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!”

cheerful – maybe too bright, too cheerful. “I’m so sorry,” I continue, smiling at him, “I just woke up – we were up all night. It’s – I’m very sorry. I should have texted

rare, warm smile. “I get it

against my door frame and gesturing towards my little apartment. “I

up a bit at the

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

some tricky cases. I watch Hank closely as he tells me his story, my eyes flicking over his handsome, serious face – his thick brown hair – his

in my stomach as I watch him, something that makes

me blink and focus on him.

I’m sorry, Hank,” I say, giving him an apologetic look. “I got….lost

a bit before sitting back. “I was just curious if you

at my chicken with broccoli and picking up a morsel. “But she doesn’t have any medical experience. Would she really be helpful there? I think that she would do anything – but

”

need most.”

around his chopsticks. “And it’s true that she doesn’t

head

powers,” Hank clarifies quietly.

I ask, raising

“It was incredible, what she was able to 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 that power… Or, Cora,” he says seriously, meeting my eyes now, “if you were able

medicine. It seemed somehow… too sacred, too special, to be

to fight things like terminal cancer,

gave the gift back to Ella – and our mother gave it to her in the

I

says softly. “Did I…was it wrong

but it’s a

says with a smile, “now that she’s feeling better, maybe we can have that conversation soon. If the gift can truly heal…she could help a lot

excited. “And it’s not like

his takeout aside and moving across the couch to me, taking the container of food out of my hands and putting it on the table next to me. “At least, not for the next twelve hours or so, until we have

lightly as he moves his body over mine, bringing his face close to

Hank use that hand on my back to lay me flat on the couch. Then I

312 – Reinforcements

Cora

tangled in the sheets of my bed, talking softly to each other about nothing, when suddenly I hear a pounding on my door –

–

sitting up and whipping his

my apartment.

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

my jaw drops a little because…well,

damn door, Cora!”

my naked body in my sheets – weirdly bashful in this

hurriedly getting out

sheets for my robe hanging on the back of my door and

rushing through the living room. “It’s fucking…”

at the doorway to my bedroom, sees for himself the

open.

but he drops it as he glares down at

Cora,” he growls, storming past me into the apartment, “don’t you ever

pho-

sees Hank standing in the doorway 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

I hiss, filling the void that his silence left as I slamming the door shut and stalking forward to

it,” Roger growls, snapping out of his shock and turning his attention to me as he blatantly ignores Hank. “It’s a crisis –

hour –”

—

and see that Roger is right that Ella has been calling me

  1. do.

–

heart suddenly in my throat. I can’t grasp the whole situation

–

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