It had been a few days since I'd seen Theo.
He had been busy with his football, and I had been busy with studies and the hospital. We had texted a couple of times, mostly about the aftermath of him having replied to a paparazzo's comment of me. The video of it had gone viral, and had even been on the news.
"Your girlfriend Scarlett is beautiful, Theo," the video had Theo walking out of a restaurant towards a tinted black car with a few of his friends.
He raised his eyes from the ground and slowed down upon hearing the man behind the camera. A small and almost unnoticeable smile pulled at the sides of his lips, ignoring flashes and other comments being directed towards him.
"She is, but we're just dating," he replied, intense dark eyes focused on the man. His strong features looked even more delicious from the camera's slightly lowered angle.
The video cut off after one of the men Theo had been with stepped up to him and had thrown his arm over his shoulders, telling him something which was inaudible to the viewer. The group of men and two women disappeared into the black minivan.
I had watched it over and over again in my kitchen when Theo had informed me of it blowing up.
It had taken me ages to actually process what the video now meant. No more privacy for me, or for us.
Me having abled him to make us public like this meant that I had also become understanding of my feelings; I wanted more with him, I couldn't try to fight it anymore.
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"How did Tim take it?" Linda asked, raising her brows at me from the opposite side of the small round table.
Linda and I had decided to come down to a small coffee shop by the hospital for our a coffee break, joining Elise and Cherry who were also there.
"It doesn't matter! You're together with Theo Black!" Cherry squealed quietly, taking my hand in hers and squeezing gently.
I gave her a small smile, "we're not together, Cher."
Cherry had been so naïvely excited for me after seeing the video, but Linda knew better.
"Tim, he... I don't know," I sighed, shaking my head. Since he wasn't a doctor I worked with at the hospital, I didn't see him everyday, but I still knew he had been avoiding me.
We had set a small lunch get-together later in the week, but other than that I had received no texts from him, no him waiting for me after work for drinks, nor any kind of proof he was still interested in me. I knew this had hurt him, but him and I hadn't ever been together to begin with.
"We're meeting for lunch on Sunday, I'm hoping we can talk it out and somehow remain at least friends," I told the girls, "he's been such a great support for me through the stresses of studies and so on, I don't want him to feel bitterly toward me."
"I liked Tim, he was sweet to you. And less complicated," Elise spoke, a careful smile on her lips, "not that Theo isn't fantastic, it's just that... he's a leo..."
"Once a leo, always a leo," she added, nodding to the girls who agreed with murmurs."
I grinned, "he's a good leo, one of the best I've met."
"You need to invite him to one of our brunches! Aaron could come as well—" Cherry was suggesting, but was cut off by Linda scoffing.
"You're back together with Aaron?" Her frown was directed towards a happy Cherry.
"Aaron's a scorpio, Linds. What else did you expect?" Elise teased.
We chatted and gossiped for the rest of our coffee break, before Linda and I had to head back to the hospital.
I joined Dr Stanley while we checked up on a few patients. Today was a surprisingly calm day, and there really wasn't much going on.
"You've been consistently showing us excellent work, Scarlett," Dr Stanley began after we'd stepped out of a room of one of the patients under his care, "I'm not one to do this often, but take the rest of the day off. You deserve it."
The smile he gave me had me doing a happy dance inside my head. Dr Stanley was strict and very professional. Him being this kind was almost unheard of; rarer than rare.
"Thank you, Dr Stanley," I returned his smile, but before I could continue he had walked off with a nurse who needed him with another patient.
I bumped into one of my fellow nurse-trainees and chatted with him a bit before heading over to the changing room to change out of my scrubs.
I began walking through one of the long hospital hallways towards the front doors. This hallway had many of our patients who were going through recoveries.
"Hi! Are you Scarlett?" I heard a very young male voice from behind me.
I stopped and turned around. My gaze landed on a young blond boy, around 10 years, rolling himself towards me in a hospital gown and on a wheelchair.
"Hey, there," I gave him a smile, "I am. How do you know my name?"
I took a step towards him so he wouldn't have to roll himself any closer. He clearly wasn't used to being in a wheelchair by the way he struggled with it. The side of his face was a little bruised and there was a long cut by his jaw.
"I'm your boyfriends biggest fan," he told me, light green eyes shining with such purity and happiness, "I want to be just like Theo when I grow up."
"That's very sweet," I squatted down in front of him to get more down on his level, "what's your name?"
"M'Daniel. D'you know I play football too? M' real good at it, too," he grinned with pride, a gap between his upper front teeth.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Daniel. What's got you cooped up in this wheelchair?" I decided to ask him, sending a quick smile to Linda who walked past us in a rush while she directed a wink at me in the process.
"'Was in a car accident. The silly doctor says I can't play football anymore," he chuckled to himself, and my smile faded, "I'm getting out of this wheelchair and playing football."
"That's... very determined of you," I gave him a gentle smile, not knowing what else to say.
"I've gotta go now, miss. Mum doesn't want me rolling too far away," he then told me, eyes still shining brightly.
"Alright. I wish you the best, Daniel."
His smile was so wide, it was adorable and heart aching at the same time, "please, tell Theo Black I said hi and that he's my idol."
"I will, honey. You better get back to your mum now, before she gets worried," I stood up and ruffled his hair to make him laugh.
"Bye, bye!" He waved while rolling his wheelchair around. I watched as he rolled away and disappeared into one of the rooms.
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As soon as I exited the hospital, I called Theo.
"Hey, love," his voice immediately filled me with warmth.
"Hi," I unlocked my car and got in, "I was thinking if you wanted to do something tonight? I've got the rest of today off."
"Are you free now?" He then asked, something clearly on his mind.
"Give me an hour. I want to take a shower and change," I replied, putting him on speaker while I buckled myself in and placed my bag onto the passenger seat.
"Alright. I'll send Alfred to pick you up, I want you to come watch our practice," Theo told me, and my brows raised even when he couldn't see them.
"Did I hear you right? You know it's a miracle I even know that a football is round..." I laughed quietly to myself.
He chuckled, his low voice filling my body with heat, "come on, birdie. Emma's going to be there, a lot of other women as well."
"We can do whatever you like after we're done. Maybe go see a movie, or dinner somewhere nice?" Theo then suggested after I'd been quiet, hesitating.
"You know we can't go anywhere public..." I kept my eyes down on my lap, knowing it would take some time getting used to this kind of lifestyle.
"We can, love. As long as you don't mind being seen with me? People know we're dating, so as long as you feel okay with being in the public with me, it's fine."
I sighed, "I just want to spend time with you, without someone taking photos of us."
"Are you trying to lure me into bed again, Scarlett?" He teased, and I found a laugh slipping my lips. My mood raised again, thanks to him.
"What? Of course not!" I grinned, just shaking my head and leaning back against my seat, feeling hot just by talking to him through the phone, "you know what? I'll come watch you and your friends kick a ball. But after let's go to mine for a glass of wine and a movie."
"Sounds lovely, Scarlett. You know what it will lead to though, don't you? The glass of wine at yours?" I could almost hear the cocky smirk that was surely on his lips.
"Oh, I know."