The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 119

Petty paused outside the exam room and turned to Harris. “I’ll go in on my own. You should get back to work.”

Up until last night, every time she called him Harris, it always made him feel like nothing had changed between them. Like they were just as they used to be. But after confessing everything to Franco, Harris started to sense a new connection between himself and Petty. Something he couldn’t quite explain. Something that stretched over three years and felt too important to risk losing again.

He didn’t move, just smiled and nodded. “Alright.”

Petty walked into the room, following the doctor’s directions. She lay on her side on the exam bed, waiting for the ear scope check. Even though she’d done this once before, seeing the doctor approach with that tiny scope, only a couple of millimeters wide, made her tense up. The thought of it sliding into her ear canal sent a shiver up her spine.

“Don’t move.”

Suddenly, a warm, steady hand cradled the back of her head, and a gentle voice reassured her, “It won’t hurt.”

Petty froze. On the blank monitor in front of her, she caught a glimpse of Harris’s reflection. He wasn’t wearing his white coat anymore. He wasn’t her doctor right now.

Sensing how tense she was, Harris softly moved his fingers against her head, calming her. He turned to the doctor beside him. “You can start.”

“Alright, Harris.”

Petty didn’t want to slow things down, so she kept quiet and closed her eyes. Without her sight, every other sense felt sharper. The instant the thin scope touched her ear, she gripped the exam bed tight. Her brows drew together and her long lashes fluttered.

At that moment, the door opened just a crack, quietly enough that you’d barely notice. Someone’s hand—fingers strong and tense—tightened around the handle as they took in the scene inside.

“Alright. Go ahead,” Petty answered softly.

When the doctor finally removed the scope, Petty let out a sigh of relief. She pushed herself up, but a sharp ache shot through her lower back before she could catch herself. She sucked in a breath, cursing silently.

Then, suddenly, a hand caught her at the waist, steadying her shaky body. A cool, fresh scent drifted over, like mist in the woods at dawn. It was just like the fragrance she’d smelled from that wooden box this morning.

Petty tensed, pretending not to notice. She kept her head down, slipping her shoes back on. “Doctor, how is it?”

“The perforation’s almost completely healed. You won’t need any more medication. How’s your hearing been lately, Petty? Any more ringing in your ears?”