Mind Over Matter | Scomiche

Chapter 12

     Mitch watched Scott flush pink as he saw him walking up before glancing at Esther still rambling about a boy. He quietly started to pull out the stool next to her, cringing and snorting at her jump as he sat in the stool and slid his empty mug to Scott, carefully avoiding her eyes. "Hi, Es."

     "Um... Hi, Mitch." He'd imagine her eyes were twice their usual size with how surprised she sounded. "How, uh... How's it going?"

     His eyes followed Scott as he reached for the mug. "Good. Feeling a little awkward now." He put it out there to break the awkwardness, and it did a little bit since Scott laughed and she finally looked away from him.

     He mouthed 'thank you' to Scott as he set down his coffee and a plate of pancakes. He glanced over at Esther watching Scott now. "How are you? You were talking about a date?"

     "Yeah... Look, can I just ask the weird questions and get it over with?"

     Mitch sat up a little straighter and looked up at Scott. He shrugged before he spoke. "I'm gonna go shower." Mitch furrowed his brows as Scott rounded the island towards him. He leaned forwards and opened his mouth for the bite of pancake on his fork. Mitch fed it to him. "It's all up to you."

     Realization dawned when he said that. Scott was giving him control of what they told her. He nodded and smiled softly. "Okay." He leaned in and Scott pecked him before turning back to his room. Mitch watched him walk away before slowly turning to see Esther's eyes trained directly on his. He set down his fork and picked up his fresh coffee. "Ask away."

     "You're sleeping together." She didn't really ask it as a question, just sounded like a statement.

     "Um, we did sleep together, yes." Mitch wanted to trust her with this.

     "I'm confused." She tilted her head like she was trying to remember something. "Scott told me you weren't."

     "It's, um. A recent development." Another sip of coffee.

     "Last night."

     He tilted his head. "Uh... yeah."

    She obviously didn't believe him, her arms immediately crossing over her chest. "Chicago."

     He chuckled. "Yes."

     "So, what are you then? Other than a distraction, I mean."

     Mitch's body went rigid as she sat up and stared him down. "Wow."

     "I'm sorry, but you know it's true." Esther twisted in her seat to face him more. "The same weekend as a fight, right before the championship? He cut down his training this week and it's actually starting to make sense why, you know."

     Mitch set his coffee down heavily. He really wasn't expecting to get attacked for sitting next to her.

     "You're his doctor. You two shouldn't even be sleeping together." She didn't sound angry, but annoyance was clear.

     "Okay. Stop." Mitch stood up from his stool. "I get it, I'm a hazard to his career now. Lay off me, alright? I wasn't the only one who made the decision." He wanted to walk away from the confrontation, but he didn't really have anywhere to go. "I thought out of everyone you would have understood."

     "I-I do, Mitch. But I have a really bad feeling about this. Why couldn't you have waited like one more month? At least until he was done with this season."

     "You say that like I planned for it to happen. I didn't look at him and think 'oh shit let me get with that'. I care about him as much as you do, Es. I want to see him win. I don't want to be a distraction. I don't want to put either of our careers on the line but now the only thing threatening that is you knowing about it." Mitch sighed. "I want to be the outstanding doctor that follows all the rules and never makes a mistake, but I just... I care about him. And he wanted me."