Page 163 of Captive Omega

My appointment…

Shit. I completely forgot it was today.

I eye my plate, wanting to finish, but determined not to be late for this appointment.

“You have time to finish,” Garrison reassures me.

“Oh, okay. I was going to have another self-defense lesson with Blaine this morning,” I remember, not realizing I was overbooking myself. He was going to teach me more ways to keep hold of my weapon so someone couldn’t take it off me. Hence the reason for my comfy, cozy outfit.

Blaine takes a sip from his mug and sets it down. “I have some stuff I need to work on, but we can do it tomorrow or the day after if you want?”

That’s probably a good idea. Who knows how I’m going to be feeling after this appointment? “Okay.”

Garrison nods. “Vaughn will drive, and I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind.”

Blaine looks down, and I hope he isn’t feeling guilty about not coming. I know how he feels about clinics and hospitals, and I’d rather he didn’t force himself to come.

“You must have lots of things to keep you busy,” I say.

“Not this morning.” Garrison puts his newspaper down.

Approximately two seconds later, Lex wanders in, busy tapping on his cell phone. “Boss Man, you have that meeting this morning with?—”

“You must be mistaken,” Garrison smoothly interrupts. “That was tomorrow morning.”

Lex lifts his head, takes one look at Garrison’s blank face, and spins around. “Tomorrow it is. My mistake. I’ll let him know.”

I focus on my pancake as Lex leaves, hoping no one sees my smile. It sounds an awful lot like Garrison Brewster just ducked out of a meeting for my doctor’s appointment.

Vaughn drives to the clinic as Garrison deals with some work stuff on his cell phone in the passenger seat.

Before we left the house, I changed out of comfy cozy and into a loose pair of black linen pants, a white T-shirt, and sneakers. Still comfy, still cozy. Just a little less slobby.

I look out the window and think about the future.

When I think of Henry, and what my life could have been, it still hurts, though not as sharply as it did before. But that ship has sailed, and the sooner I move on, the better.

I’d like to speak to Mom again and let her know she’s going to be a grandparent. Not in the way she would have hoped or expected, but a child is a child and she has always loved children. She will be happy, and Dad will be happy knowing I’m safe and home.

“Resa?”

I blink myself back into the present. Garrison is holding my door open, no cell phone in sight. Seeing his concern makes me feel guilty.

Here he is dropping his meeting to come with me to my appointment, and here I am daydreaming about going back to my parents.

Why do I feel so guilty?

“Sorry, I’m ready.” I climb out of the car and he leads the way inside. Vaughn salutes me but stays leaning beside the car, arms crossed, scanning the quiet side street that we drove down to get to the clinic.

Garrison reaches for the door handle but peers over his shoulder before opening it. “I called ahead to make sure you don’t get any nasty surprises.”

“Nasty surprises?” My eyes flick over his shoulder.

I spot a nurse in a set of purple scrubs.

White coats. Why am I only thinking about that now?

“Okay?” Garrison asks.

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