Right As Rain (Complete)

Chapter 25

Maelee

My lack of sleep persuades me to hit the snooze button one too many times; a habit I can proudly call a rare occurrence. After a quick run and a quicker shower, I'm back at the hospital before three. Jessica has called multiple times, informing me of my first ever front-page news spread. Like me, she's been laughing at the reporting headline.

Hudson Steele Playing Doctor with Dr. Parker. As per usual, the article claims to have spoken with a source who says Hudson and I have become "undeniably close." Besides a few mentions of his past girlfriends and knocks at me for becoming his newest plaything, the article is fairly tame.

It isn't as exposing as I expected my first celebrity photo scandal to be. Actually, you can't really see me at all. Had I not been wearing Oak Valley scrubs and my new bag not been front and center, I could argue the blonde in the picture with hair covering her face, isn't me.

Hudson's arms are wrapped around me tightly; his right arm is pulled up to my shoulder and his left is secured around my waist. His expression is soft and his eyes are closed. The only undeniable telling of the photo is that the tattooed wrist belongs to him and we are both quite comfortable.

The subtleness of his cologne mixed with the smell of dryer sheets made me dizzy. He was calming and in that moment, everything I needed. I closed my eyes, breathed him in, and relaxed in his hold. Judging by the photograph of what I thought was a private moment he was relaxed as well.

"Hellooo, Katie!" I say, walking into the teenager's room. Katie's labs from this morning were disappointing. I have to make a new game plan. Luckily, Anna is here to offer her additional support while I break the news.

"What in the heck!?" Katie yells. I'm not sure if she's happy to see me or not. Her expression shows excitement, but also frustration. "I can't believe you guys are together and you didn't even tell me!"

Anna smiles and raises her hands in soft surrender telling me Katie came up with this idea on her own. I know Hudson has probably told his mom a lot. But it doesn't look like Anna has forwarded that information to Katie.

I sit on the foot of the young girl's bed and fold my legs underneath me. "Katie, we aren't together."

She rolls her eyes. "Anna said he likes you."

Well, maybe Anna has told her something. I guess there is no sense in lying about it. "He does," I agree.

Katie growls, frustrated by my lack of quick answers. She looks at Anna, begging for more information.

Anna leans towards Katie from her recliner and whispers as if she were telling a secret. "He just won't take no for an answer."

Katie gasps. "Dr. Parker! You turned him down?" she asks, her mouth gaping. "You... you turned down Hudson Steele?" She throws her head into her pillow and insists she cannot possibly understand what I was thinking.

I explain to the impressionable teen you shouldn't go out with a person because of who there are or because you think you should. "You go out with someone because you are genuinely interested in developing a relationship with them."

Katie arches her brow and crosses her arms. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid," she says. "You are definitely interested."

Anna looks down at her hands and chuckles to herself. Katie's right. I'm definitely interested. How do I explain to her it would be professionally unacceptable for me to go out with Hudson? Same as Jessica, she would argue that Hudson isn't my patient. Regardless, this morning's news coverage proves right now isn't the time for Hudson and I to start anything. "I think while you and Noah are here it would be better for me to worry about you two, don't you?" I ask.