Chapter 505

Celeste never expected to run into Ivy again—let alone catch her and Jamison in such an intimate moment.

The affectionate smile on Jamison’s face, the easy way he touched Ivy, all felt so foreign compared to the Jamison she remembered.

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the air in the hallway turned thick with awkwardness.

But Jamison didn’t greet Celeste. Instead, he simply held the elevator and ushered Ivy inside with him.

Once the doors slid shut, Ivy finally glanced at him. “When I came up just now, I bumped into Dr. Quinn the second I stepped out of the elevator. I didn’t think I’d see her again so soon.”

“Don’t worry about her,” Jamison replied coolly.

Ivy looked at him, curiosity coloring her voice. “She’s your colleague—you see each other every day. Is that really how you treat her?”

“She’s just filling in for a couple of months. She’ll be gone in six weeks.”

“Oh…” Ivy nodded, relieved.

Suddenly, Jamison turned to her. “Why? Are you jealous?”

Ivy just laughed. “Please. She’s known you longer than I have, liked you longer than I have, and you two went to med school together. If there was ever going to be something between you, I wouldn’t even be here. I’m not about to waste my time on that kind of imaginary drama.”

Jamison studied her.

“What?” Ivy asked.

“Women are even more adorable when they’re a little irrational,” he said, almost disappointed by her clear-headed response—he’d wanted to see a little jealousy.

Ivy just rolled her eyes.

As Jamison’s car pulled out of the hospital parking lot, Ivy spotted Katrina getting into a rideshare, apparently heading back to the Lester estate.

“Isn’t that Katrina? She’s not staying at the hospital tonight?” Jamison asked, puzzled.

“She’s going home to see if she can get money from the Lesters for her mom’s treatment,” Ivy explained.

Jamison nodded, understanding. “She’s fighting this battle alone. That’s tough.”

“Yeah. The Lesters keep pushing her into blind dates, but after all this time she still hasn’t met anyone decent. Good men are in short supply.”

If only her best friend could find someone who truly cared for her…

Jamison knew exactly what Ivy was thinking. He glanced back at her, smiling gently. “But you did.”

Ivy was speechless, though the smile tugging at her lips gave her away.

After a while, Ivy’s mind drifted back to Katrina’s situation. She turned to Jamison, “If Katrina’s mom can make it through this, does she have a real chance of surviving breast cancer?”

Jamison’s expression grew serious. “It depends on the type. With current medical technology, if it’s caught early and isn’t the most aggressive form—triple-negative breast cancer—the odds of recovery are actually pretty good.”

Ivy nodded, murmuring, “Let’s hope she gets lucky and it’s not the worst kind.”

“No matter what, though, she’ll have to go through surgery and chemotherapy. The treatment itself is grueling, and it takes a huge toll on the patient’s willpower. I remember you said Katrina’s mom has been in poor health for a while, living in a care facility, so…”

Jamison didn’t finish, but Ivy understood.

Trouble and hardship for her friend and her mother were just beginning.

Jamison drove Ivy back to their apartment near the hospital. It was a quick ride—barely fifteen minutes.

As they stepped out of the car, Ivy hesitated. “Shouldn’t we go visit your mother at the family house?”

If she was still at school, she wouldn’t worry. But now that she was back in town, it felt disrespectful not to visit an ailing elder.

Jamison wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close for a kiss. “They don’t even know you’re home. Don’t tire yourself out. Tonight is just for us—let’s not go anywhere.”

Ivy blushed furiously, realizing exactly what he was thinking. She shot him a look.

“You’re incorrigible!”

Still, even if they weren’t going out, they had to eat.

“What about dinner?” Ivy asked.

Jamison considered. “How about we go to the store, pick up some groceries, and cook for ourselves?”

Ivy raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You can cook?”

Jamison couldn’t, not really. But with Ivy looking at him like that, he’d never admit it. “How hard can it be? As long as we don’t end up in the ER, it’ll be fine.”

Ivy looked at him with deep suspicion, but Dr. Ludwig was clearly excited, insisting they head to the supermarket together.

Truth be told, since they got married, this was their first time shopping for groceries as a couple.

Jamison pushed the cart while Ivy looped her arm through his. They strolled through the aisles, savoring the simple romance of it all.

With two strikingly attractive people like them in a down-to-earth supermarket, it was impossible not to draw stares wherever they went.

After half an hour of meandering, they’d picked out ribs, beef, fresh fish, and some vegetables.

While standing in line at the checkout, Jamison spotted a small display of condoms next to the register. He nudged Ivy with his elbow.

“What?” she asked.

He lowered his voice. “Should we pick up a box?”

Ivy glanced over and instantly turned away, cheeks aflame. “Is that really necessary?”

“Isn’t it?” Jamison replied, deadpan.

Ivy frowned, whispering, “Didn’t the doctor say it’d be hard for me to get pregnant?”

“Adenomyosis does make it difficult, but nothing’s impossible. You’re still in school—if something happened by accident…”

He didn’t finish; the line moved forward.

Ivy looked up at him. “So… should I grab a box?”

“What kind do you want?” Jamison asked, already reaching for the shelf. “There are different brands, thicknesses, features. Some are ultra-thin, some have textures, some are…”

Jamison didn’t get to finish. Ivy noticed the people in line were all listening in, eyes wide with either amusement or curiosity. She yanked his hand away, mortified.

“Stop talking!” she hissed, face flaming.

Jamison glanced around, and at his dark look, the bystanders quickly turned back to their own business.