Page 82 of Dreamboat

“He’s not in Boston?” Bianca asks.

“He’s there,” Matt answers as he takes a seat next to his fiancée. His hand falls onto her bare knee since she’s wearing a cute pink sundress.

“What’s the problem then?” Bianca questions him. “He said he’s going to a conference in Boston and he’s there.”

“He checked in at the conference.” He gazes at her face. “One of Carolyn’s friends sent her a picture of the two of them checking into the conference yesterday.”

My stomach sinks a little since he didn’t say if that friend was a man or a woman.

Since I always get a notification when Donovan posts anything to his social media pages, I know that picture never made it on any of them.

“Carolyn showed me.” He laughs. “Donovan was grinning from ear to ear, and since he hasn’t attended any of the symposiums since, I’d say he’s having a hell of a good time with Carolyn’s friend.”

My stomach does more than just sink more. It churns inside my body. A wave of nausea hits me.

“Carolyn’s friend told you they’re together?” Bianca asks.

Matt shakes his head. “Not outright, but she did tell Carolyn that Donovan has skipped the same symposiums she has.”

I stare at my brother trying to make sense of everything he’s saying, including the next words out of his mouth. “It’s not the first time Donovan’s taken off for a conference where he’s missed out on the actual conference.”

Bianca and Roman both laugh, but she’s the one who turns to Matt. “He’s single and gorgeous. You can’t fault him for having fun.”

Emotion bears down on me, but I bite back tears with a hard swallow. “Excuse me, please.”

I slide to my feet to head to the washroom. I need to splash cold water on my face. I need to calm the hell down.

It’s been weeks since we told each other that we weren’t sleeping with other people. Since we’ve never circled back to that conversation and we agreed that our relationship was just fun, maybe Donovan has decided to have “fun” with other women, too.

“Delia!” I hear Faith’s voice behind me as I near the washroom door. “Do you need anything? Can I help you in some way?”

When I turn to look at her, I see nothing but concern in her eyes.

She must see pain in mine because she rushes toward me to wrap me in her arms. “I’m here for you. I’m always here for you.”

I break down in her arms. A sob escapes as I cling to her in the hallway of my brother’s home. “I’m tired. I’m just so tired.”

She steps back to guide me into the bathroom. Once the door closes, she wipes the tears from my cheeks. “Whatever it is, I want to help if I can. If I can’t, I want you to know that I love you.”

Nodding, I let the tears flow. “I love you, too.”

She wipes my cheeks. “I may not be a doctor yet, but I do know all about doctor patient confidentiality and we’ll be sisters soon, so I need you to know that I’d never a repeat a word of anything you tell me, Delia.”

The urge to blurt out that I’m having a baby with Matt’s boss is strong but I won’t put her in a position where she’ll feel compelled to keep a secret of that magnitude from her fiancé.

“Thank you.” I sniffle my way through those two words. “I think I’m just worn out.”

“I get it.” She brushes a strand of hair from my forehead. “If you want to bow out of dinner, I can get you home.”

“I’ll stay.” I need my family around me now even if none of them have any idea about what’s going on in my life.

If I go home now, I’ll cry myself to sleep. I may as well eat before I head out to do that.

“I’ll give you some privacy.” She reaches for the doorknob. “If you ever need me for anything, I’m here for you. Always.”

“That works both ways.” I hug her again. “I’ll always be here for you, too.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

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