, and I’m not ungrateful. I may not be a saint, but I’m at least human.”
A slow smile crept onto Jasper’s lips. “Relax Brandon wouldn’t dare
“You can’t read his mind. You
u embarrassed him in front of everyone who knows what a cornered dog might do?”
Jasper tilted his head. “You know him that we{}}”
The casual question carried something deeper
Ingrid finished dressing his wound and met his gaze. “I thought I did. Turns out I didn’t even know myself. I was blind for years before I finally saw clearly Jasper shrugged. “Happens to e
everyone. As long as you’re able to see it now,”
Ingrid raised a bow, “Have you ever been blinded?”
Jasper let out a laugh. “Come on. Do I look blind? Out of all the demons and devils in this world, I found you, the most straightforward, no–bullshit person out there. “That alone proves I’ve got sharp
peyeu
Ingrid wasn’t interested in hearing about his exes. Adults should know when to let things ED
By the time their conversation wound down, the sky outside had begun to lighten
Ingrid glanced at him. “You hungry? Want some breakfast?”
Jasper stretched. “Don’t feel like going qui. Let’s just order delivery.”
“How about shredded pork noodles?”
“Sounds good”
He assumed she was about to place an order, but instead, Ingrid stood up and walked to the kitchen.
Jasper followed, watching as she opened the fridge and took out fresh ingredients,
“You don’t have to go through the trouble,” he said. “You’ve been up all night. You should rest. Just order something quick.”
Ingrid tied an apron around her waist with her back turned to him. “By the time delivery gets here, I’ll be done cooking”
Jasper leaned again the counter, watching her move efficiently through the small space. “Need help with anything? Wait otside. The kitchen’s tiny, You’re in the way.”“”
Jasper pouted. “Bounromantic” With that, he turned and walked back to the living room
Ingrid stayed in the kitchen, making noodes as the clock hit 6:00 am
Foca noment, it felt like they’d been living together for years, like an old married couple. The thought startled her so much that she nearly sliced her finger.
was losing it. For a split second, she even felt like something was missing in this house like they should have had a kidunning around
