Part 1When I Finally Put Myself First

Lately, Joey had been piecing my life together through the casual remarks of others.

When his friends jokingly congratulated him on becoming a "trophy husband", it finally dawned on him that I had already paid the down payment on a new house entirely on my own.

A group photo posted on my best friend's Instagram was the only way he found out I had chopped off all my hair into a sharp bob.

Even when I flew out to his city for a business trip, he only found out because we literally collided at the corner of a shopping mall.

He furrowed his brows, asking why I hadn't told him I was in town. His voice was thick with genuine confusion. "You used to sit through a six-hour cross-country flight just to see me for a weekend without a single complaint."

I avoided his gaze and threw out a casual excuse. "Work has been crazy lately. I barely have time to breathe."

Looking at his stunned expression, a random memory flashed through my mind. Just half a month ago, I had been perfectly willing to drop my entire career without a second thought just to make it to a date with him.

* * *

When I bumped into Joey at the mall, I was actually on the phone with my best friend, Brooke, making plans for dinner.

"Wow, did hell freeze over?" Brooke teased through the speaker. "I thought you only ever visited Seattle to play the devoted girlfriend."

Her tone made me laugh. "I swear on my life, I am here for a week-long business trip, and I am absolutely not seeing him."

Brooke let out a dramatic gasp, clearly not believing a word.

And fair enough. In the past, I had nearly quit my six-figure job just to secure a weekend off to see Joey.

Right after I made that blood oath to Brooke, a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist as I rounded the corner.

"You're here again? Didn't we just see each other two weeks ago?"

I stared blankly at the person holding onto me.

It took me a full two seconds to process who it was.

I was usually the one who picked out all of Joey's clothes. He always wore perfectly ironed button-downs and tailored slacks, looking every bit the reliable, professional doctor.

But right now, he was wearing a cream-colored oversized hoodie.

The boyish, collegiate outfit completely stripped away his usual mature aura.

Joey checked his watch. When he looked back up at me, his eyes did not hold the warmth of a man seeing his long-distance girlfriend. Instead, he looked at me like I was just another patient taking up his time in the waiting room.

"I have a shift at the hospital this afternoon. I don't have time to entertain you."

"Next time you decide to fly out, give me a heads up..."

I cut him off immediately. "Who said I came here to see you? You're overthinking things. I don't have time for you either."

Joey froze.

"But you're always the one counting down the days until we see each other."

That was the old me.

The old me would have rushed out of the airport on a four-hour layover just to grab a twenty-minute coffee with him.

The old me would work five days of brutal overtime to finish a project early, all to match his single day off.

But now, if we hadn't accidentally crossed paths, he never would have known I was in his city.

"There is no need to throw a tantrum. Dr. Wright is incredibly busy and exhausted every single day."

The girl standing next to Joey suddenly spoke up. Her name was Sophie.

"It is bad enough that you are not being understanding, but showing up unannounced like this? Now Dr. Wright is going to feel obligated to waste his precious resting time on you."

I stared at Sophie's incredibly self-righteous expression.

She was also wearing an oversized hoodie.

Matched with Joey's, it looked sickeningly like a couples outfit.

Not far away, a clothing store had a massive red banner proudly advertising a "Couples 50% Off" sale.

A cold smirk crept onto my face. "You don't have time to see me, but you have plenty of time to go shopping with her?"

Sophie lifted her chin slightly, her face the picture of moral superiority.

"Please do not misunderstand, Sienna! Dr. Wright usually dresses far too strictly, which makes the patients nervous. I simply suggested he wear something softer, so I accompanied him to pick out a few items."

"I happened to like this hoodie too, and the store had a couples discount. I only agreed to it to save some money."

"I am not like you. You come from money and never have to look at price tags. I do not have a wealthy family backing me. I have to stretch every single dollar. You really do not need to be so insecure and suspicious."

I actually laughed out loud.

"What he wears is none of your business. Are you his girlfriend or his mother?"

"Saving money by using someone else's boyfriend. You really know how to play the system, don't you?"

Sophie's face flushed bright red. "You..."

Joey tightened his grip on my hand, his tone softening as he tried to pacify me.

"I didn't make time for you, so you have every right to be angry with me. But taking it out on someone else is out of line. She was just trying to be frugal."

"How about this. I will call in a favor, take the afternoon off, and spend it with you. Okay?"

Suddenly, the entire situation just felt incredibly pathetic. I yanked my hand out of his grip.

"I am busy! I already told you I didn't come here for you. Are you incapable of understanding basic English?"

This time, Joey was left completely speechless.