Page 13 of Burned By the Broken Doctor

A flood of relief and disappointment washes over me as June walks through the doorway with a worried look. Her hand is firmly clasped in Ethan’s grip.

“Aunt Em!” Ethan rushes toward me to wrap his arms around my legs.

“Hey Em,” June greets, her voice bright and cheerful, seeping out some of the dark storm brewing inside me. “We were wondering what took you so long.”

“June,” I reply, forcing a smile onto my face. The sudden arrival feels like a lifeline thrown at a drowning sailor.

“Liam?” June’s gaze flits between Liam and me, a flicker of curiosity sparking within it. “You’re here.”

“Hello, June.” He nods.

“You’ve met?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course. Ethan, say hi to Uncle Liam,” June prompts the little boy.

“Hey, Champ. How’s your dad?” Liam opens his arms

Ethan turns to walk into his arms, but I quickly pull him back. The boy looks at me with wide, curious eyes as bright as blue marbles.

“Your cake,” I offer him the gift, and he grabs it with innocent enthusiasm that melts my anger a little bit more.

“So, you two have met?” June murmurs with a smile.

“Oh, yes, we have,” I mumble vaguely. “He's a bit of a…” I cover Ethan’s ears with my hands. “Narcissistic dickhead who thinks the world revolves around him?”

The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them. June's eyes widen momentarily before she bursts into a fit of nervous giggles.

“Whoa there, Em, strong words.” She elbows me playfully.

“They're warranted,” I mumble, stealing a glance at Liam, who stares at me with a wry smile on his face. “C’mon let’s go.”

I throw a final icy glare at Liam, our eyes meeting for a charged moment. A flicker of something—interest? Regret? —crosses his features before he turns his expression back into a cool indifference.

I clench my jaw as June looks from me to him, confused by the war raging between us. She mumbles an apology to Liam before grabbing my arm and steering me toward the door.

“Come on, let's get Ethan to school and then head home. Need some serious retail therapy to erase that grumpy cloud hanging over you this morning.”

As we walk out of the store, June throws a quick apology over her shoulder. “Sorry Liam!”

“It's nothing,” He calls out. “Just…catching up with an old acquaintance.”

“Old acquaintance?” June turns to me with raised eyebrows.

“Don’t believe a word from his lips,” I force out, hating the way my voice still trembles with residual anger.

We reach June's car, a bright red convertible that seemed to clash with her otherwise practical personality. Ethan bounces excitedly in the back seat, chattering away about the dinosaur cookies his dad promised him for after school.

The car ride is filled with his innocent chatter, a welcome distraction from the turmoil inside me. Yet, every time a lull falls in the conversation, my mind replays the argument with Liam, each cutting remark echoing in my head.

“God, he makes me so mad,” I mutter under my breath, slamming my fist against the car seat in a fit of frustration.

June shoots me a concerned glance. “Everything alright, Em? You seem pretty worked up.”

“Just some leftover annoyance,” I grumble, refusing to elaborate.

The truth is, I'm furious. Furious at Liam for his smugness, for the way he gets under my skin with such ease. Furious at myself for letting him get to me, for letting him see my reaction. And maybe a tiny, shameful part of me, is furious that his careless words stung so deeply.

We drop Ethan off at school, waving at him amidst his enthusiastic goodbyes. As we pull away, June reaches over and squeezes my hand.

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