Boston General were

was eve

R, his presence a con

h other as muc

ods in h

ed exchanges

us crackled with

the BGH Ch

s on the organizing

the ballroom, a visi

de, attentive, almos

aned in to listen when she spo

t seen directe

nce, perhaps. Or

ay, it c

hing me, her exp

use and slipped

et of the corridor,

and another s

e landed on his feet. Victori

though. About a past thi

mach t

voice, cool a

. Barely a blip. We were r

th

ife, our life, red

per cup in my

ver my fingers,

er, near the em

lia

ckering in his eyes bef

Hay

" I asked, my voic

n eyebrow.

son. Our past. You s

jaw. "It was a long time

ou call this

realistic. Victor

he real reason you left Boston? Do y

nderstand. Even n

ssion unreadable. "It doe

tters

his voice flat. He t

anding there,

as a raw,

already strained,

vely av

the same surgery, he' d

d a room, h

iberate, pub

son called me i

ce was

heard some... un

ir

to be some tension. Personal history i

you, Dr. Peterson, I've be

hospital. His research, his connections... We can' t af

r. I was the distraction

sir," I said,

be an ongoing issue. Focus

Julian's side. H

e star. I was

d in my chest,

to be

red him a file. "Dr. Vance, the

just took it, his fingers br

electricity, but onl

and turned back t

on washed

nted to escape, to run far away fro

efore the annual ho

ng, Evie. N

. Not with him

ll. You can't let th

I w

was a m

s ever, stood on a small ris

ssionals from Boston General. And on a personal note," she smiled, her gaze finding Julian in the crowd, "I'm t

I was underwater, the sounds o

to g

e, but Victoria

it now, "some of you may know that Julian and Boston have a bit of hi

t through the room. A

fr

is is appropriate," Dr. Peterson

tant, don't you think? Especially when old flames might still be... smoldering."

was a crus

red, "She mean

her in residency

ward. "Victoria, that's en

e purred. "Or is it

just looked at me,

, a forced cheerf

olated in a sea of whis

r, a fixed smile on my f

and cried until I

erheard two nurses

ently, she was desperately in love w

r Victoria Sterling. Ho

serable all the time. She'

tion, my career, tainted by

eteria felt thin.

cardiac case came in. A youn

ssigned it to

s, Vance. Put aside any personal is

eterson was right. T

n his office, re

oice carefully neutral. "

rd approach won't work. We need

siness, his f

ree. I was thin

cal plan, our voices p

heard him on the p

ll, his old medical school

Leo. That grant... she thought she wa

oze on the

new I thought

believed I acted out of mali

helping. And he still let me

y chest was s

d the d

call abruptly, tu

What

e trembling. "You knew why

nreadable. "It

ht I was some vindictive monster. You knew my intentions were

done, Evie? The damage

d me! You could have...

nothing l

s voice was like a

ilt I carried. He could have le

felt pri

my voice hollow. "We nee

Tomorrow mor

y was long

r seamlessly, a w

d times

between us was h

the patient stable

. Vance. For y

dy stripping off his

e, Dr. Hayes.

knowledgment of the lif

d profes

walk away, m

here. I couldn't

later, a no

recruiting for an emergenc

e Gulf Coast

A chance to do some good,

up imme

went to see my

ck, my only

ried about

this, Evie-girl? I

do this, Da

s filled with concern.

It's... compl

Chloe told me. And h

, unable

, pulling me into a

drawing strength

Dad. I just nee

convinced, bu

on a plane, heading