Page 39 of Forgot to Tell You Something

“That’s Dr. Stevens. He’s our new interventional cardiologist,” I hiss, spitting out his name as if it tasted bitter. Come to think of it, it does.

“Wow, you’re the new genius doctor? At least I know we’ll get along. Lu, you certainly kept quiet about this news!”

“That would be because I didn’t know until this morning.”

“But I thought you two were—”

“Nothing. We’re nothing.” For the first time, I look directly at Owen, driving the point home. “Absolutelynothing.”

Owen clenches his fists and looks away, a muscle jumping in his jaw.

I hope my words hurt him as badly as he’s hurt me, but I have my doubts. It’s likely all a game he plays, and everything was a lie. Why, I don’t know. But the why doesn’t matter anymore.

“That tour only covers the highlights, but I don’t like to overwhelm people on their first day. If you don’t have any questions, I’ll be in my office. Good day, Dr. Stevens.”

9

Owen

My blood boils at the severity in Tally’s tone. I know she’s furious, and she has every right to be. But to claim that we’re nothing?

I resist the urge to kiss that rigid line in her mouth until she softens. I want to tongue that spot at the base of her neck and feel her pulse quicken. I want to tell her I love her even more than I thought possible.

But she cast me aside. Treated me like a leper. Or worse.

And that makes me furious.

“We have a meeting at three, Tally. Don’t forget.” It’s the first words I’ve uttered in the last fifteen minutes.

Tally stops but doesn’t look at me. “I’m well aware. You can trust me onmyword. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for you.”

I watch her stalk into her office, every word from her gorgeous mouth a bullet that leaves me bleeding profusely.

“Ouch,” Stefani mumbles.

I should maintain some professional decorum, but Tally just ripped me to shreds. “Well, that fucking sucked.”

Stefani crosses her arms over her chest, narrowing her gaze in my direction. “Perhaps I’m Captain Obvious here, Owen—Dr. Stevens—but why didn’t Lu know about your job until this morning?”

“I didn’t tell her.”

“Yeah, I got that.” This time, Stefani isn’t bothering to disguise the disgust in her words.

I’m going to have to provide a better explanation, or Stefani will hate me, too. At the rate I’m going, the entire staff will despise me by the end of the morning. “I sound like a total prick, don’t I?”

“Pretty much. I just hope—foryoursake—that you have a good reason for lying to my friend.”

I lean against the nurses station, feeling more desperate with each passing minute. Talk about hindsight being 20/20.

“You know Tally’s rule, right? She doesn’t date doctors. She made that very clear on our first date.”

“She was badly burned by a doctor.”

“I get that, but I’m notthatdoctor.” I lift my hand toward her office, feeling sick to my stomach. “I’ve been crazy about Tally since the moment we met, and I figured that...fuck, I don’t know what I figured.” This is a disaster.

“That she would understand and accept it because she was in love with you?”

“Yeah.”

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