I Called Him from Under an AVALANCHE, But He Declined to Bed His Secretary Chapter 07
Three years passed the way seasons do quietly,Â
without asking permission. Time was just lightÂ
and dark, one day bleeding into the next.Â
Then, the day finally arrived. Dr. Cole walked in andÂ
crouched in front of me. “Nervous?”Â
My hands were balled into fists in my lap.Â
“Terrified.”Â
Three years of surgeriesÂ
too many to count –Â
and everything came down to today.Â
“You’re going to be fine. A few more minutes andÂ
you’ll see for yourself. Trust me.”Â
He started unwinding the bandages. The sharpÂ
smell of antiseptic hit me immediately.Â
–Â
“Nice and slow don’t force your eyes open. It’llÂ
sting at first. Just let your eyes adjust.” I nodded,Â
then opened my eyes.Â
Light flooded my left eye sharp, blinding,Â
overwhelming. The world filled itself in from theÂ
edges. “I can see…”Â
The tears came before I could stop them, and Dr. Cole placed a steadying hand on my shoulder. “NoÂ
crying not yet. Your eyes can’t handle it.”Â
I forced it all back down. Three years. CountlessÂ
days. And I could finally see the world whole.Â
again.Â
“Thank you.” Dr. Cole smiled. “That’s what we’reÂ
here for.”Â
The second he left, I called Harper. She screamed.Â
–Â
“Are you serious?! Oh my God you little brat, youÂ
wouldn’t even let me visit! Three years! I’m so mad.Â
at you, but oh God, your eyes are okay? They’reÂ
really okay?”Â
Tears pricked my eyes again. I let her talk. “Oh,Â
and Julian’s been showing up at my door on andÂ
off for three years looking for you. So are you…”Â
I cut her off. “Julian is nobody to me.”Â
A beat of silence. Then Harper laughed – loud,Â
relieved. “Good! So… when are you coming.Â
home?”Â
I smiled. “A week, maybe. The company’s movingÂ
me back to the Oakhaven office. Project director.”Â
I could hear the grin in her voice. “Look at you. I’mÂ
so proud of you, you know that?”Â
I hadn’t wasted those three years. BetweenÂ
surgeries, I’d built a careerÂ
—Â
my WellingtonÂ
degree and a lot of sleepless nights got me atÂ
lucrative six–figure job.Â
I stood at the window, looking out at a world IÂ
could finally see clearly. And for the first time inÂ
years, I smiled.Â
A week later, Harper was waiting at airport.Â
arrivals. “Okay, first things firstÂ
where are youÂ
staying? Because you’re not staying with me.Â
Julian’s been popping up at my door for threeÂ
years, and I swear I almost moved just to get rid ofÂ
him.”Â
She rolled her eyes. I almost did the same.Â
“Seriously though, the man is relentless. He’s.Â
obviously trying to get you back. Hazel, I swear to God, if you even think about-”Â
“I won’t.” I didn’t let her finish. “Not a chance.”Â
She exhaled. “Thank God.”Â
We hadn’t even made it to the car when a voiceÂ
stopped me dead. “Hazel…”Â
Julian. He stood there staring at me like he was seeing a ghost then his eyes welled up and he lunged forward, pulling me against him.Â
“Where did you go… Three years where have youÂ
been? I looked everywhere, Hazel. I couldn’t findÂ
you…”Â
His arms locked around me. His voice kept.Â
breaking. I stood there, stiff, registering one thing.Â
This was the third time I’d seen him cry.Â
I shoved him away. “We’re not married, Julian.Â
What exactly are you doing?”Â
His whole body went rigid. When he spoke again,Â
every shred of pride was gone. “Hazel, can weÂ
start over? It’s not too late. We can fix this.”Â
I looked at him really looked.Â
And I saw myself. Three years ago, standingÂ
exactly where he stood nowÂ
–Â
desperate, strippedÂ
bare, begging him to save me, to stay, to choose.Â
me, to send her away.Â
And what good had it done?Â
I met his eyes. “No.”Â
“Don’t show up at my door. Don’t show up atÂ
Harper’s. Stop following me around like I still oweÂ
you anything – it’s pathetic, and it makes my skinÂ
crawl.” Something shattered behind his eyes.Â
I smiled – thin, cold, nothing behind it. “Now leaveÂ
me alone.”Â
I turned to walk away. His arms caught me fromÂ
behind – desperate, shaking. “Hazel, I—”Â
“Julian!” The scream cut through everything.Â
Sienna.

