Good night, guys! :) I'm finally back. I'm deeply sorry for the delay. I hope this chapter leads to your forgiveness because of my lack of time and laziness. Thank you so much for your support, guys! :D

Guest #1: Spencer is just the doctor, there's nothing between Spencer and Paige like some of you thought. :D

An: Thanks! I couldn't update the story until today. Sorry about that, my hectic life absorbs every minute I have for myself. :) I'm glad you loved this last chapter. Things are going to start happening from now on.

jofi: Hahaha. I don't want to die in my sleep, so I guess I have to continue writing. Thanks! ;)

Hels: Thank you so much! I wish I could write more too, but my work schedule is so busy that I feel like watching TV when I get home. I only write on weekends when I'm free, that's why there are no more updates. :D

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

: Chapter 10 – A New Horizon:

I've trying to be nice to her these past days, but I didn't make advances towards her since the day we kissed. She told me she didn't like girls and I respect that. However, I have a feeling she's starting to have feelings about me. I may be wrong. Besides, his thought is making me have hope and that's the worst thing that could happen to me if everything is just in my imagination. Talking to Hanna doesn't help either, 'cause she's pretty convinced about Paige's feelings towards me. Hanna has always been a really positive person, so her opinion shouldn't matter. If it was Spencer the one that thought Paige might like me, that would be totally different. But Spencer doesn't talk about her in that way. She hasn't seen us interact, so she doesn't have an opinion about our silly theories.

That is why I decided to be as nice as possible to her and avoid touching her. Whenever she smiles at me, though, I feel an impulse to kiss her, to taste her again. Working side by side doesn't help either. I also noticed that she's uncomfortable when we share the same desk and there is little distance between us. I mean, that has to mean something, right? If she's really into guys, even if she knew that I liked her, it wouldn't have to be awkward. Well, that's my point of view, though. She probably feels nervous when she's next to me because she knows how I feel about her, regardless of her feelings. I'm a total mess, that's the only thing I know for sure, and it sucks.

This morning we had a meeting with the whole team and they congratulated us for our team work. It made me really happy because after our differences and the current tension between us, we managed to do a great job. I have to admit she changed a lot and working with her is a delight now. However, there are moments where I can't help but stare at her beauty and I don't even listen to what she says. I can't avoid that, and it's even more awkward when she realizes I'm hypnotized by her hotness. I'd love if I could do something to prevent that from happening. Maybe I should follow Hanna's advice and start seeing other people. She even told me she would go with me to a gay bar, but I don't think that would help. I'm not interested in meeting other people when I have the perfect woman right next to me.

Today I decided to stay at the office a little bit more. Paige left an hour ago, but I'm still sitting at my desk with a stack of papers standing in front of me. I needed to finish some paperwork so I can start with another project tomorrow. Besides, Hanna and Spencer are working till late and it's freezing outside, so I can't be with them or go jogging and I don't want to be alone at our place. Just when I finish filling in the last paper and I'm ready to leave, my phone starts ringing.

"Hi, Spence. How are you?" I answer the phone immediately.

"Hi, Em. I'm calling because I have to stay another four hours at the hospital and I need proper food. Could you please go to the diner and grab something, please? Or are you busy? I mean, if you have plans…" I can sense her nervousness, so I interrupt her.

"It's okay, Spencer. I was about to leave the office and both the diner and the hospital are nearby, so it's no problem at all. Is everything all right?" If she left for work really early and she needs to stay longer, that means something is going on.

"Thank you so much, you're my hero. No, everything is fine. I just want to stay longer, don't worry about it."

"Okay, then I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Tell Hanna the food is for me, she knows what I like. Thanks, Em," she adds. It's funny that Hanna knows everything about our culinary tastes.

I hang out, get my blazer and leave the office. When I enter the diner, Hanna frowns at me. She must be surprised I'm here, because I'm usually at home at this hour.

"Hi! Spencer sent me to grab her dinner. She told me that you know…"

She interrupts me with a huge smile on my face. "Of course I know what her favorite food is. Wait a minute, please." She enters the kitchen and comes back thirty seconds later. "He's on it. Do you want to have a drink or eat something?" she adds.

"No, I'm fine. I'll just wait here if you don't mind," I joke.

"I do mind, Em," she teases me before going to attend a young boy that is waiting at the other side of the stool. It's kind of busy at this hour of the day, so I just take a magazine from inside my purse and start reading while Hanna continues working. Five minutes later I hear my name.

"Here you go, Em." A smiley Hanna hands me a bag with something that seems to be a huge sandwich, french fries, iced tea and a big slice of cheesecake inside a plastic package.

I pay her immediately so I can leave right now. "Wow! This is a perfect dinner. Spence will be really happy," I add, making Hanna smile at me. "Keep the change."

"Thanks, Em. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" she asks, as she walks to attend another two customers that are waiting.

