Chapter 1My boyfriend said I was clingy as hell.
"You're an adult, Reese. Act like it."
"Stop being so needy."
I thought that was just how Ezra was.
Didn't like girlfriends who needed a lot of attention.
Until Nova showed up.
Now he's all attentive and sweet.
He tracks her period. Buys her tampons.
She wants some random donut at 1 AM?
He's driving an hour to get it.
At parties, he introduces her to everyone:
"This is Nova. Take care of her, guys."
Every time I brought it up, he'd shake his head.
"She's just a kid. Reese."
Yeah. A twenty-one-year-old "kid".
And I'm just three years older than her.
That's when I stopped calling. Stopped asking for things.
And gave him all the space he wanted.
NOW? Ezra suddenly won't leave me alone.
...
Ezra started noticing I'd stopped running everything by him.
My company offered me a transfer to Seattle.
I signed the papers and forgot to mention it.
When my best friend invited US to her wedding, I went ALONE.
Even scheduled my own surgery without telling him.
"You're doing surgery tomorrow?"
Dr. Williams handed back my chart, looking confused.
"Isn't Dr. Martinez back from his conference? You could wait..."
"It's my body. I'll handle it."
Dr. Williams looked shocked, but I could see why.
Everyone here knew me as the girlfriend who dragged Ezra to every doctor visit.
Walking out, I ran straight into him.
Ezra was pulling his suitcase, still in travel clothes.
Must have rushed straight from the airport.
Nova was behind him. Wearing my black cashmere coat over her scrubs.
The one I gave HIM for our anniversary.
"What are you doing here? You sick again?"
Again.
That familiar irritation in his voice, like I was some problem he had to deal with.
He grabbed my chart and scanned it.
"I'm busy tomorrow. This isn't serious. Reschedule for next week. I'll come with you."
Without thinking, I said:
"I've got it handled. Thanks."
The cold politeness in my voice stopped him dead.
I used to call him crying over paper cuts.
I'd text him twenty times about what dress to wear.
Every meal, every choice—I always asked him first.
Now I was scheduling surgery without even telling him.
If we hadn't run into each other, he wouldn't have known at all.
I grabbed my chart back and accidentally knocked a pill box out of Ezra's hand.
The label was right there in front of me.
Birth control pills.
"Don't get the wrong idea."
Ezra bent down to pick it up, his voice going completely clinical.
"Nova has bad cramps. This helps with that."
Nova pulled her coat tighter, looking flustered.
"I'm so sorry, Reese. Ezra was heading home, but the pain hit me so hard. I had to ask him to come with me."
She paused, sounding wistful.
"I wish I could handle things on my own like you do. Then Ezra wouldn't have to drop everything for me."
When I had stomach pain once, I asked Ezra which doctor to see.
This guy—youngest attending at the city's top hospital—said he didn't know.
When I called him out on it, he rubbed his forehead like I was some annoying kid.
"Just Google it."
"You're an adult. Figure it out yourself. Stop being so damn needy."
"I'm not your dad. I shouldn't have to walk you through basic stuff."
Funny how that works.
Won't lift a finger for his girlfriend, but personally escorts his colleague to the pharmacy.
Anyone watching would think Nova was dating him.
Before, I would've blown up right there. Made a scene.
Instead, I just shrugged.
"Pills won't be enough. You should massage her stomach, sleep next to her to keep her warm. Hold her when it gets bad."
Nova's face went red.
"Reese, I didn't mean—"
Ezra heard sarcasm where I'd meant genuine advice. His voice went ice cold.
"You're still pissed about the conference?"
He meant that thing.
Two weeks ago was his birthday.
I busted my ass to get time off, cooked his favorite meal, had his gift custom-made weeks in advance.
He never showed up.
I only found out from Nova's social media that he'd flown to some conference in Europe.
When I confronted him later, Ezra acted like it was nothing.
"It was work. I don't need permission to travel."
"Birthdays come every year. Career opportunities don't. Thought you'd get that."
