Open Heart AU 1 (Ethan Ramsey x Valerie Valentine)

Kisses In The Rain: AU1 Chapter 21

Valentine.

I sat alone in the diagnostics office reading a journal and completing notes for Stephanie. Of course she is our main priority but getting this grant would be great for the team and for the hospital. I suppose June is right when she say's it's a 'win-win.' that is if we can convince her. She seemed rather reluctant yesterday...but we won't force anything upon her.

I bit my lip in concentration and gently tapped my pen against the hard wood of the desk when the door opened and softly clicked shut, June walking in with a warm smile.

"Morning partner." she said,

"Morning. You're just in time, I was just about to go on a coffee run."I smiled up to her as I sat my pen down.

"Screw the coffee run, I'll make us some." She waved her hand.

I raised a brow and said "Ethan let's you touch his coffee machine? His holy caffeinated grail?"

Ethan values coffee so much that he has his own coffee maker in the office. The coffee at the hospital isn't great but not that bad. He just....values a good drink I suppose. It's something that I personally find adorable but he would never admit to it.

"I won't tell if you don't." She winked playfully.

I laughed as I stood up from my seat but as June walked by, I accidentally caught her bag, sending it falling to the floor as she walked by to the coffee machine.

"Sorry! Let me-" I bent down to pick the folder that had fallen out.

"It's fine I -" Her face fell from the smile that once occupied it to a neutral expression as I saw the name on top of the file.

My name.

A silence filled the room before I broke it with my question.

"...June? Why do you have my employee file?"

"Ethan needed it." She stated quickly and bluntly.

"Ethan is my mentor. He knows everything in here, he wouldn't need it." I furrowed my brow at her blatant lie.

Then, it suddenly became obvious. Like a curtain had been lifted and I could now see clearly.

"...I've seen the way you change personality to get on a patients good side. With Gwyneth and Leland....Have you been doing that with me?" I dropped my file on the table and folded my arms.

"Here and there. Don't take it personally, I read the file of everyone I work with." She said as she turned back to the coffee machine.

I furrowed my brow and glared. "But don't you see that's it's wrong? One, this is my private file and two you were manipulating me."

"Can you blame me for wanting to even out the odds in the room?" She spoke over her shoulder.

"What's that meant to mean?" I shook my head slightly.

She ran her hand over Ethan's desk before planting herself in his chair.... a rather uncomfortable sight for me personally.

"Ethan and I have a history of disagreeing. Which was fine while Naveen was running the show. But then when he gave the team to Ethan, I knew I needed another ally in the room." She clasped her hands together.

"So you would have 'cozied' up to any junior doctor that would walk in here?" I felt anger rise inside of me.

"Of course."

Shaking ever so slightly, I took a seat in disbelief that this was happening again...with everything that happened with Landry last year...another person who I considered a friend... had lied to me...