The Silence Between Us [POV: Nate]
The days stretched on longer than they should have. Each morning, I woke up expecting a message, a call—some sign that Abigail hadn’t just vanished without a word. Each night, I went to sleep with that same hollow silence pressing against my ribs.
I had gone by her apartment more times than I cared to admit, knocking on her door, waiting, hoping. The lights were off. No sounds, no movement. No sign of life.
At first, I told myself she needed space. After everything with Vincent, after that conversation between us—the one where I asked if she had fought for him—maybe she needed time to process what she wanted. I wanted to respect that. I wanted to give her the room she needed.
But as the days turned into weeks, as my calls went unanswered, as I found myself wondering instead of knowing, something in my gut twisted into something I didn’t like.
I needed to know where she was.
I found Evie at the nurses’ station, focused on her tablet, but I didn’t bother with pleasantries.
“Where is she?”
She barely looked up. “Who?”
I leveled her with a look. “Evie, c’mon.”
A sigh slipped from her lips as she set her tablet down, finally meeting my gaze. There was something in her expression, a quiet understanding, a silent don’t do this to yourself.
“She took a leave of absence,” she finally said.
The words landed harder than I expected. My fingers curled into the edge of the counter. “For how long?”
Evie shrugged, but her concern was evident. “She didn’t say.”
My chest tightened. “Is there something I did?” The question slipped out before I could stop it, my voice lower than I intended.
Evie sighed again, softer this time, tilting her head slightly like she was trying to pick the right words to keep me from spiraling.
“Nate—”
“Did I scare her off?” I pushed, exhaling sharply as I dragged a hand through my hair. “I thought things were going well. I thought she—” I cut myself off, shaking my head, frustration rising to the surface.
Evie reached out, her fingers brushing against my wrist, grounding me before I could let my thoughts run wild. “I don’t think this is about you,” she said gently. “Abigail… she’s been through a lot. You know that.”
The words stung even though I knew she was right.
Of course, Abigail had been through hell. Her past with Vincent wasn’t just some old wound she had moved on from. It was a scar that hadn’t fully healed, something she carried with her even when she didn’t say it out loud.
But I had thought she was letting me in.
Evie squeezed my wrist, giving me a look that was equal parts sympathy and warning. “Just let her be, Nate,” she said softly. “She’ll come back when she’s ready.”
I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell her that this wasn’t just about giving Abigail space. That this felt different. That it felt like she had run.
But before I could, the overhead speaker crackled to life, breaking through my thoughts.
“Paging Dr. Nate Wood. Dr. Nate Wood, please report to Room 1001.”
I clenched my jaw, rolling my shoulders back, forcing myself to shift gears. “That’s my patient,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.
Evie gave me a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Go do your job, Doctor. And if I hear anything from Aby, you’ll be the first to know.”
I hesitated for a second, then gave her a small nod before turning on my heel, making my way toward the patient wing.
But as I walked away, something lingered in the back of my mind—a feeling I couldn’t quite shake.
Wherever Abigail had gone, whatever she was doing—
It had something to do with him.
