Page 6 of Wild Promises

It's what I wanted him to say before I walked in on him naked with another woman. But now I was questioning everything. I'd always wanted to take over my father's practice when he retired. I'd done residences in pediatric and emergency medicine to keep my options open. The only thing holding me back was Hugh, but now there was no us, and we didn't have a future together.

"We can still be together. This doesn't have to change anything." He'd pulled on his scrubs as if he didn't have a care in the world, shrugged on his white jacket, and slung his stethoscope over his neck. I used to think he was so handsome and kind. But now, I couldn't stand to look at him.

"It changes everything."

Hugh's gaze shot to mine. "Don't be ridiculous."

The shock and rage gave way to a deep sadness for the time I'd wasted on him. I wasn't getting any younger, and I'd always wanted a family of my own. I worried that with our lifestyle, it wouldn't be possible for a long time, and one of us would have to work less hours to make it happen. But now, none of that mattered. I'd never stay with anyone who cheated on me. I was positive rumors were already running through the nurses'station. There was no getting around hospital gossip. It was worse than a middle-school cafeteria.

He reached for me, and I stepped back.

"We need to figure out the apartment."

His lip curled into a sneer. "The lease is in my name."

"I thought you were adding me to it?" I asked.

"I never did."

I swallowed hard. "So I have to move out. Of course. I didn't know how big of an asshole you were until now."

"I'm not the asshole in this situation."

I snorted. "I caught you fucking another woman, and I need to find a place to live. Until then, you can stay at the hospital." He did most nights anyway. Without another word, I turned on the heel of my sneakers and walked out, leaving the dinner I made for him in the break room for the others to enjoy. I couldn't believe I'd come here to share a meal with my boyfriend and he'd been fucking someone else. I couldn't believe I hadn't known, especially when my coworkers did.

Humiliation and shame washed over me. Everyone would be talking about me behind my back and wondering how stupid I was not to know about what was going on right under my nose. A few probably thought I just wanted to marry a surgeon and the rest of it didn't matter. But it did.

I'd always admired my parents' relationship. I wouldn't settle for anything less, and if Hugh knew anything about me, he'd know that. But he hadn't known me at all.

When I got home, I felt like I was in a fog. I couldn't cry, yet I couldn't seem to wrap my mind around what I'd just seen and the callous way Hugh had handled it. He'd acted entitled, as if that's just what surgeons did, and I needed to deal with it.

Every time I remembered the look on his face, the pit in my stomach grew larger. I needed to talk to someone. But myfriends were other nurses and doctors at the hospital, and right now, I didn't trust anyone not to be on Hugh's side.

I called my mom, needing to hear her voice.

"Hello." Mom's voice had my heart constricting, and finally the tears stung my eyes. "Tori, is everything okay?"

A sob erupted.

"You're scaring me."

I gulped in huge breaths of air. "I'm okay." Or at least I would be. Mom waited for me to calm down enough to speak coherently. I explained what happened, the PG version of it anyway, and the callous way Hugh had handled the situation.

"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. I know you hoped that he might be the one for you."

"I think the worst part was that he expected me to be okay with him cheating so he could continue to do it."

"What are you going to do?" Mom's voice filled with concern.

"I need to find a place to live." I looked around at the modern apartment that was just as cold as the hospital.

"You aren't happy in New York. You haven't been in a while."

I blew out a breath. "I know."

"Maybe it's time to consider where you want to work and live."

"I think you're right." It was time to go home. It was what I'd always planned on doing. Working side-by-side with my father in his clinic. He wasn't getting any younger, and the thought of working with him felt good. The idea of staying at this hospital, where everyone knew about the cheating, was the last thing I wanted to do. "I need to wrap up some things here first."

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