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."

at the hospital, she'd start suspecting she

"Then come on down. I'm waiting

"You're here?"

from

"I'll be right there."

Christine, I saw her gesturing hurriedly, "Go on, go on. Look at you, all lovesick the moment you

in our faces every

"You..."

nose, "You go get him, girl.

my bag from my office and made a beeline for

building, the parking garage still held the warmth of late summer turning

he was, lazily leaning against his car, tall

bones well-defined, were fiddling with his phone, his casually drooping eyelids giving off a cool detachment. He had the look of

utterly carefree about the

stretched out an arm without even looking

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

"Not afraid."

caressing the small of my back, "A one-of-a-kind person

countered, "Isn't everyone

seemed amused by my argument, pinching my cheek and looking deep into my eyes, "In

free to slip into the passenger