As Alexander drove out of his mentor's mansion, he felt more relaxed than ever before. The smile on his lips refused to go away as he realized he was a free man now. A year was a long time, and he hardly believed that Beatrix could ever change. Her dad would see it eventually, just as he had. Now he was free to pursue Eva! The thought of Eva made him steer the car towards her hospital. He had completely forgotten his mission to teach that intern a lesson. What was his name? Yes, Victor Garrett. It was 8 o’clock in the night and he surely had reached the hospital for his night duty. He parked his car and walked down towards the main entrance from the parking lot but froze mid-way at seeing Eva laughing with a group comprising three doctors and two nurses. So this was why she loved the overtime duties so much! He stormed towards them, his face flushed with fury. He was sure that Victor Garrett would be one doctor in the group. The helpless and crazy feeling that he felt every time he c

Both girls gaped at him in surprise. What? A date? Eva blinked twice, to get a grip on her senses. When did she agree to go on a date with him? “He’s just kidding. It’s only dinner. You too can come along,” said Eva while Alexander grunted with annoyance. Didn’t she know that he was serious? He didn’t joke about such matters. How could she invite his sister to their date night? “No, I wasn’t. It’s a date. Lisa, I’ll take you out some other day.” Alyssa grinned at the two favourite people in her life. It had been her deepest wish to get them together for a long time. When finally it was happening, she had no wish to be a third wheel.“I’m attending a birthday party tomorrow, anyway. I’ll take you up on that offer later.” Alexander relaxed a little after his sister accepted his plans. He glanced at Eva’s pink cheeks and smiled with satisfaction, eagerly waiting for his date the next day. “Can we eat now? I’m dying of hunger,” said Alyssa and they all proceeded towards the dining tabl

Eva waited for Alexander to unlock the door to his apartment, wondering how long she would stay with him. She hadn’t uttered a single word to him since she left Alyssa’s apartment. Everything happened so fast that she could hardly get a grip on herself. She didn’t know if she was doing the right thing in moving into Alexander’s apartment, but she couldn’t hurt her best friend. Alyssa meant everything to her, and she knew her concern was genuine. No one knew her as well as Alyssa did. It was true whenever she was upset and heartbroken; she had the habit of forgetting to eat! “Welcome home, Eva!” he said, opening the door wide open for her to enter. It brought Eva out of her daze and she walked inside carrying her stuff. Home! Yes, she had wanted this to be her home forever! She had dreamed of her wedding with him, of their children, of a happily ever after with him, but now those dreams have been shattered. This couldn’t be her home. It was Beatrix’s! She was just a temporary guest he

There was a desperation in his eyes that made Eva respond to his demand. She gazed at his swollen lips inches away from hers with longing but before she could kiss him back, the doorbell rang, breaking the magical spell between them. Eva panicked expecting his dad at the doorstep and pushed at Alexander’s chest. She couldn’t face his dad!“Damn!” swore Alexander, releasing her reluctantly. Strangely, he didn’t look as affected as she did by the sound of the doorbell. Didn’t he fear facing his dad? How would he explain her presence to him? “I need to hide, Alexander! I know who it is,” whispered Eva, looking at him helplessly with wide eyes. “Stay here. Even if it is dad, I’ll face him.” Eva gazed at him, overwhelmed at the way he was willing to face his dad for her. He wasn’t at all ashamed to be with her! The doorbell rang again and this time, Eva lost all her courage and shook her head with dismay. “I don’t want you to fight with your parents because of me, Alexander. I’ll hide i

“Why are we going to Phoenix?” Eva asked Alexander sitting beside her with his eyes closed, ready to catch up on some sleep. “There’s a 52-minute layover time at Phoenix.” Eva waited for him to say more but he didn’t and she picked up a magazine to read. How could he sleep when she was bursting with excitement? “Buckle your seat belt for takeoff!” As the aircraft took its position on the runway, Eva struggled with her seatbelt since this was her first time on a flight. Alexander leaned forward and buckled it instead for her, his arm brushing against her curves in the process. Eva’s cheeks colored and she learned the technique so that she wouldn’t need his help the next time. The aircraft surged ahead and took off at last but apart from her ears, nothing seemed much affected. Alexander opened his eyes to give her a once-over when they were airborne. “All fine so far?” he asked with a smile, seeing her pull her ears. “Yes, but maybe I’ve become deaf,” she chuckled. “Here, chew this