Lost Me Gained Regret

The arrow hit the bullseye, though it wasn't exactly planned that way.

By the time the meeting wrapped up at the office, dusk was already creeping in. I had hitched a ride with Christine earlier in the day.

I was just about to call an Uber back to the hospital.

Christine offered to drop me off, and I shot her a sidelong glance, teasing, "I saw you texting Dailey during the meeting. Don't let me hold you back from... whatever's brewing there."

Christine's laughter was bright and beautiful. "Oh, what now? You've become a screen peeker?"

"Just happened to catch a glimpse."

I chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

During the meeting, she was seated diagonally to my left, leaning over the table to text. It was impossible not to see.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Gregory.

"All done with the meeting?"

His voice, relaxed and casual, flowed from the other end of the line, making me smile.

"Yeah, just finished. I'm heading back to the hospital to check on Ramona, then home."

age. If I kept up my constant vigil at the hospital, she'd start suspecting she had some

on down.

"You're here?"

from work is all in a day's

"I'll be right there."

to Christine, I saw her gesturing hurriedly, "Go on, go on. Look at you, all lovesick the moment you know it's your

in our faces every day,

"You..."

nose, "You go get him, girl. Lock down

grabbed my bag from my office

still held the warmth of late summer turning into

he was, lazily leaning against his

his phone, his casually drooping eyelids giving off a cool detachment. He had

carefree

to surprise him, but before I could say a word, he suddenly stretched out an arm without even looking up, pulling me into his embrace with a

preemptive move startled me instead, "You didn't even look. Weren't

"Not afraid."

of my back, "A one-of-a-kind person can't

"Isn't everyone

my cheek and looking

free to