"Thanks. You better get going. Take a shower and change into so clean clothes."
I called out to Damon as we reached the car.
His expression was apathetic, seemingly unbothered by his soaked state at the ti. Lisa insisted on him getting a taste of hardship, and there was nothing I could have done about it.
"All right, I’m off then." After a brief reply, Damon headed back ho with his umbrella. I instructed Norah to get in the backseat with Serena, then hopped into the driver’s seat, ready to go ho.
Upon arriving ho, my mom noticed the doll and asked, "Did you buy this for Serena?"
I hesitated for a mont, then gave a small nod, "Yeah."
Norah seed taken aback and looked like she wanted to say sothing, but I shot her a warning look. She was a smart woman. She knew better than to speak
out of turn.
"Why didn’t you get one for Brandon?" My dad questioned, noticing the doll.
"Well, it was just a little gift that ca with a clothing purchase. There was only one. I’ll get sothing for Brandon later." I ca up with an excuse on the spot. If my parents knew the doll was from Damon, they would have probably thrown it away imdiately.
Despite everything that had happened between Damon and , I wanted to keep that gift for Serena. The child was innocent, and I didn’t want to deprive her of that small token from her father.
Thankfully, my parents didn’t probe further, simply placing the doll aside. Serena and Brandon were still too young to play with toys, so it would have had to wait until they were older.
"Eliana, do you know which hospital Jones is working at now?" Luna, carrying her child, ca over to visit three days later. Mitch had been quite busy at that ti. So, she often popped over for a chat.
"I’m not too sure. He’s been really busy and hasn’t been ho much," I replied, munching on so fruit.
In truth, hadn’t asked much about Jones’s work situation, even which hospital he ended up at. He was a man with a clear sense of boundaries and plans, and he didn’t need ddling.
Luna glanced at the kitchen where my parents were bustling around, then lowered her voice, "You should be careful then. I heard he’s working at the sa hospital as Catherine!"
"What?" That news took by surprise. Jones had previously warned to avoid Catherine and not to believe anything she said. Then he was working at the sa hospital as her, essentially becoming her colleague.
What was going on?
Jones was a talented doctor. I was sure there were plenty of hospitals that wanted him. The choice was ultimately his, and he didn’t need to compromise for the sake of a job offer. Why did he choose to work at the sa hospital as Catherine?
"I heard it from Mitch, but I’m not sure, so I ca to ask you. It’s really strange," Luna gossiped, "Didn’t Catherine initially pursue Jones? They had a complicated relationship,, why would they end up working at the sa hospital?"
A sense of unease settled in my heart. I never really considered being with Jones, I didn’t want to interfere with his life. But if he had to get entangled with soone, it could have been anyone but Catherine.
Jones had warned to stay away from Catherine, and then that? I felt like I was being played.
"I don’t know. I’ll call him later and ask," I responded.
"Why wait? Call him now. It’s just a quick question," Luna urged.
Seeing her point, I dialed Jones’s number, feeling just as confused and anxious as Luna.
The phone rang a few tis before it was picked up. And to my surprise, it was Catherine’s voice on the other end, "Hello, who is this?"
Jones would have put my number on his contacts. So, Catherine’s question was clearly intentional.
I wasn’t jealous, but I was puzzled and taken aback.
"Where’s Jones?" I asked.
"Oh, Ms. Brooks, Dr. Jones is a bit busy right now. His phone is with . I’ll tell him to call you back, okay?" Catherine’s voice carried a hint of amusent. "What is he doing? Let him answer now," I demanded, annoyance flaring in my chest. The feeling of being toyed with was far from pleasant.
"He really can’t take the call right now," Catherine repeated.
As she finished speaking, I heard Jones’s voice in the background, "Is that my phone? Give it to ."
A couple of seconds later, Jones’s slightly anxious voice ca through, "Eliana, I was in a eting and left my phone behind."
Luna and I exchanged a look, and she motioned for to put the call on speaker.
"Are you working at the sa hospital as Catherine now?" I asked, my voice cold.
"Yeah, that’s right," Jones paused before answering, "But it’s solely a professional decision. This hospital has a strong cardiology departnt. I can better explore my field of expertise here."
"Then why didn’t you tell from the start?" I asked, sounding like a jealous wife even though my main feelings were confusion and unease.
Luna agreed, "Exactly! If you were really worried about Eliana’s feelings, why didn’t you tell her from the start? At least she could have been prepared."
Jones let out a sigh, "That’s precisely why I didn’t tell you. I was worried you might overthink things. I’ve been busy adapting to the new job and haven’t had ti to go ho. I was planning to discuss it with you in person when I get a chance."
I had no right to question Jones’s professional decisions, so his explanation left without further objections, "All right, we can talk when you get ho."
After hanging up, Luna looked shocked. She asked, "What? Just like that?"
I nodded, "Yeah, just like that. What else should I do?"
"Aren’t you going to question it a bit more? You just take everything he says at face value?" Luna couldn’t hide her concern anymore. "Eliana, why are you still so naive when it cos to love? You used to hang on Damon’s every word, and now you’re doing the sa with Jones. I don’t trust them!"
I was at a loss for words. I used to believe everything Damon said because I was head over heels for him. I would have believed any words that ca out of his mouth. But with Jones, it was different. Firstly, Jones had always been kind to , far from causing harm. Secondly, everyone thought we were couple, when we really weren’t. I didn’t have the right or reason to question him too much, lest the truth ca out.
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