Page 51 of Dr. Baby Daddy

“Well, I hope you found somewhere nice to live. I know that hunting for an apartment in this city can be hell, especially on short notice.”

Izzy grinds her teeth together, the muscles in her jaw flexing. “Yeah. I was lucky enough to find somewhere that would fit my piano.”

My stomach plummets to my feet. I hadn’t thought about that part. She’s either going to be paying way too much in rent, or she settled for a cheaper place in a bad area.

All because I decided that we needed to put some distance between us.

Maybe pushing myself away from her wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. She doesn’t look as happy as I thought she would.

Hell, she looks as miserable as I feel.

I can’t change what I did. My plan worked a little too well and now I’m on the verge of losing Izzy forever.

I could never be the man she needs. I can’t even get on a stage with her and perform a couple songs to a small crowd.

Izzy was born to be the life of the party, and I would much rather run away from it. She thrives being around people. I excel at spending too many hours in a hospital and helping those who can’t help themselves.

We are very different people, and at the end of the day, I can’t be the person that best fits into her life.

Izzy sighs and looks up at the sky. “Is this really how we’re going to handle this? You don’t see me for two weeks, you barely answer my messages, and then you want to talk about how my move is going to go?”

She’s right. I should be apologizing to her, for one thing. I should have more to say to her, but the words all die on my tongue.

The way I feel for her isn’t enough. Not when I know that in the long run, I’m only going to disappoint her.

I wince and shrug. “When you say it like that, it sounds horrible.”

I don’t think I’ve ever hated myself more.

The hate the person I am right now, but I don’t know how to stop. It’s better if she hates me. Easier. She’ll move on fast while I spend the rest of my life beating myself up for letting her get away.

Women like Izzy come around once in a lifetime.

Izzy’s jaw drops. “Itishorrible. What the fuck, Oliver? If I was pushing too hard or you didn’t want to be with me, that’s all you had to say! You didn’t have to cut me out of your life like some cheap hookup.”

Her words cut through me, sending me staggering back a step. I take a deep breath, trying to hold myself together even as my eyes start to sting.

“I can’t talk about this right now, Izzy. I have to get to work, and it looks like you have packing to do.”

Anger flashes in her eyes as she takes a step toward me. “Is that really all you have to say to me? After the weeks we spent together and the way you made me fall for you, that’s all you have to say?”

“I don’t know what else you want me to say. This wasn’t working between us.”

“You’re so full of shit, Oliver. This was working, but you kept icing me out. You decided that I wasn’t worth the effort, but you’re wrong. One day, you’re going to realize how wrong you were and it’s going to be too late.”

Her tone is bitter and full of anger, as if she’s telling me things that I haven’t already told myself a thousand different times in the last two weeks.

I pull out my phone and glance at the time. “I really have to get going. Things are better this way, Izzy. You’ve got an entire life ahead of you. One that shouldn’t be spent with someone like me.”

“And now you’re going to make yourself into a martyr? Newsflash, Oliver, you don’t get to make the decision about what is and is right for my life. Congratulations on getting what you wanted, though. You get to be miserable and alone, and you have nobody to blame for it but yourself.”

She shakes her head, her free hand balling into a fist. Water pools in her eyes as she looks up at the sun.

All I want to do is pull her into my embrace and make the tears stop. I want to hold her close and apologize a thousand times, hoping that one day it will be enough.

As I look at her, my heart crashes through my chest. The apology is on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t find the voice to say it.

One second, she’s standing in front of me, waiting for a reply, and the next, she’s on the ground.

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