colliding paths

The next morning, Elias Matthews strode into St. Jude’s Hospital with purpose. His usual composed demeanor masked a swirl of thoughts—mainly about his mother’s endless praise for a certain nurse. He carried a bouquet of lilies, though they felt more like a peace offering than a gift.

When he entered Grace Matthews’s room, he was greeted by an almost alarming sight: his mother laughing so hard she was clutching her side.

“Ah, Elias!” she exclaimed, noticing him at the door. “Come in, come in. You missed Arjun just now. That boy is a riot!”

Elias set the lilies on the table. “I’m glad someone is keeping you entertained.”

“Entertained? He’s practically family at this point,” Grace said, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye. “He’s been fussing over my tea, chatting with me about everything under the sun, and—get this—he even remembered I like two sugars and a pinch of cinnamon. Your father could barely remember my name some mornings.”

Elias sighed, taking a seat. “High praise for someone you just met.”

Grace waved a hand. “Don’t be so sour. Honestly, Elias, if I could smuggle him home with me, I would.”

“Mother, please,” Elias muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Before Grace could continue her Arjun-themed monologue, the door opened to reveal Dr. Adam Carter, clipboard in hand and looking entirely too chipper for Elias’s liking.

“Good morning, Mrs. Matthews,” Adam greeted with his signature grin. “How are we feeling today?”

“Oh, much better, thanks to Arjun’s care,” Grace replied, shooting Elias a pointed look. “Adam, have you met my son Elias?”

Adam extended his hand. “We’ve met at a few board meetings. Good to see you again, Mr. Matthews.”

Elias shook his hand firmly. “Likewise, Dr. Carter.”

As Adam reviewed Grace’s chart, Elias couldn’t help but notice how seamlessly the doctor mentioned Arjun in their conversation.

“Arjun’s a gem,” Adam said, smiling at Grace. “He’s already made quite an impression on everyone here.”

Grace beamed. “See, Elias? Even Adam thinks so. You should spend some time with Arjun. He might teach you how to smile without it looking like it physically pains you.”

“Noted,” Elias said through gritted teeth.

After Adam left, Elias decided to take a walk around the hospital to clear his head—or so he told himself. In truth, he was hoping for another run-in with the nurse who had inexplicably gotten under his skin.

And fate, it seemed, had a sense of humor.

As Elias turned a corner, he collided headfirst with none other than Arjun Patel, who was balancing a tray of tea and biscuits.

The collision was spectacular. The tray tipped, sending cups of tea and a cascade of biscuits flying through the air. Time seemed to slow as Elias watched, horrified, while Arjun flailed in an attempt to save the tray.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Arjun yelped as tea splattered across his scrubs.

Elias, somehow untouched by the chaos, raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s one way to make an entrance.”

Arjun glared at him, clutching the now-empty tray. “You! Why is it always you?”

Elias smirked, reaching for a napkin on a nearby counter. “Maybe you have a talent for finding trouble.”

“Or maybe you have a talent for being in the way,” Arjun shot back, snatching the napkin from Elias’s hand.

As their eyes met, the banter died on Arjun’s lips. For a brief moment, everything else in the bustling hospital faded away. Elias’s piercing gaze locked onto Arjun’s, and the air between them seemed to hum with unspoken tension.

Arjun felt his heart skip a beat. What is happening right now?

Elias cleared his throat, breaking the spell. “You should be more careful. That could’ve been hot tea.”

“It wasn’t,” Arjun said, his voice a little too sharp as he quickly looked away. “And you should watch where you’re going.”

“I believe you walked into me,” Elias countered, a hint of amusement in his tone.

“You’re impossible,” Arjun muttered, turning on his heel to clean up the mess.

As Arjun knelt to gather the scattered biscuits, Elias crouched down to help.

“Don’t bother,” Arjun said, swatting his hand away. “I’ve got it.”

“Clearly,” Elias said dryly, picking up a biscuit anyway.

Their hands brushed briefly, and Arjun jerked back as though burned.

“You’re really not helping,” Arjun grumbled, standing up with the tray.

Elias stood too, towering over him. “I could say the same about you.”

Before Arjun could reply, a voice called out from down the hall. “Arjun! We need you in Room 304!”

Arjun shot Elias one last exasperated look before hurrying off, leaving Elias standing in the middle of the corridor with a faint smile playing on his lips.

Back in Grace’s room, she greeted Elias with a knowing smirk.

“Had another run-in with Arjun, didn’t you?”

“How—” Elias began, then shook his head. “Never mind.”

Grace chuckled. “You’ve got that look again. That mix of irritation and fascination. You’re not as subtle as you think, Elias.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Elias said stiffly.

“Oh, please,” Grace said, waving him off. “You’re just like your father. Possessive to a fault. When you care about something—or someone—you can’t help but hover.”

“Mother, I think you need to rest,” Elias said, his tone clipped.

Grace laughed softly, her eyes twinkling. “Oh, Elias. You can deny it all you want, but I know you. And I know that boy has already gotten under your skin.”

As Elias left the hospital that afternoon, her words echoed in his mind. For a man who prided himself on control, the realization that she might be right was as unsettling as it was inevitable.