AN: Chapter by MinaBR.
Thank you to SunflowerFran3759 for betaing this chapter.
Try as I might, my mind had a will of its own; often turning to the forbidden fruit: Bella. The need to comfort her was very much present, despite my resolve to abide by the Chief's wishes. On more than one occasion, I inconspicuously pried the nurses for information. The answer was always the same, Rosalie's condition remained unchanged. From afar, I watched Bella's despair, and it never failed to bring to the surface the overwhelming need to hold her in my arms.
Nevertheless, I kept my distance. I believed that I did it out of respect for the Chief, but looking back, the foolishness of my reasoning is glaringly obvious. Care and concern were the polite masks that disguised the untimely longing that Bella inspired. Our acquaintance, as brief as it was, awakened my heart to possibilities and dreams I had never entertained before. However, it is a well know fact, that throughout history, men have been known to be oblivious when it comes to the matters of the heart.
And I was no exception. Two days after my conversation with Dr. Swan, five days after meeting the love of my life, I took a fellow doctor out on a date. She was beautiful and smart, but I didn't accept her invitation to spend the night; my heart was telling me something that my mind wasn't ready to acknowledge.
But at the time, I wasn't entirely aware of what that could mean.
