The sterile smell of antiseptic and rubbing alcohol hung heavy in the quiet air of the clinic. Bella lay back against the thin pillow of the examination bed, a cold ice pack resting gently across the bridge of her nose. The frantic, ringing silence that had swallowed her mind in the gym was finally beginning to recede, leaving behind a dull, throbbing ache between her eyes.
She let out a long, shallow breath, her eyelashes fluttering as she slowly forced her eyes open.
The first thing she saw was Ethan. He hadn't left her side for a single second. He was leaning against the edge of the adjacent counter, his massive arms crossed tightly over his chest, his gaze anchored to her face with an intensity that made the small room feel incredibly hot. The dark fabric of his tank top was still ru
