"How long have you been awake?" Rayna asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously after the door clicked shut behind the others, who had conveniently offered various excuses to leave them alone. "I, uh woke up when everyone came in," Ethan lied, unable to meet her gaze. He couldn't admit he'd been awake long enough to witness her less-than-graceful moment earlier. He saw no reason to embarrass them both by revealing he'd heard her pass gas.

"Really?" She folded her arms, unconvinced but hoping it was true; she didn't want to imagine he'd been awake before her restroom trip. He nodded slowly. "Really."

She stared at him for a beat, clearly weighing his honesty. Finally, she exhaled. "Why did you pretend to be unconscious?" Embarrassed, he admitted, his voice softer, "I didn't exactly plan to end up here. It's not the most heroic look."

Rayna's lips parted in disbelief. "Heroic?" She dropped her hands and glared at him. "It was stupid. What were you even thinking?"

"Maybe I wasn't thinking much. What was I supposed to do?" he shot back, frustration surfacing. "I saw the car coming straight for you. I couldn't just stand there."

"You could have done anything but throw yourself into harm's way! You could have shouted at me to move!" she exclaimed.

"You saw the car and didn't move, Rayna," he countered, his voice firm but not angry. "At that moment, all I could think about was saving you. Nothing else mattered."

"You could have died," she pointed out with a frown.

"That would be much better than watching you die," he said with a shrug, wincing slightly as he adjusted his broken arm.

Her heart skipped a beat, but she refused to let it show. "You'd rather die than watch someone you despise die?"

"I don't despise you, Rayna," he said softly. The use of her name sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but before he could say more, she shook her head. She didn't want to feel this way about him again. "Well, thanks for saving me, even though you didn't have to. Since you're awake, I'll head out," she said. Ethan frowned. "Wait. Don't go."

Rayna's brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"We should talk," he said, and she shook her head.

"There's nothing left to say. And if you're awake and feeling chatty, you clearly don't need me hovering. I'll go home to freshen up and rest."

"There's plenty to say," he argued, sitting up straighter despite the pain.

"If you woke up when Derek and the others came in, then I'm sure you heard everything I said to Melvin," she said, and he nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. And that's pretty much it. I don't want to"

"I'm sorry for everything. I know I took things too far," he cut in.

She shook her head. "It's too late for apologies, Ethan. Do you think if any of those women you dated had been what you wanted, you'd be saying this now? I don't think so." Her words stung more than he expected. "That's not fair," Ethan said with a frown.

"Maybe not, but we both know it's the truth." Her voice cracked, betraying her emotions. "No, it's not. I don't even remember a word any of them said because I was thinking about you the whole time."

Rayna shook her head. "You told me to move on, and I am. So, just focus on getting better. I'm done," she said, moving to grab her phone. But Ethan reached out with his uninjured hand, his fingers brushing hers. "Rayna, wait."

Her eyes widened. "Are you crazy? Do you want to hurt yourself more?" She carefully pushed his hand back onto the bed, glaring at him.

"I'm already hurt," he said dryly. "What's a little more pain?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she hissed, gently pulling her hand away.

"I just want us to talk," he insisted.

"I don't want to talk to you," she snapped, stepping back.

Ethan stared at her, resolute. "Well, I do," he said stubbornly. "And the least you can do is stick around and help me until I recover. I'm in this bed because of you, remember?" Rayna's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

"I got hurt because of you," Ethan pressed, his voice steady.

"I didn't ask you to help me," she reminded him angrily.

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm here because of you. I can't bother Melvin and Sarah—not with her condition. That leaves you. You're stuck with me until my arm heals."

"I will hire a nurse," she said flatly.

"I don't want a nurse. I want you," he said stubbornly. "You could move into my place or take me to yours. Whichever is easier," he said, and she scowled.

"You're unbelievable," she muttered, clenching her fists. "Why are you doing this? Why were you there last night when you were supposed to be at work?"

"Last night was supposed to be our first date," he reminded her.

Despite the flutter in her belly, she shot him a glare. "I don't have time for this. And I'm not staying under the same roof with someone as insufferable as you," she said. Ethan nodded. "Yes, you do. And just so you know, I know that cereal was yours, not Sarah's," she said, and Ethan groaned.

"How about we start over? You messed up; I messed up. Let's forgive each other and start afresh," he suggested, his eyes softening.

Rayna exhaled slowly, her resolve crumbling slightly. "I'm going home to freshen up and rest," she said, heading for the door. Before she could leave, Ethan called out, "Can you at least feed me first?" He asked with a pitiful expression.

She turned, glaring. "You were doing fine before I got here."

"It's harder than it looks," he admitted, giving her a pitiful look. "I just didn't want Melvin feeding me, but everything hurts."

Rayna stared at him, her hands curling into fists. "You're impossible."

Ethan smiled. "I've been told."

Rayna hesitated, her irritation warring with her sense of responsibility. He did get hurt saving her, she reminded herself grudgingly. Finally, she sighed and sat down. "Fine."

"I knew I could count on you," he said, trying not to sound too triumphant.

As she began feeding him, her stomach let out a loud growl, and she froze. Her cheeks flushed as Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"You need to use the restroom again, don't you?" he asked, noticing the beads of sweat on her brow despite the cool room.

"I'm fine," she lied, her voice stiff.

"You sure?"

"I said I'm fine," she snapped, glaring at him.

He chuckled softly. "Rayna, I heard you say you had an upset stomach earlier. You should go if you need to. There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Her face turned redder. "Do you want to eat or talk so I can finish up and leave?" she snapped.

Ethan bit back a laugh as she fed him, her movements jerky and rushed. The room was quiet for a while, save for the clink of spoon against bowl, until Melvin poked his head in. "Well, well," Melvin teased, grinning. "Looks like no murder's been committed. Ethan's still alive. You must be an angel, Ray," Melvin said as he walked in.

"I'm beginning to think so, too," Rayna said as she rose.

"So, have you forgiven him yet? Or are you still planning to move on?" Melvin asked as she set down the bowl.

"Melvin," Ethan warned, glaring at him.

Melvin chuckled. "I like some drama."

"You're still here? I'm leaving," Rayna said, and Melvin nodded.

"You're coming back, right? Don't forget our arrangement," Ethan said, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched her go. But Rayna didn't say another word as she strode out. As she stepped into the hallway, she sighed inwardly, wondering if she should forgive him easily and give him a chance or make him sweat a little more.