"Yeah, sure. Bye, Hanna." I wave at her and leave the establishment. Both Hanna and Spencer don't have to work tomorrow night, so I decided to cook for them so we can spend time together. They both have night shifts, so it's been difficult to hang out with them lately.

Ten minutes later I'm asking the receptionist at the hospital if she can page Dr. Hastings and I give her my name. She tells me that I need to wait at the waiting room, so I guess I'll need the magazine I bought earlier again. I sit down on the only seat that is not taken and grab the magazine.

"Emily?" I hear a voice calling my name. I turn my head to look to the person that's sitting next to me and a huge smile grows on my face. My dream woman happens to be here, and her smile makes me want to hug her or at least touch her.

"Paige… Hi! What are you doing here? Okay, dumb question." She laughs at my blunder. I could spend all day looking at her sexy laugh.

"I guess I should be asking you that," she adds.

"You're right. I guess I'm her errand girl now," I joke, pointing at the bag that contains her dinner. "She must stay a few hours more and she wanted something tasty instead of the stale sandwiches of the vending machine. She nods at me and smiles at the same time. I suppose she had to eat a lot of those since her mom was brought here.

"Then she told you," she says, happily.

"Tell me what?" I frown at her.

"She woke up from the coma, Emily." A tear goes down her cheek, but this is a tear related to the happiness she's feeling.

"What? That is great news. I didn't know." I bend to hug her but I remember the boundaries I have to keep and I just rub her shoulder for a few seconds. I look pathetic doing that, but this is the best thing I can do.

"I thought Dr. Hastings…" she starts saying before I interrupt her.

"Spencer doesn't talk about that. I know her really well and she isn't like that. She's a professional and she would never do that even if I know you." I think I've never seen her so cheery and that makes her even more attractive, unluckily for me.

"I'm flabbergasted. I didn't see this coming. I already saw her and she looks good. But Dr. Hastings told me that she needed to rest to completely recover, so I can't see her again until tomorrow."

Suddenly Spencer shows up and gives me a hug.

"You're so sweet," she says, loud enough for Paige to listen. "Thank you, Em." She opens the bag and gets excited when she sees the content of it. "Great! I have cake to celebrate one of the best days since I'm a doctor," she says, winking at Paige.

"She told me. I'm so happy too," I admit.

"What are you doing here, Paige? I told you to go home. I will take care of her and you can see her tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, I know. But…"

"But nothing," Spencer adds bossily. I can't help but laugh. "Go home and have a good night sleep. I will see you later, Em." She winks at me too. "I have patients to attend and a cake to eat," she jokes before disappearing behind a door that has a "Private" sign on it.

"She's right," I add, looking her in the eye. She still has that smile tattooed on her face. I hope it stays there forever, I love it.

"Okay, then I'll go home." She stands up and I follow her.

"Did you have dinner?" She looks at me and shakes her head. "I was thinking that we could go celebrate the good news, you know. I know a pasta and pizza place nearby and it's really good. Only if you want to… I mean, you probably prefer to be alone or you have other plans…" I ramble.

She laughs at me. "What?" I ask, grinning at her.

"It's really funny when you do that."

"You mean not being able to finish a sentence, am I right?" I joke, making her laugh.

"I would love to do that, Emily," she says with that husky voice that makes me melt.

We order two pizzas and two beers. I love this place, and the company couldn't be any better.

"Artichoke and spinach pizza. Are you kidding me? Why do you want to eat that when you can have a bacon or barbecue pizza?" She grins at me.

"I like veggies. I guess I'm weird," she teases me while she takes a sip of her beer. She's not weird, she's unique, and I love that.

"So you like to eat healthy. I understand how you have that body now." She blushes. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry about that," I say. She smiles at me but I know I made her feel awkward, and I don't want that to spoil this perfect night.

"It's okay."

"I didn't want that comment to feel like sexual, okay? I know you made that very clear and I just want to be your friend, Paige. Only if you're interested in my friendship," I joke, trying to break the tension.

"I'd love to be your friend, Emily. I don't know a lot of people and I've been stuck in that hospital for the last months, so hanging out with people would be nice."

"I'm glad to hear that. And if I say something that makes you feel awkward or my behavior bothers you, you just have to tell me. I mean that, seriously." She gives me a shy smile that makes my body tremble. I don't want to stop seeing her, but this friendship thing will be tough if I can't stop these feelings.

"You can be yourself, Emily. You don't have to change for me. I like you the way you are," she shyly adds. She couldn't be more adorable.

"I see I'm not the only one that loves flirting. Are you hitting on me, McCullers? Just so you know, I won't fall for a girl that likes artichokes," I tease her.

"I'll let you know when I start liking girls, Fields," she jokingly adds, a slight blush covering her cheeks.

She has a sense of humor, she is reaching the human perfection. If being friends is the only thing she wants, then I accept the challenge. But I won't give up until she surrenders to my charms.

To be continued…

Stay tuned! ;)