Ethan stirred in his bed; the rustle of sheets caught Rayna's attention. She sat in a chair beside him, a novel in her hand, but the moment she saw him move, she was on her feet.

"You're awake," she said, her tone more pleasant than she intended. "Do you need anything? Water? Your lunch? An extra pillow?" Her words tumbled out, betraying her concern. Ethan blinked up at her, his lips curving into a sleepy smile. "I'm fine. You've been fussing over me all morning. I'm sure that's why I was so exhausted. Sit down and relax."

"I'm not fussing," she retorted, picking up his hospital-issued tray and inspecting it before setting it back down with a frown. "They should have brought your lunch by now. What are they waiting for?" She glanced at the clock.

Ethan's smile widened as he watched her, and he chuckled. She raised a brow. "Is something funny?"

"Yeah."

She narrowed her eyes. "What's funny?"

"I thought you didn't care and wanted to move on," Ethan teased.

"Shut up," she muttered, her cheeks pink.

"At the club that night, you said I wasn't your type," he reminded her, and she rolled her eyes.

"And you said I wasn't your type either," she shot back.

"I guess you lied," he said, ignoring her retort.

"Same way you lied, too. And you lied about not liking that cereal; you claimed it was for Sarah," she said, and he chuckled.

"I guess we both lied. You're very much my type," he said. Rayna turned her back, but he didn't miss the way her lips quirked upward.

"Are you always this dressed up for hospital visits, or did you dress up specially for me?" Ethan asked, his voice light and teasing. He looked her over; she'd changed clothes. She wore a soft, lavender blouse that hugged her figure and a pair of dark, freshly pressed jeans. Her hair, usually in a casual ponytail, was swept into loose waves that framed her face, and she wore lipstick. Rayna ran a hand self-consciously through her hair as she turned to face him. "What do you think?" she asked, raising a brow.

Ethan chuckled softly. "I think you dressed up for me."

"Yes, I did. And I had to wait hours for you to wake up and notice," she said with mock disapproval, and he laughed.

"Sorry. It's the pain relief medication. It's messing with my system. And maybe it's the exhaustion, too. I'm probably getting all the sleep I missed during our…problem," he admitted.

"So, you had sleepless nights, huh?" she asked, pleased.

"Yes, I did. Sleepless nights and restless days," he said, reaching for her hand with his good hand, his fingers brushing hers lightly.

"That's good. Very good, actually, because you almost drove me crazy with your attitude…"

"Let's not talk about that," Ethan cut in, gently pulling her closer. "Let's talk about us instead," he said, and Rayna's pulse quickened.

"What about us?" Rayna asked, her voice breathless from their proximity.

"I want to kiss you," he confessed. "Can I?" Rayna covered the space between them and kissed him.

Ethan kissed her back, but before the kiss could progress, the door creaked open. Rayna immediately pulled away, her cheeks flushing crimson as she stepped back. She smoothed her blouse hurriedly and spun around to face the door.

Evelyn and Derek stood in the doorway, their expressions a mix of amusement and curiosity. Evelyn arched an eyebrow; Derek smirked and shot Ethan a knowing look.

"Interrupting something?" Evelyn asked, her tone light but teasing.

Rayna cleared her throat, quickly retreating to the corner of the room and grabbing her abandoned novel. "Not at all. I was just…checking on Ethan's comfort. He said he had something in his eye, and I was trying to get it out." She gestured vaguely toward the bed, avoiding everyone's gaze.

"Of course," Evelyn said smoothly, but the knowing smile she shared with Derek didn't go unnoticed by Ethan.

Ethan, entirely unbothered, grinned up at Evelyn and Derek. "I'm glad you're here. I was about to ask her to leave me alone so I could rest. She's been nagging and nitpicking all day." Rayna whipped her head around to glare at him. "Excuse me?"

Ethan shrugged. "I've been begging you all day to talk to me, but you won't even look at my face. I don't know what to do anymore. So, maybe you need a break," he said, and Evelyn's eyes danced between them, her lips twitching.

"You two are quite the pair," Evelyn said, her eyes lingering on Rayna, noting her hair and makeup, slightly smudged from the kiss. Her lips twitched with amusement. "Ray, you look nice today. Have a date?"

"No. I'm still too busy being his personal nurse to have time for myself," she said, scowling at Ethan.

Evelyn giggled. Turning to Derek, she said, "I really want to act like we didn't see anything, but Ray keeps making it hard."

"What do you mean?" Rayna asked, eyeing her. Derek chuckled.

"What did you say you were doing when we walked in?" Evelyn asked, giving Rayna a pointed look.

"I was taking something out of his eye…"

"Are you sure about that? Because from the lipstick stain on his lips, it looks like you were taking something out of his mouth," Evelyn drawled, and both Ethan and Derek chuckled. Rayna blushed, and without another word, she left the room, shutting the door with a forceful click.