"Don't you have your own shit to deal with? Why are you tracking my every move?"
Years of disappointment finally boiled over.
I yelled back:
"Am I always going to come dead last with you, Ezra?"
While I was losing it completely, he stayed calm as ever.
"You're being irrational. We'll talk when I'm back."
Then he hung up.
Chapter 2
After I calmed down, I signed the transfer papers.
My boss looked uncomfortable.
"This transfer means moving to another city. That's a big decision. Maybe talk it over with your boyfriend first? You guys are practically married."
I finished signing without hesitation.
"No need."
Last time I was job hunting, I showed Ezra two offers and asked what he thought.
He barely looked up.
"Your life, your choice. Don't put that on me."
Yet he spent weeks helping Nova with her med school applications.
Made sure she got into the top program so she could work under him.
Ezra always said I wasn't independent enough. Too clingy.
He'd put in earbuds during my stories about work, listening to medical podcasts instead.
Like I wasn't even there.
When I was running late, he wouldn't give me a ride.
Said his schedule couldn't revolve around my mess-ups.
I wanted to join his friends for drinks. He told me to make my own friends.
I thought that was just Ezra. Distant with everyone.
That maybe, if I tried harder, I'd be different.
Then Nova came along.
She was some family friend's daughter. His parents asked him to watch out for her.
I expected him to hate the hassle. Instead, he agreed right away.
Turns out she got to be what I never could.
When Nova bitched about her roommates, Ezra actually engaged. Asked follow-up questions.
When she craved some fancy pastry on a random Wednesday, he drove forty minutes to get it.
At work events, he made sure everyone knew her.
"This is Nova, my student. Look after her."
Every time I brought up how unfair it was, he'd shake his head.
"She's practically a kid. Grow up."
"I'm helping her because I have to. You're really jealous of that?"
"She's twenty-one, you're twenty-four. Want to compete with toddlers next?"
Three years. That's all the difference between us.
Every excuse I'd made for him—
work stress, natural personality, doesn't like needy girlfriends—
crumbled when I saw how he treated her.
Whatever.
After tomorrow's surgery, I'd be gone anyway.
Ezra could have his perfect little protégé all to himself.
...
My best friend Autumn took time off to stay with me for the surgery.
"Get that guest room ready for your personal nurse!"
I was laughing as I opened the door.
"I cleaned it twice and got you new sheets. You're going to—"
I stopped mid-sentence.
The bedding I'd carefully picked out was crumpled on the floor.
The guest room was packed with someone else's stuff.
A huge teddy bear sat on the bed like it owned the place.
The front door opened again.
Soft giggles floated in.
"Thanks for taking me to that place, Dr. Martinez. The food was incredible."
"That dessert totally cheered me up after all the roommate drama!"
Ezra saw me standing there and shrugged.
"Nova's having roommate problems. Can't stay in the dorms. She's apartment hunting."
"Nothing yet, so she's crashing here temporarily."
I let out a cold laugh.
"Ezra, I told you a week ago Autumn was staying here."
He froze. That blank look said everything.
He'd completely forgotten.
When I'd mentioned it, he'd sounded irritated.
"Just handle stuff like that yourself. Don't run everything by me. It's annoying."
Now Ezra pressed his lips together, his voice going quiet.
"Sorry..."
He held up a dessert bag, his tone turning gentle like he was soothing a upset child.
"That restaurant we went to seems like your style. I'll take you this weekend."
I saw the logo on the bag.
The same place I'd been begging him to try for months.
He'd always claimed he was too swamped with work.
I took the bag and dropped it straight in the trash.
Ezra's momentary relief turned to shock.
Nova squeezed forward, her voice soft and sweet.
"This is my fault, Reese. Your friend and I can totally share the room. I really don't mind."
I let out a cold laugh.
Grabbed Nova's bedding and that ridiculous teddy bear,
then kicked everything into the hallway.
Nova stared at me, eyes getting watery.
"Reese, I need those tonight. What am I supposed to do?"
I glanced toward the master bedroom and smiled.
