Too Late, Doctor: I'm The One Who's Out Of Reach Now

Having been away from Clegend for a full decade, Leanna Brooks had never imagined that returning would bring her face-to-face with her first love.

Lately, she had been feeling a persistent ache in her breast. The discomfort nagged at her enough that she finally decided to visit the hospital for a proper examination. Midway through the checkup, the doctor suddenly paused. "This is a little complicated. I'm going to ask a senior doctor to come take a look." With that, the doctor stepped out of the room.

Left alone, Leanna sat stiffly on the edge of the examination table, unsure of what to do next.

Not long after, the door opened again. The instant she looked up and saw who had entered, her entire body went rigid.

"How long have you been experiencing these symptoms?" The deep, familiar voice echoed in her ears, sending a tremor through her chest.

The man wore a surgical mask that concealed most of his face, but behind a pair of rimless glasses, his eyes were trained on her.

"Three… months," Leanna blurted out. She immediately dropped her eyes, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly with both hands.

She wished desperately that she could disappear.

She had only returned to Clegend two months ago, yet she had already run into Shane Lloyd in the most unexpected way.

Her thoughts stalled completely, leaving her uncertain how to react.

"Lie back and lift your shirt," Shane instructed in his deep voice.

Leanna glanced up, and when their eyes locked once more, her breath faltered.

Noticing her hesitation, he frowned and asked rather impatiently, "Is something wrong?"

"No. Sorry," Leanna said quickly. Drawing in a steadying breath, she lay back on the examination table and shut her eyes.

Each second felt painfully long. Her thoughts tangled into a mess of old memories and panic, and a thin sheen of sweat formed at the tip of her nose.

Shane asked, "Did I hurt you?"

Leanna shook her head lightly. "No…"

After a pause that felt like forever, his voice finally broke the silence. "All right. You can lower your shirt now."

Shane rose and left. It was only after his footsteps faded from the room that Leanna finally dared to open her eyes.

She hurriedly adjusted her clothes, and then sat there briefly before standing and walking toward the desk.

Shane was seated upright, typing into the computer.

His long fingers looked almost exactly as they had back in school—the kind of hands that would have earned instant praise from any piano instructor.

He had never played the piano, though. The violin had always been his instrument. Back then, he had been surrounded by admirers, not just on campus but beyond it, even attracting fans from nearby cities.

And yet, out of everyone, he had chosen to start an online relationship with a freckled, overweight girl who hadn't even admired him that much.

"How long have you been feeling the aches?" Shane asked, glancing in her direction.

Leanna