Page 63 of Traitor

She sighed, “I fucked him, Lauren.”

The room suddenly felt smaller than it actually was. “Excuse me?” I squeaked out.Hadn’t I known the man was a whore?

I’d known and blatantly ignored it.When had they been together?Was it after he brought me breakfast? Was that why he never showed up at the office again?

Oh my god, this room was sweltering.

I began unfastening the top buttons on my blouse, while fanning my face.

She nodded. “Yeah, he and I were together in Galveston...the night you were feeling sick. He saw me in the bar and one thing led to another.”

Goddammit!

The one thing I’d held on to for all these years—the one thing that had been pure. I’d measured every man up against the man he was on the beach—and he’d gone from what we shared to her bed?

I pulled the trashcan out from under my desk and leaned over it.

“See? Now, don’t you feel better getting that out of the way? Okay, for the afternoon—the new patient at three goes to my church, so obviously we need to discount their visit. And, I’m going to need more time for that permanent filling at three-thirty, so move what you need to move to accommodate that. Did you order those new burs I showed you?”

I nodded, even though I hadn’t. She told me to stay in the room that night—told me that I’d hate myself for having a one-night stand. And then the bitch had gone downstairs and fucked my Jack.

Mine.

He would’ve come looking for me had she not shown up. We might’ve had the last five years together—everything could’ve turned out differently had she not played me to get laid. My stomach twisted and a bead of sweat formed along my hairline. He’d been inside of my boss.

Sandra stood up and patted my arm. “Okay. You go ahead and get composed. I’m gonna get in my op.”

I nodded again and sat staring dumbly at my computer screen. I’d reached a crossroads. If I stayed, then I was spineless. And if I left? Well, I was unemployed. I had to decide which was worse.

I continued staring at my computer as the screen saver switched from mountains back to beaches. Then, I pushed away from my desk and grabbed my purse and my cell phone.

Elizabeth said my name as I walked by her desk, but I refused to stop. I kept on until I was standing just outside one of the op rooms.

“Sandra?” I called into the room and she turned away from the patient and toward me.

“Yes?” She smiled.

I glared at her. “I’m leaving.”

The smile faded slightly. “Another appointment?”

I shook my head. “No. Like for good. I quit.”

She laughed as Dara watched me uncertainly. The patient was on enough nitrous that I doubt he even knew I was standing there. “C’mon, Lauren. Enough joking—we’ll talk in a minute, okay?”

I growled, “You fucked up my world. So, now I’m fucking up yours. Find a new office manager!”

Sandra’s mouth fell open while Dara worked to cover the patient’s ears. Then, to drive my point home, I flipped her off. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and she began sputtering excuses as I hit the back door. The gray sky fit my mood perfectly.

I got into my car and screamed until my throat burned. I was unemployed. I didn’t even know where I was headed when I left the parking lot. I just needed to drive until my head cleared.

Maybe I’d go to Austin and see my dads—Isaac might know of some work in the area. I had nothing keeping me in Lubbock anymore. It was refreshing, really. I wasn’t tied down.

A cry ripped from my chest, immediately followed by laughter. I was fine—it was better to know before I did something crazy like give him a second chance, right?

Everything we’d shared had been a lie. Mike hadn’t fallen in love with me that night on the beach. He’d fallen in Sandra’s vagina.

One hour turned into three, but my mind was still as dark as the sky outside. I took a detour outside of Winters that led me down a dirt road and away from the highway. I’d panicked for a moment before remembering that I truly had nowhere else to be.

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