Page 1
I chewed on the tip of my pen, trying to find an answer to the problem I had written down on my notepad.
I had over a hundred women that I was working with to help get them pregnant, and I had only managed to help a few.
People were becoming discouraged, including Nessa, who I wished had been the first to see the little plus sign on the pregnancy test.
I pinched my nose, knowing I was getting to that point myself where I didn't know if we would ever get out of this mess.
This was a big task, but I had hoped I would have had better outcomes.
I'd been working on the virus and the women for a year now, and I didn't feel I had gotten anywhere.
I was going in circles, getting the same results.
I glanced up at the door and then looked at my phone, checking the time. Sam said she was going to meet me here after her meeting, but it was already running late compared to the time she had given me.
"Do you need a refill on your coffee?" Lily, one of the waitresses, stopped at my table, giving me a gentle smile.
Sam and I started coming to the cafe regularly, which meant we got to know the people working there.
It was one of the few places where I felt I could relax.
I wasn't known as the scientist. I was just another customer.
I shook my head. "No, but thank you for asking. If I have any more, I'll end up pulling an all-nighter at the lab again." Maybe that wouldn't be a terrible idea. When I lacked sleep, my brain seemed to work better. But at the same time, it didn't.
I looked back at the door and heard my phone ding . I glanced at it, seeing a message popped up.
The meeting is running longer than I anticipated. Won't be able to make it to lunch. Eat a sandwich for me.
I frowned. I had looked forward to our time together. In truth, Sam was one of the few people I could really consider a friend, and she was one of the few who managed to get me out of my lab. Anytime she asked, I was more than willing to go out.
I set my phone aside and took a sip of my coffee, looking back down at my notebook. The math problem was still unsolved.
I decided to flip the page a few back and read the names of some of the girls I needed to call and check in on. There were a few we were working on fertility treatments, and others we were working on birthing plans.
There was Sasha, who had gotten pregnant, finally, after working for three months. She was overjoyed when she called me, nearly bursting my eardrum with happiness.
There was Natalie, whom we had tried several times, but nothing worked. The virus had taken full effect on her uterus and put her into menopause. Nothing I had done was reversing the effects.
I had learned that the inability to get pregnant was only stage one of the virus. It was terrible, but it was nothing like the next stage. It would travel from the uterus and start attacking the entire immune system.
I had managed to find out that each person lacked vitamin D, folic acid, and vitamin B. But with the added knowledge now that this was magic, it was changing my understanding. It could remain the same even if I were doing everything right.
Even though a lot of the girls were doing everything I wanted, they were still failing to get better. They were still failing to conceive.
I sighed and leaned forward, resting my head on the notebook.
I was tired of feeling like I was going in circles with no answers.
I worked hard to solve the unsolvable. I had always done extremely well with every other project.
I mastered everything thrown at me, yet this seemed to have me at a standstill.
Why had I agreed to this job? What made me think I could do this?
I thought back to when the council called me to see them. It was just a simple day for me, but it all changed when I received that letter. I had questioned why they would want me. I was a nobody, and no one really knew who I was.
They explained that I was the person they wanted to solve this.
I had the qualifications and was probably the only one in the entire Valley who had a background to back it up.
It was true I had worked on other viruses before and that I excelled in microbiology, but this was different. It was… harder.
When you mix magic with science, anything could happen. What should have made sense suddenly wasn't going to, and it was making my life hard. I wanted to go back to the work I was doing. Stuff that I understood.
I flipped back to the other page and scowled at the equations.
I had eraser marks and notes. I didn't know magic, but I needed to.
I should start getting some books and read more into it.
I knew the basics, but the person that Sam described was not some newbie doing this.
This person was meticulous, and they knew what they were doing.
They had likely planned this for a long time and worked hard to make sure there was no room for error.
We knew so little about whoever was doing this besides that it was a man.
Sam had told me she saw a glimpse of a man, but more than she heard him. She had said he was filled with anger, and so much that she felt it vibrating around her. I couldn’t imagine feeling what she had told me. Having nothing but darkness surrounding you and feeling such pure…well, rage.
It had been eight months since it attacked them, and I knew that I was working on a timer, but didn't know how much time was left.
I didn't know if this guy was going to release another virus or if he was changing the one we already had. We didn’t know anything, and that was the scary part.
I had been working on this for almost two years with few answers.
I knew so little, and I needed to know more. Everyone was counting on me to know more.
My phone dinged, and I glanced down. I couldn't help but smile.
PS: Put your notebook away. I know you're probably spiraling. Eat your meal and take a walk. Get some fresh air.
I shut the notebook, wrote back to Sam a response, and took another sip of my coffee. I threw everything into my bag and headed out the front. I was checking my phone as I pushed the door open and felt my body smack into something hard.
My phone slipped out of my hand, and my bag popped open, spilling all the contents onto the ground.
"Shit!" I said, quickly bent down, grabbing my phone and laptop. I hoped neither was damaged. My boss would not be impressed if I ruined another company's computer.
