Page 50 of Examining the Bond

I open my mouth to ask what the hell happened, but I glance at the secretary’s desk and stop myself. Even though she looks busy, I wouldn’t put it past her to eavesdrop. Older women love to gossip like that. Questions are burning up my throat, curiosity spiraling out of control, but I’ll wait until we’re alone to ask Skylar anything.

Thankfully, she answers one of the questions as I pause in front of her. “My nurse called out this morning, so I’m on my own until lunch.”

Damn, she evensoundstired.

I tug my bottom lip between my teeth and follow her in silence as she leads me down the hall, her scent teasing my senses. It’s not nearly as strong as the first time I saw her, but the relief it provides is instant. The tension in my muscles fades, a warm, calming feeling settling over me.

I didn’t realize just how badly I needed to see her…

She’s silent as we walk, which only adds to my anticipation. Is she acting? Or does she really not want to talk to me? I almost expect her to lead me back to her office, but she makes a left and takes me to an empty exam room.

I step inside first, pausing in the middle of the space while she closes the door, tension skyrocketing the second the handle clicks into place. Our eyes lock, a beat of strained silence hanging between us, before she gestures to the exam table.

“Have a seat, Riann.”

I swallow hard, her flat tone crawling under my skin. It’s unsettling and hardly sounds like her at all.

Stubbornly, I refuse to move. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong with you. Did you not sleep last night?”

A forced smirk curls her lips. “Barely. I had a lot on my mind.”

My throat tightens, wondering if it has to do with me or something else. Doubt and worry fester inside me, and I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“I promise, I’m fine,” she assures me.

I’m not sure I believe her. Something is off about her tone, and after she called to cancel last night…

“Are we pretending nothing happened?” I dare to ask. “Because if that’s what this is about, you can just tell me?—”

“No, it’s not, but we can talk about us later.” Skylar motions more urgently to the exam table. “Please sit. We have more important things to discuss.”

Dread sinks through me like a stone.

More important things thanus?My throat tightens.

Obviously, whatever happened between us didn’t mean as much to Skylar as it did to me. There isn’t a single thing on this planet more important to me right now than figuring out what the hell is going on between us.

Are we together? Fuck buddies? Strangers with benefits? Granted, this is all new to me, so maybe I’m supposed to be nonchalant about it all. Maybe she’s done this several times before and that’s why she’s not wound up tight the way I am.

Fighting the urge to argue, I clamp my mouth shut and hop up on the exam table. Whatever relief I’d felt earlier at seeing her has been replaced by prickly reservation. She sits on the rolling stool in the corner, careful to leave space between us, which only adds to my irritation.

“What’s so important then?” I ask, losing my patience.

Skylar holds up the folder in her hands. “Your test results.”

“You finished sequencing the DNA?” My words come out slow, skeptical. Why didn’t she mention that last night on the phone?Unless they finished this morning.

“Yes.” She cuts off my train of thought. “This is why I couldn’t come over last night. I wanted to cross-reference what we found, and I didn’t think it was appropriate to give you the results in your hotel room.”

I stare at her, a flurry of emotions clashing inside me. Annoyance at her canceling our plans, excitement to learn if they found something new, apprehension at whatever new thing they might have discovered.

If the results in that folder are enough to make her distance herself, I’m almost scared to know what they say. Maybe ignorance really is bliss…

However, my curiosity only seems to swell as the seconds drag by.

“Well,doctor,” I say, steeling my nerves. “What’s the verdict? What’s wrong with me?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Riann,” she says matter-of-factly. “But the results may not be exactly what you want to hear.”