Page 96 of Revive Me

Because I can see it on her face that she’s done with me. Whatever we had—whatever Ithoughtwe had—is ending before it can even begin. She’s going to end it today.

“I’ll be right with you, Roman, I’m just finishing up,” she says, her tone as flat as the look she gives me.

Fuck. I…Fuck.I should’ve known this was coming.

I should’ve known she was too good to be true. I should’ve knownthiswas too good to be true.

When she turns back to the little girl, all the emotion, all the sweetness that I was looking forward to today, comes flooding back when she smiles.

“Alright, Alice, I’ll see you next week, okay? Have fun on your field trip, but remember to be careful. Your wrist is still a bit fragile.”

“Thanks again for rescheduling us this week,” the dad says, giving Lily a warm smile of his own. “I really appreciate you being flexible.”

“Of course,” Lily says as she straightens from her crouch. “I’m happy we could make it work.”

Watching their interaction, I think it makes me angrier that the guyisn’tsome smarmy jackass. If he was leering at Lily or making an inappropriate pass, maybe I could write him off and convince myself I’m still better than him, even with a physical limitation. But the guy just seems…nice.

I’m still reeling from the knowledge that Lily is going to end it with me as she walks the two of them out of the clinic. I feel like I’m standing on a boat in the middle of a storm, being flung around and unable to get my bearings. I can’t get my feet under me.

When she finally re-enters the room and it’s just the two of us, her expression is equal parts sad and wary. Her steps slow as she nears me.

“So that’s it, then?” I ask. It’s all I can get out.

She lets out a heavy breath, looking suddenly exhausted. “Roman…” Her eyebrows pull together as she reaches up to rub the weariness from her eyes. “You have to know that what we did was wrong.”

Maybe she sees on my face thatno, I don’t know that,because when I don’t respond, she locks eyes with me and straightens.

“I don’t know how it took me so long to see it,” she says in a near-whisper. She sounds sad. “But I can’t ignore it anymore. Not after last week. Not after—” Something flashes in her eyes, her throat working on a rough swallow.

Maybe that’s what causes my outburst, maybe it’s the feeling of my heart cracking in my chest.

“So, you’re just going to abandon me?” I ask. “You’re going to be like every other therapist and pass me off to someone else?”

“Roman, Ican’tbe your therapist,” she says, the pain and desperation obvious in her voice. “I’m so far past the level of unprofessional that I can’t evenseethe line anymore. You have to understand that.”

But Ican’tunderstand it. I’m terrified of losing Lily, of seeing who I am, and what I might become, without her. Not to mention, the idea of notbeingwith her is more than I can stand.

And because I can’t accept what she’s saying, my brain grasps for some other reason she might be doing this. It hasto be because of my injury.

“Was the sex really that bad?”

She jerks back at that. “Was…what?”

I dive headfirst into the accusation, my words snowballing as my head spins and my heart shatters.

“All of this because I can’t fuck you properly?” I shake my head with a scoff. “Damn, Lily, if you’re going to dump me because I’m bad in bed, at least be honest about it.”

Lily’s eyes widen. “Youcannotbe serious right now.”

“I don’t hear you denying it,” I say defensively.

I can see the thoughts roiling around her brain as she searches my face, trying to figure out how to respond.

“So, that’s what your brain is hearing right now, huh? It’s not that I could lose my job, or even mylicense, you think I’m doing this because I have an issue with our physical chemistry? Are you serious?”

Before I can respond, frustration changes her tone. “Do I need to remind you about the night we met? Because you and Ibothknow I was just as hot for you last week as I was two years ago. So don’t youdarebring your injury into this.”

Her words have my body heating, lust flaming at the memory. I remember exactly how turned on she was two years ago.

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