Linda remained seated in Nina's hospital room, her mind still processing what had just happened between her and Alex.

The kiss replayed in her memory... brief, impulsive, but undeniably real.

At least it didn't backfire completely, she thought, allowing herself a small measure of relief. He wasn't angry. He wasn't disgusted. Just... overwhelmed.

The real challenge now would be explaining these feelings to him properly.

She'd acted on pure impulse, driven by days of suppressed desire, but the truth was... she didn't want it to stop at a kiss.

That single touch had only awakened the hunger for more, so much more, with him. She wanted everything: his lips again and again, his touch, his breath, his entire presence consuming hers.

A shiver curled through her spine at the thought, warmth pooling low in her belly, her heart racing as though his lips were still on hers.

"But how do I tell him what he's come to mean to me?" she wondered, her fingers absently touching her lips where his had been. How do I explain that somewhere along the way, gratitude became something deeper?

But she wasn't too worried. The hardest part... admitting her feelings, crossing that initial boundary... was done. Everything else would follow naturally. It had to.

The sound of footsteps in the corridor pulled Linda from her thoughts. Voices carried through the walls... familiar laughter, the casual banter of young people returning from a meal.

Linda straightened in her chair, her heart automatically quickening. Alex, she thought, anticipation warming her chest. Now we can really talk.

The door opened, and Danny led the group inside, followed by Mike, Sarah, and Lila. Their faces were relaxed, satisfied by good food and easy conversation.

But Linda's eyes swept past all of them, searching for that one face. Her smile faltered when she realized Alex wasn't among them.

He must have stopped somewhere, she rationalized quickly. Maybe he's getting coffee, or talking to a doctor about Nina's care.

Mike noticed her searching gaze and spoke up first. "Aunty, Alex still didn't come?"

The question hit Linda like a physical blow. "What?" she asked, confusion replacing anticipation. "He wasn't with you boys?"

"No," Danny said, concern creeping into his voice. "We didn't see him at all. We even tried calling him, but he's not picking up."

Linda's world tilted sideways. That's impossible. He said he was going to find them. He said he was hungry.

The implications crashed over her in waves. Alex hadn't gone to meet them.

He'd lied to her... or at least, he'd used finding them as an excuse to escape.

There's something wrong, she realized, panic beginning to flutter in her chest .

Is he really angry with me? The thought struck her like lightning, followed immediately by a desperate counterargument. No, he can't be. He was okay. Just flustered. Confused, maybe, but not angry.

But if he wasn't angry, then why had he run? Why hadn't he joined the others as he'd said?

Maybe I misread everything, doubt whispered in her mind. Maybe his reaction wasn't overwhelm but horror. Maybe he was disgusted and I was too desperate to see it.

Linda's hands began to tremble slightly as worse possibilities presented themselves.

What if he's calling David right now? What if he's so horrified by what I did that he's going to tell everyone?

She shook her head, almost answering her own panic. No… he would never do that. Alex isn't like that.

"Mom?" Danny's voice seemed to come from very far away. "Did Alex say where he was going?"

Linda forced herself to focus, to appear normal despite the chaos in her mind. "He came by," she said carefully, "but he told me he was going to find you guys since he was also hungry."

She watched their faces, noting the confusion and growing concern. If Alex had planned to meet them but never showed up, where was he?

This is my fault, the thought hit her with devastating force. I pushed too hard, too fast. I should have waited, should have been more careful about timing.

Danny pulled out his phone again, trying Alex's number. The call went straight to voicemail.

"That's weird," Mike said, settling into one of the hospital chairs. "Alex always answers his phone."

Everyone sat down around Nina's bed, the casual mood from their meal evaporating into worry. Danny pulled out the sandwich he'd gotten for his mother, setting it on her bedside table.

"Here's your sandwich, Mom."

But Linda barely glanced at it. Her appetite had vanished completely, replaced by a gnawing anxiety that made her stomach churn.

How can I be so selfish? she berated herself. I was so focused on what I wanted, what I was feeling, that I never stopped to think about him. About what this would do to him.

The rational part of her mind tried to offer comfort: He just needs time to process. This was big for both of us. He'll come back when he's ready.

But darker thoughts were creeping in, whispering terrible possibilities. What if he can't handle this? What if I've destroyed our relationship completely? What if he never looks at me the same way again?

I have to find him, Linda realized. I have to explain, have to make sure he's okay.

She couldn't sit here pretending everything was normal while Alex was somewhere in the hospital, possibly struggling with what had happened between them. The guilt was eating her alive .

This is my responsibility, she thought, standing up suddenly. I created this situation. I need to fix it.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Linda announced, trying to keep her voice casual despite the urgency she felt.

Danny looked up from his phone. "Where are you going?"

"Just... I need some air," Linda said, the lie coming easier than she'd expected. "You guys take care of Nina in case she wakes up."

"Mom, are you okay?" Danny asked, studying her face with the perceptive eyes of a son who knew his mother well.

"I'm fine," Linda assured him, already moving toward the door. "Don't worry."

As Linda stepped into the hospital corridor, her mind was already racing through possibilities. Where would Alex go if he needed space to think? The cafeteria? The hospital chapel? One of the quiet seating areas?

I'll check everywhere if I have to, she determined. I'll find him, and I'll make this right.

Behind her, she could hear the others discussing Alex's disappearance, their voices carrying genuine concern. Danny was trying his number again. Mike was wondering if they should check with hospital security.

But Linda knew they wouldn't find him through normal channels. Alex wasn't missing... he was hiding. From the situation, from her, from the impossible complexity of what had just happened between them.

I'm coming, Alex, she thought as she walked down the corridor with determined steps. We need to talk about this. We need to figure out what comes next.

Because I'm not giving up on us. Not now, when we're so close to something real.

The hunt for Alex had begun, driven by a woman who had finally admitted what she wanted and was prepared to fight for it.

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