Page 65 of Forgot to Tell You Something

“Right,” Tally sighs, nodding in agreement. “Dr. Stevens is a wonderful man. It would be an enormous loss if we weren’t friends.”

I hope she can feel me burning holes into her, waiting for her to admit that although we did break up, we are very much together again.

I’ll be waiting for a long time.

Instead of confessing the actual status of our relationship, Tally changes the subject. My blood runs hot as I realize she’s not going to divulge anything. Not today, possibly not ever.

Once again, I’m a dirty secret. The details are different, but this is a repeat of the situation with my ex, Charlotte. She came from money—oodles of it, and her Daddy disapproved of her slumming it with a student—a tatted, hardcore student, to boot.

Charlotte didn’t want to anger her father, so she never brought me around to any public place. God forbid anyone saw together us. But her father was no fool. Mr. Auerback met me outside my university one evening, with a bribe to stop seeing his daughter. I should have accepted the offer—it was ten grand, and I was broke—but I tore up the check and tossed it in his face.

It wasn’t until I started working as a cardiologist that he even deigned me worth speaking to; it wasn’t until I helped spearhead the robotic cath lab that he approved of my relationship with his daughter.

I thought, when I left San Francisco, that I’d escaped that feeling. A gnawing in the pit of my stomach that I’m not enough. At least not to be seen in the light.

Such bullshit. I’m a good-looking, smart guy with a wicked talent in cardiology. I know this. But sometimes, when I look in the mirror, all I see is the man who doesn’t fit the bill.

Tally’s behavior just proved my reflection right.

But this time, I’m not sticking around to be shoved into a corner. Fuck that.

Tally opens the car door not five minutes later, but I’m no calmer. If anything, my aggravation has reached new heights.

“Everything okay?” she questions, sending me a quizzical look as she fastens her seatbelt.

I have two options. I can pretend that everything is fine, or I can let her have it. With both barrels. I understand that option one is a safer route, but my emotions are too twisted to care.

“Everything is fucking great. Can’t you tell?” I jerk the car out of the parking spot, my foot leaden on the gas pedal.

“Owen, what the hell is going on? Did something happen at the shelter?”

I swerve to the side of the road, throwing the car into park, before turning my glare on her. “No, somethingdidn’thappen at the shelter, thanks to you.”

“I’m trying to decipher what you’re talking about, but you’re not making any sense.”

Running a hand over my scalp, I release an agitated huff. “Are you ashamed of me?”

Her eyes widen with shock. “Absolutely not. I think you’re way out of my league.” Her hand touches my forearm, but I jerk it away. “Why would you ever think that?”

“I guess we’re fuck buddies, huh? Good to know,” I mutter, gritting my teeth. “Are we exclusive, or do I get to whore myself all over town?”

That did it. Now Tally is as pissed off as I am.

Good.

“What the hell is your problem? Do youwantto whore yourself all over town? Go ahead, don’t let me stop you. I’m sure you have an open-ended invitation with Nicole.”

“Leave her out of it.”

“Aww,” she hisses, her eyes narrowing, “did I upset you when I dissed your girlfriend?” Tally throws open the car door. “Screw this shit. I’m out of here. Go live your life, however you choose. I’m done.”

I reach across the interior of the car and grasp her arm, preventing her exit.

“Let me go, Owen.”

“No,” I reply, tightening my grip.

She swings her gaze to me, as those soft, dark eyes fill with tears. “Why would you say something like that? Why would you ruin a beautiful day?”

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