Ocean Love

Chapter 12

After leaving Dylan's room, the cold hospital air still lingering around me, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at the screen and saw Sarah's name flashing. I answered, trying to shake off the lingering tension.

“Hey girl, what's up? Wanna go shopping?” Sarah’s voice bubbled with excitement, as if the word ‘shopping’ was the cure for all woes.

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. “Sure, see you soon.”

As I hung up, I took a deep breath, eager to shift my mind away from the events of the day. The mall wasn’t far from the hospital, so I headed straight there, trying to leave the heaviness of the hospital behind.Thank goodness there's still 2 hours before the mall closed since it's already night time.

When I arrived, I spotted Sarah standing near the entrance, her usual bright smile beaming at me. She waved enthusiastically, and I felt a small sense of relief wash over me. There was something comforting about her energy, something that made me feel like everything might just be okay.

“Hey!” she greeted me with a hug. “Ready to shop till we drop?”

I laughed softly. “Lead the way.”

As we strolled into the mall, the bustling atmosphere wrapped around us—people chatting, the soft background music from various stores, and the occasional scent of fresh pretzels wafting through the air. We began to wander from store to store, browsing the racks without much of an agenda. It felt good to just walk, to be out in the world instead of confined to the sterile walls of the hospital.

“So,” Sarah began, glancing at me sideways. “What happened? Why did you look so tense when you picked up?”

I hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed about the whole situation. I wasn’t sure how to explain the whirlwind of events involving Dylan without sounding… well, a bit ridiculous. My gaze drifted to a display of shoes, and I pretended to be interested in them, hoping to dodge the question.

“Nothing much, just… you know, work stuff,” I mumbled, quickly changing the subject. “These shoes are cute, right?”

Sarah raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. “They are cute, but don’t think you’re getting off that easily.”

We continued walking, and I found myself grateful for the break in questioning. The act of shopping, of simply being in a different environment, was almost therapeutic. But as we moved from store to store, the silence between us started to feel loaded, as if Sarah was just waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Eventually, we found ourselves in a perfume shop. I picked up a bottle, spritzing a light fragrance onto one of the tester cards. The scent was floral, with a hint of citrus—pleasant and refreshing.

Sarah broke the silence, her tone more serious now. “How’s Dylan?”

I kept my eyes on the fragrance display, trying to focus on anything but the sudden rush of thoughts his name brought to mind. “He’s okay,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Quite charming, actually.”

Sarah’s eyes widened with interest. “Charming, huh? So… are you falling for him?”

I could feel my cheeks warm slightly, but I quickly masked it with a laugh, trying to downplay the situation. “What? No, of course not. I mean, I can’t fall in love with a client. That would be… unprofessional.”

Sarah gave me a look that said she wasn’t buying my defense. “Mmm-hmm,” she hummed, a teasing smirk on her lips. “Sure, Marlia. Keep telling yourself that.”

I rolled my eyes, but there was a small part of me that couldn’t deny the strange pull I felt towards Dylan. It was ridiculous—he was just a client, after all. And yet, there was something about him that was hard to ignore.