"I'll go after her," Evelyn said, hurrying after Rayna.

The room fell silent for a moment before Ethan and Derek broke into laughter. "She's something else," Derek remarked, sitting down.

"Yeah, she is," Ethan said with a grin. "She's been great," he added softly.

Derek arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Sounds like someone's got a personal nurse."

"Having her as my nurse makes this broken arm worth it," Ethan said with a chuckle.

Derek folded his arms, his gaze on Ethan. "You love her."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Don't play dumb," Derek replied with a small smile. "It's obvious you're head over heels. I'm just surprised your crazy plan worked."

Ethan's expression softened, and he glanced toward the door as if expecting Rayna to return. "Yeah, I'm surprised too."

"You're lucky," Derek said, leaning back.

"I know I am," Ethan chuckled.

Outside the room, Evelyn caught up with Rayna. Before she could speak, Rayna glared. "Shut up."

Evelyn giggled. "Why should I? You tried to fool me."

"No, I didn't," Rayna said, and Evelyn snorted.

"I don't blame you, though. I should have known better than to listen to anything you say when Ethan's involved. When it comes to Ethan, you're always floundering," Evelyn said with a small laugh. "What's that supposed to mean?" Rayna asked, smiling sheepishly.

"It means you lose your common sense when Ethan's involved. And it's actually cute. So, seeing as you both weren't taking things out of each other's eyes and mouths…"

"Shut up," Rayna said with a giggle, and Evelyn laughed.

"I guess you're no longer playing hard to get? You're such a cheap girl, Rayna," Evelyn said, and Rayna laughed.

"I feel so embarrassed I can't even lie," she admitted.

"Well, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, my friend. It's good to see things working out for you," Evelyn said softly.

"Thanks, Evie," Rayna said, embracing her. "By the way, what's up with your plan to find Derek's biological family?"

"About that. There's been a change of plans," Evelyn said, and then she told Rayna about Michael's discovery and Derek's decision.

"Oh! That's good, then. I hope he finds her soon. And most importantly, I hope she's alive," Rayna said, and Evelyn shook her head.

"No negative thoughts, Ray. Positive thoughts only. I really want Derek to be happy," she said, and Rayna smiled.

"Me too. And most importantly, I can't wait for us to plan our weddings together!" Rayna said excitedly. Evelyn laughed.

"Are you certain you love Ethan, or do you just want to get married?" she asked with amusement.

"Both, darling. It goes without saying that I'm handling the cake and refreshments for your wedding, right?" Rayna said, and Evelyn laughed.

"Sure. But let's slow down. Both men are yet to propose," Evelyn said, and Rayna rolled her eyes.

"What proposal are you waiting for when you're carrying baby number two? Besides, hasn't he made his intentions clear already? Ethan has, and it's okay…"

"Nope. I'm not asking for anything big. All I want is a ring. A baby is not a ring," Evelyn said, and Rayna rolled her eyes.

"Like Michael didn't give you a ring," Rayna said dryly, and Evelyn gasped.

"No, you didn't just say that," she exclaimed, and Rayna giggled.

"Yes, I did. A ring and a proposal aren't that big of a deal; they don't determine the success of a relationship or marriage. So, our focus should be the wedding, not the proposal," Rayna said, and Evelyn scowled.

"You could have made your point without bringing Michael up," she said, and Rayna smiled.

"I'm wondering how you're both going to face each other at family gatherings in the future," Rayna said with a giggle, and Evelyn laughed as they made their way back to join the men.

As they walked into the room, Ethan and Derek looked up. Ethan raised a questioning brow as he met Rayna's gaze; Evelyn sat on Derek's lap.

"You can drop the act. They figured it out already," Rayna said with a scowl, and they all laughed.

"I guess things aren't going your way," he said, holding out his hand.

"Maybe it's not meant to go my way. Just don't make me regret forgiving you so easily," she said, taking his hand and sitting beside him.

"I won't. I promise," Ethan said, kissing her hand. Evelyn and Derek smiled happily as they watched their best friends.

"Why are you smiling, Evie? You know, I've been thinking, and you're the cause of our troubles," Rayna said, and Evelyn raised a brow.

"I am? How?" she asked with a curious smile.

"That night at the club, if you hadn't been playing hard to get and just let Derek take us to his table and introduce me to Ethan, all that drama between Ethan and me wouldn't have happened," Rayna said accusingly. Evelyn's jaw dropped; Derek and Ethan chuckled. "Really? You're going to blame your mistake on me? Like I asked you to accuse an innocent man?" Evelyn retorted playfully.

"Whatever. You're lucky that Ethan and I are meant to be and we found our way to each other regardless of the fact that you refused to let the universe use you," Rayna said, and they all laughed, grateful for love and friendship.