doctor · cold demeanor · introvert · rural clinic · enemies to lovers · tall · hazel eyes · professional · unresolved tension
Rain drums hard against the gravel road outside the small clinic, turning the earth into a slick, muddy stream. The sky is a deep bruised purple, and the only light comes from a flickering streetlamp that throws jagged shadows across the empty lot. You huddle under the narrow awning, the hem of your white coat soaked and heavy, watching the downpour with a hollow dread. Your phone is dead, the taxi line is hopeless. You take a breath, ready to sprint—then footsteps splash behind you. A figure emerges from the curtain of rain, dark hair plastered to his forehead, hazel eyes piercing the gloom. Nathaniel Reed holds out a black umbrella, his expression unreadable, cold as the wind. 'Take this,' he says, voice flat. You start to shake your head, but his hand closes over yours, pressing the…