𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞

3 | Aurora

"Aurora!"

I just entered the hospital, and she never fails to call me out that loud in the middle of the reception area.

"I missed you!" She came running towards me and practically threw herself on me while she hugged me.

"Rachel. We have been away for only a night." I said this while hugging her back.

My best friend, Rachel, and I worked in the same department at the hospital. We both joined together back then. She was a Chinese American. Her parents were Chinese, but she was born and brought up in Canada. Her specialty was medicines related to mental abnormalities, whereas mine was only therapies. We both became great friends, though initially we didn't stand next to each other in the same room. It was then that a patient of mine tried to misbehave with me, and she broke his arm. And it was then only when I opened up to her about my past that my emotions got the best of me.

Rachel was a feisty one. No one dared to mess with her.

"Yes, and a night without you feels like a year." She broke the hug and faked a pout, blinking her lashes, trying to be cute.

"How many times have I told you not to shout my name like that? It's wrong to shout so loud in a hospital." Also, it was because of her that almost everyone in the hospital knew what my name was.

"Remind me to count next time." She linked her arm with mine while I rolled my eyes. "Shall we, my lady?"

I laughed, shaking my head, while we both walked towards the cafeteria to have our favorite coffee before heading to work. Our shifts started at 11 in the morning, so we always tried to reach early for our morning coffee catch-up.

As we ordered our coffee, I could see the looks both Rachel and the waiter gave each other. Rachel was, no doubt, a very sexy woman. She could bring any guy to his knees for her, and she knew her charm so well. She was confident, attractive, and smart all at the same time.

"Stop eye-fucking him." I said this in a whisper when the waiter started to make our drinks. We both ordered a caramel macchiato. It was our favorite.

"I will," She took a quick glance at me and then again looked at the waiter. "Once he stops as well," she said, followed by a wink in his direction that made the man's ears go red.

"Besides, if you are interested, we can have a threesome." She whispered in my ear, still eyeing the man, who now furrowed in confusion about what she was saying to me. I snapped my neck to look at her, and she smiled smugly at me, wiggling her eyebrows.

"What the--No!" I squeaked due to the dirty images that flashed in my mind at her words. It was not that I was a tiny bit interested; it was because of the fact that I literally imagined the said guy and my friend having sex in the same room as me. I mentally gagged again.

"Why? Are your toys so good?" This time, her attention was completely on me, and it was my turn to go red. "Come on, babe, you know you need someone too."

She was right. I do need someone. But not only for physical release, but also for someone with whom I could feel both safe and in danger at the same time. Safe at the thought that the person would not harm me, and in danger at the thought that the same person would also keep me on my toes when it came to physical intimacy.

But I guess that kind of love only exists in books and movies.

She sighed when I didn't give her any reaction. "Auri, I know it's not easy for you. But trust me, I would never let you meet with someone who would harm you. I will kill them before that." Her voice became soft with each word. "You are 28; if not now, then when?"

"I know." That's all I said after looking at her with a smile on my face and saying that I believed her.

"Fine." She took our drinks that were now ready and placed on the counter, while the waiter smiled and blushed looking at her. "As long as you want." she glanced at me and then winked at the waiter again before we both left.

"By the way, you have a new appointment today. I checked both our schedules for today before you came." she informed me while we were taking a lift to our floor.

I just nodded and took a sip of my coffee, replaying Rachel's words in my mind.

"Come on babe, you know you need someone too."

She kept on talking on our way to our floor, telling me about the new appointment and my other tasks for the day. But my mind was so occupied with all the things that my mom and Rachel said to me today. I kept silent, walking with her in my own thoughts.

Everyone, including me, knew what I needed. But no one knew how I would ever be able to have it. That too, including me.

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