"Sorry. I didn't realize how fast you were moving."
My eyes widened, and I looked up. My body went cold as I looked at Henrik. He looked as amazing as I expected, and I hated it a little. I wished he looked like crap since our last conversation, but of course, he didn’t.
I looked away, grabbing the rest of my stuff while trying to shove it into my bag.
"It's fine," I said, feeling my face going hot.
I felt embarrassed and wished I had dolled myself up a little more this morning.
I had just thrown my hair into a shitty bun and pulled on clothes.
I wasn't even sure if they were clean or dirty.
His hand grabbed my notebook, which fell closer to him, and he glanced at it. "Looks like some serious math."
I snatched it from him, feeling my blood boil. I tried not to let it show as I shoved it into my bag. "That's because it is."
He gave me a half smile as I pulled myself up, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "Are you okay? You hit me pretty hard. Sorry, I didn't see how fast you were coming out."
"I'm fine," I said, chewing on my lip.
Do not scan him. Don't look at him. Don't do it.
My eyes did the opposite of what I wanted.
They scanned down Henrik quickly. I took in his perfect build and his beautiful, dark blond hair.
His eyes looked softly at me, and I hated how I stared into them.
They were almost golden and comforting. He had recently shaved, and he smelt like a shave and had a hint of musk.
Damn it, Katie. Do we not remember what happened?
Of course, I remembered what happened. I could still feel the rejection even months later. It was my own fault. I shouldn't have thought Henrik liked me just because he was being nice. It was probably because I was friends with Sam, his sister.
"How have you been?" He asked as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "You look well."
I swallowed. "I'm fine. In a bit of a hurry, actually. Wouldn't want to waste anyone's time." I said, being sure to say it the way I did. Was I still mad? A little bit.
Henrik looked a little hurt, and I didn't understand it. He was the one who told me he didn't want to waste his time with me, yet he was the one trying to have a small conversation with me? Why treat me nice at all if you didn't actually want to be around me anyway?
"Katie, if we could…" The door opened, and someone walked out. Henrik fell quiet for a moment, and I shifted the bag on my shoulder. I was uncomfortable and wanted to run away as quickly as I possibly could.
"I really do need to get back to work. I'm on lunch break," I said, stepping back so I could get going.
Henrik frowned and gave me a single nod. "Was nice to chat with you….Hope you're doing well."
I turned, not bothering to say anything back. I walked quickly, gripping my bag with a death grip. So many emotions were bubbling up, and I didn't know how to handle them all.
And then I thought back to the party at Sam and Jay's house.
Standing next to Henrik, I felt my entire body was hot.
I chewed on my lower cheek as I stared at him.
I had said how I was going to ask him out at least twenty times, and ten more before in front of the mirror at home.
I was giddy with happiness. I thought maybe I stood a chance.
Sam always said he would date me and that out of any guy she knew, he would treat me nicely.
I tapped my fingers onto the counter, finally mustering up the courage to speak. "So, Henrik, I'm going to an event next week with a couple of friends, and I kind of need a person to join me. Would you be free?"
Henrik had looked at me, but the softness he held before wasn't there. His eyes had shifted, and I didn't understand why, but I felt my stomach bottom down. He held a blank expression when he shook his head at me. "No, I'm busy." There was no remorse or caring in his tone as he spoke.
I frowned, feeling like someone had punched me in the gut. Henrik had always been so nice to me, and I was questioning who was standing in front of me now. But I shook it off. I was looking too much into his words. "That's okay. Understandable. Are you too busy for coffee? I'll be in…"
"Katie," Henrik's jaw clenched a little as he looked at me. "No offense, but I don't have time to waste with you."
My eyes widened, and I suddenly couldn't breathe.
The person who stood there was someone entirely different from the person I had gotten to know.
I felt the tears bloom instantly and tried to push them back.
It wasn't like I hadn't been rejected before, but this was the first time I hadn't been prepared for it.
Sam had told me over and over that she could see us together. She said how sweet her brother was and how understanding he was. I had expected him to accept. Or at least if he was going to let me down, he would have done it gently.
I quickly shook my head, wishing I could swipe that memory from my head. It hurt. I'd hardly had friends and didn't really have a dating history, but I had put myself out there and felt like I'd been thrown aside, like I didn't matter. He didn't even let me down gently.
I don't have time to waste on you . I had rethought those words over and over and over again. I couldn't deny it felt a little good to throw them back at him. Not that it did much damage.
I felt tears build up. What hurt the most was that I didn't understand what I had done wrong.
Henrik would bring coffee for me when he stopped by the lab with Sam.
I'd run into him when I traveled to his town, and he always offered to bring me lunch as a way of thanking me for going to him.
He'd even texted me a handful of times, thanking me for the help with some couples in his town.
I quickly shook my head and wiped my eyes. We were not going to cry about this. He was just some guy, and that was it. We didn't need to see him or interact with him anymore. And if we did, we could just keep it professional. I was an adult, and I could move past this.