"You can bunk with Ezra. I don't mind."
Nova's face went crimson.
"If you don't want me here, just say it! Why embarrass me like this?"
Acting like I'd committed some horrible crime, she teared up and bolted.
Ezra didn't chase after her. Instead, he turned on me.
"She's always been clumsy, kind of immature. She didn't trash your stuff on purpose."
"If you want her gone, just say so. I'll get her a hotel. No need to humiliate her."
I dropped the smile.
"This is our place. Shouldn't you ask before moving someone in?"
His frown deepened, like I was being totally unreasonable.
"Nova's getting bullied by her classmates. She's really hurting. I thought you'd show some empathy, but you're just pissed I didn't ask permission."
"It's only for a few days. Why would temporary arrangements need discussion?"
"Like Autumn staying over. You didn't check with me about that."
Before, I would've called some guy friend to crash here that night, just to watch Ezra lose his mind.
Now I just nodded calmly.
"You're absolutely right. No discussion needed."
Same logic applied.
Moving across the country and dumping him probably didn't require his input either.
Chapter 3
"Go book Nova a hotel."
I held the door open for Ezra, then started throwing clothes into my suitcase.
He didn't like my calm reaction. Grabbed my wrist.
"She's an adult. She can handle it herself."
"Why are you packing? Where are you going?"
I yanked my arm free.
"Don't you have your own life to deal with? Why are you obsessing over my plans?"
Ezra went quiet.
He recognized his own words thrown back at him.
After a beat, he said gently:
"Not telling you about the conference was wrong. I'll keep you updated from now on."
"Tomorrow I have to hit the university. Nova's roommate drama escalated. The dean wants to meet with family, but her parents can't make it. So I'm going."
"Push your surgery back a day. I'll come with you."
Guess I was still at the bottom of his list.
I kept packing.
"Don't bother. Won't make a difference anyway."
Ezra looked at me like I was missing something obvious.
"I can get you the best surgeons, explain your test results. At least handle the boring stuff like paperwork and waiting."
His phone buzzed before I could shut him down again.
Nova's panicked voice filled the room.
"Dr. Martinez, someone's messing with my door lock... I'm so scared..."
Ezra's face went pale. He bolted for the door.
"Hold up," I called.
He spun around, already irritated.
"Seriously, Reese? You think I need permission to help someone who might be in danger?"
"This isn't the time for your jealousy. She could be in real trouble. Can you drop the attitude for once?"
He paused, then sighed like I was being unreasonable.
"I'll be at your surgery, but right now you need to figure out what actually matters."
He had it completely wrong.
I was trying to tell him not to bother with the surgery at all.
But he was already out the door.
...
My surgery got rescheduled anyway.
Ezra knew my surgeon personally. He'd gone behind my back and pulled strings.
"Stop giving that poor guy such a hard time."
Dr. Williams smiled like he was talking to a pouty teenager.
"Dr. Martinez filled me in. All that talk about going solo was just you being mad at him."
"He really cares about you. Man's completely swamped but switched his whole schedule around for a routine procedure."
I started to speak but couldn't get words out. Just felt completely drained.
My original plan was simple: surgery today, fly out tomorrow, start my new job the next day.
Instead, Ezra had blown up my entire timeline.
I called to give him hell. Nova answered instead.
"Ezra's passed out. He's been up all night. What do you need?"
She whispered like she didn't want to wake him.
"Your surgery's today, right? He probably can't make it now."
Then she caught herself, rushing to explain.
"I mean, don't take it the wrong way, Reese..."
I ended the call.
As if I'd somehow misunderstand.
Nova's Instagram lit up minutes later.
[Nothing beats feeling safe and protected. Best big brother ever!]
The photo showed her hotel room.
Ezra slouched in a chair by the window, completely out, with dark circles under his eyes.
Like he'd been standing guard all night.
I blocked them both and called a hospital in Seattle.
Whatever.
Good thing it was minor surgery. No overnight stay needed.
If this place couldn't work, I'd find another one that could.
