Maybe I was slightly bothered by her stunning appearance, but I could immediately tell that she did not have a favourable opinion of me. Sometimes, you just have a gut feeling, you know?

“Thalia, allow me to introduce Grace," Mr. Cross said cordially. "She happens to be a skilled doctor, and we go way back to our childhood days. After I discovered you in the bathroom, I immediately reached out to her for assistance."

I rolled my eyes at his seemingly charming introduction. The thought of why he did not simply take me to the hospital if he were that worried crossed my mind, but I opted to bite my tongue.

"While Grace performs a final check on you, I will take care of getting the door. Will that be all right?" He questioned.

I nodded my damn head in agreement because I was afraid I could not conceal my disapproval if I answered. Mr. Cross kissed my forehead and left the room.

Grace gave me a quick once-over before asking, "Why do you address him as Mr. Cross?"

What an odd question, I thought to myself.

"His name is what I said.” My voice was calm as Grace monitored my pulse and listened to my heart.

“No. That is not his name.” Her voice was cold and detached.

“Then, what is it? I know him as Mr. Cross,” I replied, attempting to mask my irritation.

“His name is Ben,” she stated matter-of-factly.

I swear to God, I almost popped my eyes out of my head when she said that. That was like the most basic, run-of-the-mill name. It was not exactly a name that screamed mystery and intrigue, and Mr. Cross had this mysterious vibe to him. Yet he had such a plain and simple name.

“Why does everyone call him Mr. Cross?” I asked, genuinely curious now.

“You tell me,” she said, and I could feel the chill in the air when Grace stopped her action and looked at me.

The way she was staring at me with that cold, unfriendly expression made me shiver involuntarily. I had no idea what I did to set her off, but it was clear that she was not happy with me.

"Isn’t Mr. Cross his surname?” I asked hesitantly.

"No," she spat out with disdain. "You waltz into a man's domain without even bothering to learn his name!" Grace hissed.

I was fucking pissed off right now! Mr. Cross straight-up lied to me. Furthermore, what was his doctor's friend’s deal? Why was she even trying to provoke me? I could feel my temper rising as I hissed my teeth and forcefully ripped my arm away from her grasp. 

"I am perfectly fine!" I snapped, annoyance lacing my voice. "There is no need for further inspection. I will go to the hospital if needed."

"I need you to identify yourself!" Grace's demand shocked me. "I have never once heard Ben speak of you. So why is he suddenly infatuated with you? He has never shown such intense interest in anyone else before."

I could not resist the urge to smile at her words. 

“Maybe he just finds me interesting," I offered.

Grace scoffed. “Or maybe you have been trying to get his attention.”

I glared at her with fierce intensity.

“Why don’t you ask him?” I recommended.

She shrugged nonchalantly. “I did, and he just changes the subject.”

"Maybe that’s because he doesn’t want to talk about me with you,” I replied curtly.

Grace's eyes narrowed. “And why is that? Are you hiding something?”

I sighed, not wanting to get into a confrontation. “Look, it is not my place to answer your questions. You should ask him yourself.”

She folded her arms across her body. “I just find it strange that all of a sudden he seems obsessed with some child from nowhere.”

Did she just say that? She was straight-up insulting me. I wanted to give her a piece of my mind and maybe even knock her the fuck out.

"I don’t understand why that concerns you!" I retorted, growing increasingly agitated.

She stood tall and confident. Her piercing eyes locked onto mine. She stared at me as if I were beneath her. I hated to admit it, but Grace was a mature-looking and beautiful young woman. Her light peach skin seemed to glow. And her body? It was gorgeous. Just the way a man would like it. She had curves in all the right places, but what had caught my attention were her eyes. They were a deep, mesmerising shade of blue. I wondered if her hair colour was natural, though. It reminded me of Sam's from that show, Victorious.

Grace allowed her hands to fall as she spoke. "I am simply watching out for Ben."

“I don’t know what I stumbled into, but I want no part of it," I stated firmly. "I have had my fill of toxicity in the past, so I kindly request that you direct that venom elsewhere.” With a swift movement, I pulled back the white silk sheet and descended from the bed. Without a word, I left Doctor Grace standing there. Her assistance was no longer needed.

So, there I was, locked inside the bathroom. I was honestly considering just grabbing my shit and hitting the road. Like, do I need to deal with all this stress? I had been feeling fucking restless since that doctor and I talked. Mr. Cross straight up lied, and yet, I was still curious about what the hell could have motivated him to do such a thing. Damn it all! I was seriously mad at myself for being nosy, but I could not help it. Grace acted like she knew Mr. Cross like the back of her hand, and it just rubbed me the wrong way. Just thinking about her made me even more angry and suspicious.

I was sitting on the floor like a hopeless potato. My back was pressed against the door like it was the only thing keeping me up. My hands were on my knees, trying to keep me grounded, but the real action was going down in my head. My readers, I was having a full-on discussion with the voice inside my head. We were going back and forth, debating and discussing until we were both out of breath. It was like a mental boxing match, except there were no damn winners. Just endless thoughts and ideas.

"Unbelievable! Mr. Cross dared to lie," I exclaimed with frustration. 

My inner voice questioned, "Why do you think he lied?”

Feeling exasperated, I let out a heavy sigh.

"I honestly have no clue," I replied in frustration. "That is what is getting to me. I just cannot seem to unravel the reasoning behind his behaviour."

The voice in my head pondered. "Perhaps there is a reasonable explanation. Have you attempted to communicate with him?" 

I rolled my eyes. "If I had, we would not even be talking about this right now."

"Indeed, that is correct," remarked the inner voice. "But it is important to ask first. Avoid making hasty assumptions." It cautioned.

"Well, it may seem simple in theory, but in reality, it's much more difficult." I pondered, pressing my lips together. "I am not sure how to approach the topic without sounding accusatory. After all, he's not my man. He has no obligation to answer me."

"He might just be the perfect fit for us," the voice in my head exclaimed with a hint of mischief. "He could be so much more." 

“The only thing we might be is each other’s fuck buddy for the night,” I remarked dryly. “And that's okay with me. I would rather have my cherry pop by him than some random hookup.”

“I want more!” The inner voice exclaimed. “You better damn well give him the benefit of the doubt. He's been kind and honest with you so far.”

I knew deep down in my gut that my inner thought was telling the truth. From the very beginning, Mr. Cross was nothing but nice. He stood up for me like some kind of brave knight. Above all, I wanted him so freaking badly. It was like this burning desire that I could not shake.

"What's the deal with that doctor?" I sneered as if the woman I was talking about was right in front of me. "The way Mr. Cross presented her and gazed at her. I am not naive or foolish."

“Well, why don't you ask him?” My inner voice asked. "Maybe he can shed some light on the situation.”

I let out a frustrated hiss, "You seem to have all the answers, don't you?"

"Ha! I suppose I do. Could you please go and speak with him? Always keep in mind that even if he did lie, there could be a reasonable explanation. Let's not rush to assumptions without understanding all the details.” My inner voice reminded me with caution.