Page 43 of The Soul Never Forgets

“Devin is a pretty girl, but you’re drop-dead gorgeous. There’s no comparison.”

“You’re obligated to say that. You can’t very well tell me that I’m not as pretty as your fiancée.”

“Number one: Devin isn’t my fiancée because I’m not going to marry her. Number two: think back to the first time we met. I walked into my office, you turned around, and our eyes met for the first time. I couldn’t form a complete sentence, Cara, because I was so mesmerized by your beauty. Number three: sometimes I still have trouble speaking when I look at you. And finally number four: you’re the one I’m going to marry.”

Marriage for us is inevitable. Hearing him say that he’s going to marry me comes as no surprise, but I still like hearing it.

He comes to me and takes the framed photograph, placing it facedown inside the drawer of his nightstand and closes it. “You blow me away.YOU. Can’t you see that?”

“Your engagement to her bothers me more than I thought. She’s a wedge between us that is preventing us from becoming who we’re destined to be. I’m trying to be understanding about it, but I’m irritated about the situation. I can’t help myself.”

“You’re my soul mate. It’s my responsibility to do everything in my power to make you happy, and I haven’t been doing that. I’m sorry.”

“You’re doing the decent thing in an impossible situation. I’m not angry at you.”

“I’ve looked and there’s a late flight on Friday out of New Orleans to Cabo. I can make the flight if I reschedule my last two patients of the day. I’ll have Saturday to see Devin and I can be back in Metairie by Sunday afternoon.”

Today is Wednesday. We could be free to be together in four days. “You would do that?”

“In a heartbeat. For you, I’d do anything.”

I nod and throw my arms around him. “Yes, do it.”

“Do you have a current passport? Do you want to go with me?”

“I’d love to go to Cabo with you but not like that. We won’t be able to enjoy being together after you’ve ended things with her. We would be assholes for turning your breakup trip into a romantic getaway.” She might not know but we would.

“Agreed. We’ll take a romantic trip some other time.”

Some other time like when we get married.

Dawsey gets into bed beneath the covers. I sit on top of the covers beside him, pillows propped behind me, and settle in for the reading.

“I’d really like it if you’d stay tonight after I fall asleep.”

I open my mouth to argue all the reasons I shouldn’t stay, and he cuts me off.

“I might need you to help wake me in the morning if I fall into a deep sleep like I did last time.”

It’s difficult to say no to that. I point to my jeans and blouse. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

“You can wear something of mine.”

“Like what? One of your extra nightgowns? And I swear I’ll kill you if you tell me I can wear something of Devin’s.”

“I wasn’t lying when I told you that Devin and I haven’t had sex in over a year. She doesn’t keep anything here. Not even a toothbrush. I threw the last one away because it had been so long since she’s stayed over and used it.”

His engagement to her is puzzling to me. What was the point of being together if they were so uninterested in each other?

“You don’t have anything that’ll fit me.” He’s a foot taller and outweighs me by at least fifty pounds.

“My T-shirts would be a nightgown on you.”

“And what kind of bottoms would I wear?” I need coverage. Preferably armor.

“Are you commando under those jeans?”

“No.”

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