Falling For My Bestie's Son

Chapter 1 Maya (Maya's POV) Three years. I had been married to the love of my life David, for three years today. I couldn’t believe that this was my life. It all seemed like a dream, even after all these years. Life couldn’t be more perfect. Yet there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I tried to shake it off. I tended to overthink things, but I couldn’t do that with my marriage. David was the perfect husband, and I was the luckiest girl in the world. My husband loved me immensely. There was nothing we wouldn’t do for each other. I loved him. The only time I had said no to him was when he had wanted us to start a family. I had told David I wanted to wait to start a family, I was a young doctor, at the start of my career. I knew he had been upset but ultimately our love had outweighed the issue and David agreed with me. But now after 3 years of marriage I was ready for a baby. I couldn’t wait to tell him at our anniversary celebration. I finally be ready to give my husband what he’s patiently waited for, our baby. “Dr. Sinclair, aren’t you off for the afternoon?” Ann, my favourite nurse asked as I turned to corner, making my way towards to ER. I smiled at her and nodded. “I am, but Dr. Hudson asked if I could see a patient of his before leaving. The patient was injured playing soccer and Dr. Hudson wanted a specialist opinion.” Ann nodded, “I hope it doesn’t take too long, I know how excited you are to see Dr. Smythe. It’s so exciting to see a couple like the two of you. So much in love.” Ann clapped her hands together and smiled dreamily. “Thank you, Ann.” I turned away from her and walked into the patient room. I wanted this over as quick as possible. I needed to go pick up David’s anniversary gift before the shop closed. “Hello … Mr. Hendrikson, I’m Dr. Sinclair. I will be looking after you…” I trailed off as I looked up from the patient chart to one of the most handsome men I had ever seen, he looked more like a model than an athlete. I looked back down at the patient file in my hands and gathered my thoughts. “It looks like you injured your leg while playing soccer. Dr. Hudson mentioned some discomfort and strain still appearing.” I walked over to examine his leg. “I studied your x-rays, and the injury should heal quickly. I think the muscle is weakened and reinjuring your leg before it was healed wasn’t good. A shot of cortisol should help with the pain. You will also need to consistent physical therapy, if you want to avoid surgery in the future.” I rushed the words out. The man hadn’t uttered a word, and I hadn’t looked back up at him. This nervousness had taken over, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I had worked with professional athletes before and never felt this strange feeling before. And I did not like it. I gave myself a mental slap and focused on the injury this man had sustained. “Do you have any questions?” I asked, finally lifting my gaze. His eyes met mine, they were the kind of eyes that made you feel like they saw straight through you. A piercing bright blue, a contrast to his dark chocolate brown hair. “No,” he said after a pause, voice deep, calm, but strangely intense. “I trust your judgment…doctor.” The way he said doctor seemed to have a hidden meaning behind it. I gave him a polite smile and turned toward the counter to prep the injection. “I’ll administer this now. It should ease the pain within a few hours.” He nodded, pulling up the leg of his shorts as I approached again. His muscles tensed under my touch, but he didn’t flinch. “Are you always this quiet?” I asked, mostly to ease the strange weight in the air. “Only when I’m in the presence of a beautiful woman.” I froze briefly at the answer, glancing up. He was watching me again. Not in the casual, polite way most patients did—but with quiet curiosity. Like he was trying to memorize my face. “I… see.” I cleared my throat, finishing the injection and applying a small bandage. “Well, you’re all set. Make sure to rest, and no training for at least two weeks.” He stood, rolling his sleeve back down. “Thank you, doc. Do you have a card? Just in case I need to follow up.” I hesitated for a minute, it felt like he wanted something more. Or maybe I was overthinking this. He was an athlete, and I was renounced specialist in that field. I nodded and then walked over to the counter and handed him one from the holder. “Here.” His fingers brushed mine as he took it—light, brief, but it lingered longer in my awareness than it should have. “Take care, Mr. Hendrikson,” I said firmly, stepping back to put space between us. “Call me Axel,” he said, his smile small and unreadable. “Have a good evening.” And then he was gone. I stood there for a moment longer than necessary, staring at the closed door before snapping myself out of it. What the hell was that? - - - - Thirty minutes later, I was in my car, dialing a familiar number. “Hey, Jess,” I said as soon as she picked up. “I’m headed to the mall to pick up David’s gift. Want to come along? We can make a girl’s evening out of it!” There was a short pause on the line. “I’d love to,” Jessica replied, “but I have a last-minute client meeting I can’t miss.” “Oh.” I tried not to sound too disappointed. “No worries. Rain check?” “Definitely. What are you getting David?” She asked. “It’s a surprise! David is such an amazing husband. He’s always gone above and beyond for every anniversary, even before we were married. It’s my turn to surprise my husband. I’ve been so lucky Jess!” I gushed. “You certainly are…” Jess trailed off. Damn it. Jessica was divorced and here I was shoving my amazing relationship in her face. I quickly changed the subject. We chatted a bit longer, and I hung up, still smiling as I drove. Jessica and I had only recently reconnected, but it felt like no time had passed. After everything she’d gone through—her family’s bankruptcy, the move, the silence—it was good to have her back. She was one of the few people I trusted completely. As I parked outside the luxury boutique, my phone buzzed again. I ignored it. All I could think about was how David would react when he saw the gift—and how perfect tonight would be. As perfect as David was. And yet, that nagging feeling was still there. A flicker in the background, like the edge of a shadow just out of sight. I told myself it was just nerves. But I should have listened.