This business trip was unavoidable. Still, Jarrod wanted to keep Elodie calm, to make sure she wouldn’t do anything drastic while he was away.
As long as he got back in time, he could try to soothe her, talk her down, maybe even persuade her.
Elodie considered this.
Three days from now—Saturday—was the appointment she’d made with the hospital for her procedure.
The timing lined up perfectly.
“Alright,” she replied, her tone composed.
She agreed—there was no reason to hide anything from him, and honestly, she didn’t see the point. She’d tell him on Saturday.
Seeing her acquiescence, Jarrod knew Elodie was the type to keep her word. He exhaled silently in relief.
Instead of having someone from the research center drive her home, Jarrod took her himself.
He needed to leave early and get back as soon as possible. The matter concerned the SX Alloy project; he had to handle some paperwork and couldn’t risk anything derailing Elodie’s work at the center.
Once Jarrod left, Elodie finally opened the fridge.
Inside, she found the fruit he’d washed and cut for her, along with a freshly-prepared dinner—just needed reheating.
Jarrod didn’t know her door code, but the lock had a mechanical override; he probably had a spare key.
Maybe, Elodie thought, it was time to switch to a code-only lock.
Friday afternoon.
Elodie made her way to the hospital.
She was here to see Dr. Elias Warwick for her pre-op evaluation, making sure everything was in order for the procedure the next day.
It stung that her reason for being here was this, a slow, aching bitterness settling in her chest.
She sucked in a steadying breath, forcing down the heaviness, and marched into the lobby.
As soon as she stepped inside, a strange sensation pricked at her. She glanced over her shoulder, feeling as though someone’s gaze had lingered on her. With the steady stream of people coming and going, she couldn’t be sure—maybe she’d imagined it.
Rubbing her brow, weary, she took the escalator upstairs.
Elias had two surgeries scheduled that day, but he made time to write up her evaluation forms: a pelvic exam and an ultrasound.
“These results should come back quickly,” Elias explained, passing her the paperwork. His calm blue eyes met hers. “The exam will confirm everything’s normal with your uterus, and we’ll also do a general anesthesia assessment. There’s no need to be nervous. If you’d like, Ms. Mercer can come keep you company.”
Elodie shook her head. “No, I haven’t told her. It’s just a checkup today; no need to make a fuss.”
The procedure wasn’t until tomorrow—she could handle today alone.
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