Chapter 8 Unfinished Business

Chapter 8

(Nolan's POV)

Nolan wasn't in the mood for company.

The morning had already started off badly-his head ached from last night, his phone had twenty missed calls he wasn't interested in returning, and now, she was here.

The nurse from the hospital.

The same girl he had bumped into at the mall days ago.

His eyes locked onto hers, and for a split second, he saw hesitation. Like she was debating whether to acknowledge him or not.

Interesting.

Most people either fawned over him or pretended they didn't know who he was. This girl? She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but standing in front of him.

Still, she didn't leave.

Nolan tilted his head slightly, studying her.

"You following me, nurse?"

Her expression barely flickered. "Excuse me?"

He smirked, closing the book he hadn't been reading and placing it back on the shelf. "You were at the hospital last night."

Her grip on the book in her hands tightened.

So, she wasn't going to deny it.

"You were at the hospital last night too," she countered, her voice cool but steady.

Clever.

Nolan shoved his hands into his pockets, stepping toward her just enough to catch the subtle rise and fall of her chest. Calm on the outside, but he wasn't blind-she was tense.

"I was," he admitted. "But unlike you, I didn't have an audience."

The shift in her expression was small, but he caught it.

Got you.

She had been there. She had heard.

His smirk dropped a fraction, annoyance creeping in. He didn't like people prying into his life, even if it was unintentional. And he definitely didn't like the idea of some random nurse overhearing things that weren't meant for her ears.

Lysander crossed her arms, her stance shifting just enough to show she wasn't intimidated. "I wasn't listening, if that's what you're implying."

"Sure you weren't," he drawled.

She exhaled sharply. "It's not like I had a choice. I was passing through. It's a hospital, people talk."

He didn't buy it. She wasn't the type to eavesdrop on purpose, maybe, but she definitely hadn't just walked away either.

For some reason, that irritated him more than it should have.

"Then forget whatever you heard," he said, his voice quieter now, lower.

Lysander's brows furrowed, as if she hadn't expected him to drop the smugness so quickly.

He wasn't sure why he had, either.

Maybe it was exhaustion. Maybe it was the headache pounding behind his eyes. Maybe it was just her.

Either way, he didn't wait for a response.

Nolan took one last look at her-at the way her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure if she should-before turning on his heel and walking away.

If she was smart, she wouldn't get involved.

He didn't look back to see if she watched him go.