Page 48 of The Night Shift

“Yes, you are. It’s freezing outside and you don’t own a car.”

The way she glares, you’d think I just insulted her whole family and everyone’s grandmother with that one remark.

Without averting her icy glare, she grabs her purse and her black coat off the back of the couch. “Good thing I have my ego to keep me warm.” And with that, Holly storms out of the apartment, shoving my shoulder in the process.

The brief touch is enough to make my pulse soar. Easy doesn’t work with Holly. Never has, never will.

I grab my phone off the coffee table, pet Dog goodbye, and chase after her.

Chapter 9

Holly

Now

My ego doesnot, in fact, keep me warm.

I don’t get why people romanticize New York winters so much. They are absolute ass. An icy breeze whooshes past my face, biting into my skin, and I pull my coat tight. My feet pick up the pace, trying their best to get me to the nearest train station. I trudge through the icy streets, my feet aching and my toes numb as the biting cold seeps through my thin-soled heels.

A black Prius pulls up beside me. The passenger window rolls down and I’m pretty sure my entire face twitches.

“Fancy seeing you here, Hol,” Theo says with a burgeoning smile. I want to stab it.

He rests his forearm on the steering wheel and leans forward to get a better look at me. His dark hair flops over his forehead and he brushes it back, revealing his eyes that look more blue and striking than usual against the backdrop of the snow.

I want to stab them too.

“Going for an evening stroll?” he adds.

I inhale a small breath. Exhale. And then resume walking.

“Oh come on, love,” Theo steps on the gas, staying by my side. “It’s dark.”

“Good observation.”

Theo absolutely cackles and I bask in the sound of his laughter for a beat. My heart splits in two with the overwhelming need to make him do it again and — whoa, what thefuck? Where the hell did that come from? The cold is making me delirious. Or maybe it’s that weird-looking muffin I ate at the hospital cafeteria a few days back. Food poisoning?

“It’s starting to snow, Hollister.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“You’re going to fall sick.”

“I’ll be fine.” I pick up my pace. “You can drive along and leave me alone now.”

“No can do. Goes against my code of ethics as a doctor.”

“Well, in that case.” I pause to look at him. “You can drive along and leave me alone,Dr. Carter.”

The corner of his mouth lifts. He tilts his head to the side and watches me with a smile and a tiny gleam in his eye.

His laugh might make me feel like a million bucks, but that smug smile makes me feel murderous. More than usual. He’s looking at me like he’s got me all figured out. I don’t like it.

He wants me to get inside his car? Sure. It’ll make gouging out his eyes that much easier. The mental image of his eyeballs squelching against my thumbs calms me down. A few strategically placed liquor bottles and I could make his death look like an accident. But that seems like a waste of alcohol. I could just blame it on the weather. Any kind of storm — rain or snow — is always useful in these kinds of situations. Really, the possibilities are endless.

“Holly?” he speaks up, interrupting my thoughts.

“What?”