No Longer His Donna Chapter 09

No Longer His Donna Chapter 09

“Damian, what are you doing here?” I asked, surprise.

His smile was bright, revealing a row of straight, white teeth. “I finally get assigned to this mission. We’re colleagues now.”

On the bumpy road to the aid town, the terrain was rough, making our vehicle jolt-Damian held out a mint to me. “This helps with motion sickness.”

I took it and let the cool mint flavor spread across my mouth.

He asked about my life lately.

I told him everything. I saw no reason to hide it, not even the part about Xander. These were life experiences,

not dirty secrets.

Besides, after three years as a Doctors Without Borders physician, I’d learned to speak my mind freely. I was

afraid if I didn’t say something now, I might never get another chance.

After listening, he gently patted my back. “I’ll be by your side from now on.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant.

It wasn’t until we arrived that a colleague told me, he had spent four years trying to get assigned to the same

location as me. He had kept applying, kept trying to get close to me.

Hearing that, I instantly understood how Damian felt.

I was stunned. He had spent four years… for me?

Why would he like me?

Even Xander despised me. Why would he?

I didn’t ask him, choosing instead to pretend I knew nothing about it.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. Stepping out of my tent to look at the stars and found Damian already sitting

outside.

Seeing me, he offered another mint candy.

I said I didn’t eat candy at night. He smiled. “Noted.”

I paused for a second, then sat down next to him.

He said to me, “Tina, look at the stars. Aren’t they like us right now?”

“We know exactly where each other is, yet we can’t seem to get close.”

I knew what he meant. I didn’t know how to respond, so I changed the subject.

“The stars are beautiful. Let’s take a photo together.”

I pulled out my phone, and we snapped a photo. The first thing he asked was for me to send it to him.

After sending it to him, I returned to my tent. After some thought, I posted it online.

He wasn’t just a colleague; he was my friend.

Working here, our lives were always at risk. I wanted to capture these moments because there might not be a ‘later.’

Early the next morning, I got a call from Xander.

He asked, “Who is that man in your photo?”

I found it ridiculous. What right did he have to ask me that?

The day I left, I had already cut all ties with him in my heart.

“Xander, that’s none of your business.”

“You…” He sounded stunned.

“Xander, even though we parted amicably, I still resent you.”

“I resent your broken promises. I resent your deception. Please don’t contact me again, okay?”

I hung up right away and blocked his number.

In the days that followed, I was swamped with work. Damian and I treated different patients each day.

Gunfire was a constant threat, but he always seemed to hear it just in time, yanking me to safety.

One day, I had just finished bandaging a baby’s wounds. Once her condition stabilized, a nurse carried her to

a temporary recovery area.

But the next second, that very area was hit by an artillery shell, engulfed in flames in an instant.

“No!”