Dr. Grant (Off-Limits)

I glance at the report that came in about our latest acquisition and run a hand through my hair. The numbers aren’t looking good, and I’m scared I made a bad call choosing to purchase this specific clinic over another that Harold was considering. He left the decision up to me, and it was clearly a test — one that I appear to have failed.

The door to my office opens and I sit up, not surprised to find Harold walking into my office. I expected him to show up sometime today. If anything, he’s later than I expected. He checks in with me every week, and he usually storms in the way he’s doing right now, making it clear that he owns this place. There isn’t a single detail he misses when it comes to the expansion he’s pursuing. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he’d been waiting for me in my office this morning.

“You’re back,” he says, his tone gruff.

I nod. Usually I’d make small talk with him, but today I’m tired. Or rather than tired, I guess I’m drained. I haven’t felt like myself since Amara stepped in her car and drove away. Her words keep resounding in my head, and everything else seems irrelevant. I can’t help but run through every interaction I’ve had with her, every memory we made, wondering how she truly feels about me.

“Where were you? I came in to see you last week, and the receptionist told me you took a week off? You told me you’d only be away for a weekend. I couldn’t reach you either.”

I smile at him, but it feels forced even to me. “I went to see my sister. She just got engaged. I ended up staying longer than I expected.”

He looks surprised, and his eyes soften. “Oh,” he says, his tone far less antagonistic. “That’s wonderful news. Please tell her congratulations on my behalf.”

I nod and turn back to the paperwork on my desk. I’ve always been grateful to Harold for giving me a chance, for mentoring me… but today I can barely stand to see him. Today, more than ever, I’m reminded of everything I can’t have because of him, and I just don’t know if what he’s offering me is worth giving up Amara. I don’t think anything ever will be.

Harold sits down opposite me, his gaze searching. “My granddaughter was also away for a week. She stays with her friends often, especially when she’s busy at school, but don’t you think that’s too much of a coincidence?”

I lean back in my seat and cross my arms. “That sounds like something you should be discussing with your granddaughter,” I tell him. I’m not in the mood for games or veiled threats. I’m truly exhausted today. My heart is tired of hurting. I’m tired of everything. I’m tired of the loneliness that grips me. I’m tired of tiptoeing around Harold. And I’m really fucking tired of missing Amara.

Harold rises to his feet and crosses his arms, his stance mirroring mine. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’ll support you as best as I can, but that is only provided that you stay away from my granddaughter. If I find out that you touched her, you’re done. You won’t even know what hit you. All you’ll see is the damage that will surround you. Damage you could have prevented if you heeded my words.”

I stare at him, taking in the anger in his eyes, the small amount of desperation he fails to hide. “Why? Because I’m not good enough for your granddaughter? You say you treat your employees like family, yet you draw the line at one of us actually becoming family?”

Harold hesitates, as though he’s at a loss for words. He never hesitates, he never falters. I watch him as his expression hardens, intrigued. I’ve never been able to read him, but today he’s revealing human emotion I didn’t think he was capable of.

“Think what you will,” he tells me. “All that matters is that you understand Amara is not for you. You cannot and never will be with her. My daughter tells me you two are friends of sorts, and that’s as much as I’ll condone. Don’t test me, Noah. There’s nothing I won’t do to ensure my granddaughter’s happiness, and you staying away from her plays a key role in that.”

I stare at him in disbelief, completely disillusioned. Part of the reason I struggled so much with my attraction for Amara is the immense respect I had for Harold. I felt terrible going behind his back, doing what I thought would hurt him when he seemed to have my best interests at heart. I was wrong. At the end of the day, I’m just a pawn to him. Just another employee.

“I understand,” I tell him, but I don’t think I do. I don’t think I ever will.

He nods at me as he walks out the door, his usual carefree expression back on his face. “I’ll see you next week,” he tells me, right before disappearing behind the door.

I stare at it, Amara’s words running through my head over and over again. The way she looked at me when she told me that one week was enough, that we shouldn’t destroy our friendship. Was our week together just a fling to her, or is she trying to protect me? The way she looked at me… she couldn’t have faked that. That’s one of the things I love about her most, the way her eyes can’t tell a lie. I know we agreed on just one single week, but I don’t think I can let her go.

Now that she’s shown me what true happiness is… I don’t think I can ever settle for less. Consequences be damned.