Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Chapter 313

#Chapter 313 – Cora at Home

Cora

When I wake up it’s almost eight at night and I groan, realizing that my sleep schedule is

completely wrecked. I’m reminded, suddenly, of my years as a medical resident when this sort of thing was normal – sleeping all day, taking night shifts, living moment to moment rather than a steady, scheduled life.

And quite frankly, right now? That sounds really wonderful, compared against a whole night of empty hours in which I have nothing to do but… think.

Think about what I’m doing in my life, think about my career which has gone in a really weird direction, think about my relationship…s.

About a certain kiss in the woods.

About a sweet doctor who, apparently, wants to build a life with me.

I sigh and sit up, looking around at my sterile little apartment. I never really decorated, I realize as

I look around at the grey and beige furniture, the simple linens, the charmless curtains. Everything is functional and high quality but none of it is… me?

Or is it?

I frown at my space, thinking of Ella’s sweet home that – even though Sinclair picked out most of the furniture before she moved in – still sings Ella Ella Ella in every corner. It’s warm and sweet

and comfortable. What does my space say about me?

I mean, I’m an orphan – I never had any possessions or any control over the environments in

which I lived, so where would I have learned to decorate? I never had a mother to show me how

So where did Ella…

I groan, rolling my eyes at myself, sick, again, of being jealous of my sister.

I love her so, so much – and I’m so happy she has what she wants in her life. But sometimes she’s just so….perfect. That it makes me realize how unhappy I am, when I stand next to her.

I roll over, reaching for my phone, seeking some kind of distraction from these disquieting- thoughts. But when I pick it up the first thing I see is one of those relationships I’m trying to avoid leaving me an assortment of messages. I sigh and click open my message app.

Hank: Hey, Cora – how did the baptism go? Dinner later?

Hank: Cora? You okay?

2

Hank: Hey, send me a text when you get up – I know you were up all night but I’m worried that I

haven’t heard from you.

Sighing, I swipe the messages away and click through the rest of my phone, trying, determinedly,

to not let it bother me that there’s nothing at all from Roger. Not a peep. As I take a deep breath and check my email, another message from Hank pops up.

Hank: Hey, are you home? I’m… I mean, this is a little pathetic, but I’m outside. Can you let me in? I

your apartment door…

My heart twinges a little bit when I see that. Hank. He’s being so sweet and I’m…well, I’m not being fair to him, am I?

Ella’s right. I’m holding a space for Roger, one he doesn’t even want – despite what might have passed between us last night, it doesn’t change anything. And there’s a man standing outside my door with mooshoo pork, dying to love me.

God, what’s wrong with me? Quickly, I jump out of my bed and dash for the front door of my apartment.

When I get to it, I yank it open, hoping

Hank jumps a little, his eyes going wide, accidentally dropping the large bag of Chinese on the little mail table I keep outside my door. “Gah!”

him, “I just woke up – we were up all night. It’s – I’m very sorry. I should

says, giving me his rare, warm smile. “I get it – you had a busy night.”

you want to come in?” I ask, leaning against my door frame and gesturing towards my little apartment. “I

his lips turning up a bit at the corner. “That sounds

held down the fort at the little free clinic we both work at, seeing both prospective mothers as well as general ailments from

as he tells me his story, my eyes flicking over his handsome, serious face – his thick brown hair – his strong, capable

in my stomach as I watch him, something that makes me…well, makes- me want to jump across the couch and kiss him…

he asks, making me blink and focus on him. “Did

I’m sorry, Hank,” I say, giving him

little wink and reaching out to grab my hand, squeezing it a bit before sitting back.

and picking up a morsel. “But she doesn’t have any medical experience. Would she really be helpful there?

”

need most.”

swirling some noodles around his chopsticks. “And it’s true that she doesn’t have

cock my head

healing powers,” Hank clarifies

mother’s gift?” I ask, raising my eyebrows at

do to herself twice now. To bring herself out of that coma that should have killed her. And then I saw her, before my eyes, almost instantly heal wounds that should have incapacitated her for days. If she were able to harness

mouth going to a little “o” as I lower the takeout to my lap. I had honestly never thought of it – of leveraging my mother’s power for the practice of medicine. It seemed somehow… too sacred, too special, to be used to heal bumps and bruises. But could it, should it, be used to cure people on the

it be used to fight things like terminal

mean, I gave the gift back to Ella – and our mother gave it

it, would I use

Hank says softly. “Did I…was it wrong to suggest it?”

but it’s a bigger question than just I can answer.

can have that conversation soon.

at him, excited. “And it’s not like she’s

my hands and putting it on the table next to me. “At least, not for the next twelve hours or so, until we have to go to

mine, bringing his face close to me and

we do?” I murmur, happy as I let Hank use that hand on my back to

312 –

Cora

and I are tangled in the sheets of my bed, talking softly to each other about

–

gasps, sitting up and whipping his head to look towards the front

my apartment.

me. The pounding halts for a moment and we both sit there, frozen, not knowing what

jaw drops a little because…well, because I know that voice.

damn door, Cora!”

my god,” I murmur, standing up and wrapping my naked body in my sheets – weirdly bashful

you know who it is?” Hank asks, hurriedly getting

switching the sheets for my robe hanging on the back

the living room. “It’s fucking…”

my bedroom, sees for himself the moment I

open.

is still raised as my door flies open, but he

growls, storming past me into the apartment, “don’t

pho-

to my bedroom, pulling on his shirt. And then Roger turns slowly and looks at me, taking me in from head to toe in my bathrobe. He doesn’t say a word,

you doing here, Roger?!” I hiss, filling the void that his silence left as I slamming the door shut and stalking forward to give him a shove. “You scared

shock and turning his attention to me as he blatantly ignores Hank. “It’s a

hour –”

—

spotting my phone, wedged between the pillows of the couch. I dash to it and grab it and see that Roger is right that Ella has been calling me for the past hour, as well as sending

  1. do.

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all about “I stutter in fear, my heart suddenly in my throat. I can’t grasp the whole situation – but there’s something about

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