Page 10 of The Night Shift

He doesn’t. “It’s not untrue. You’re mean to me all the time.”

“I’m not mean, I’m honest. And if you’re attracted to my honesty, then maybe I’m not being honest enough.”

“Maybe not. Where’re you headed after this?”

“To dive headfirst into the Hudson. Wanna come?”

Any kind of sarcasm is wasted on his two brain cells. “Sure, but if weareplanning on going skinny dipping tonight, might I recommend the pool at my flat? It’s arguably better than the Hudson.” He leans in closer, his voice dropping an octave. “Cleaner too.”

The heavy, acute weight of his gaze sends a prickle down my spine and my cheeks flush with a faint heat. If he’s even a little bit flustered by the lack of distance between our bodies, he doesn’t make it appear so. “Are you inviting me?”

His eyes skim my lips and rise back to my gaze. “Why? Are you saying yes?”

“I would rather ingest an entire bucket of radioactive waste than go anywhere with a man like you.”

His response is instantaneous and equally predictable. “There aren’t any men like me.”

“Really? Raging narcissists with the emotional depth of a single petri dish arethathard to find?”

Eyes still glued to mine, Theo smirks, revealing the tiny dimple on his left cheek. I want to stab it. He places both his palms on the edge of the counter, effectively caging me in. “See?” he whispers. “So fucking rude.” His right hand slides along the counter's edge, a phantom brush against my waist.

My eyes involuntarily flick to his lips, and he smiles. I immediately blush, and when I look back up, the fucker winks at me.

My face is now on fire.

My eyes catch sight of a ballpoint pen in his coat pocket, and it takes all but two seconds for me to grab it and ram it into Theo’s eye. Over and over again. The sclera bursts open and hotblood gushes out, drenching my wrist. A satisfying cry pierces the air, and I keep stabbing his eyeball. Once, twice, three times. He screams and blinks, causing whatever’s left of his eye to pour out like red, veiny egg yolk.

Then I feel the quiet.

Everything stands still as I regain control of my breathing. Moments pass by before I realize that I have not indeed stabbed Theo Carter in the eye. He is still standing in front of me, still staring at my lips with those ocean blue eyes, and still continuing to be an grade-A pain in my ass. My imagination had just gotten the better of me.

How unfortunate.

“You all right, love?” he asks, his eyes finally flicking up to meet mine.

I flash him a quick, fake smile before gently tipping his mug over as he picks it up to take another sip of his coffee, spilling its hot contents all over his pristine white coat. “Much better now.”

What? Coffee stains are better than a punctured eyeball.

Theo looks down at his clothes and purses his lips. “Nice. Very mature.”

“I recommend white vinegar for the stains. Probably sooner than later.” Using my elbow to stab past his arm, I grab my stuff and barge out the door, barely registering as I almost collide with someone in the hallway. “Oh, shit — fuck, I’m so sorry —” I glance up. My words die in my throat.

The harsh fluorescent lighting bounces off the reflections of glitter in the woman’s clothes and makeup, brightening her face. She looks scared. And familiar. Streaks of mascara run down her cheeks, a clear indication that she’s been crying. There’s something about the doe-eyed look on her face that makes me want to ask if she’s okay. I’m not sure why. I don’t even know her. Don’t even know her name —

“Well, at least we know that you’re capable of saying the word ‘sorry’ without bursting into flames.”

The woman's gaze flicks back and forth between Theo and me like a nervous bird. Without another word, she scurries off down the hall, shadowing some man wearing a gray faded hoodie and a red snake on the back whose brisk pace outmatches hers.

I turn to look at Theo. “I wastalkingto her.”

“And now you’re talking to me. All is well in the world.”

My irritation escalates to a whole new volatile level. “Considering that you’re still breathing and talking in front of me, I’d say all isnotwell in my world.”

Eyes on me, his mouth pulls up into a tiny smirk as if I’ve said something exceptional. “That’s a bit dramatic, Hollister. All I ever do is try to make your time at this hospital a little more entertaining.”

My fingers practicallyitchto wrap around his neck and squeeze until his windpipe fuckingpops. “You call this entertaining? Irritating me and trying to get a reaction out of me day after day like some kind of an incessant mosquito?”