Page 101 of Breaking News

Dr. Stroud gave me a soft smile. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. We’re going to figure this out together.”

“That’s so good to hear.” I could have hugged her.Should I hug her? No, that’d be weird. Don’t make it weird.

“But even with a proper diagnosis and treatment, it doesn’t go away,” she added gently. “With fibro, your body misinterprets pain signals and keeps your system on high alert when it doesn’t need to be. Medications, exercises, and even your diet can help, but there will still be some flare-ups. Hopefully, we can get you on a path to having more good days than bad.”

That sounded like music to my ears. I nodded again, willing myself not to cry, but tears welled up in my eyes anyway as she continued with the game plan.

And as she stood to leave, Dr. Stroud gave me a quick half-hug and a pat on the back. “Relief is on the way,” she said, opening the door.

I left her office with an order for lab work and an MRI, a prescription to get me started, and something I hadn’t had in a long time: some fucking answers. I wasn’t cured and I didn’t even have a diagnosis yet, but I felt heard. And that was something.

Meghan stood as I walked back into the waiting room, slipping her phone into her bag. “Graham just texted me, and he said to make sure I take you somewhere to eat.”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile. My first instinct was to tell her I was fine. That I didn’t need anything else from her. But maybe that wasn’t who I had to be anymore.

“I could go for a cheeseburger,” I admitted.

But as we stepped outside and I let the warm sun hit my face, dread settled into the pit of my stomach again. Because back in Woodvale, there was an intern who could destroy my career—and maybe my relationship—with one sentence.

As I opened the door to Meghan’s car and a blast of hot, stagnant air hit me in the face, the sense of peace I’d felt in Dr. Stroud’s office just minutes ago was already gone.

chapter thirty-eight

Graham

Ihadn’t planned on going to Andrea’s house that night. But the more I thought about Olivia hearing whispers from the interns about her dad being involved with Jill, the more I realized she needed to hear it from me directly.

Caleb, too.

In the past, if I had felt this close with another woman, I would’ve told them about the relationship already. I wouldn’t have brought the woman around for introductions just yet, but they would at least know about her existence. I’d never hidden my dating life from them.

And with this whole thing on the brink of implosion, it was time for some honesty.

“You’re freaking us out,” Olivia said, seated at one end of the couch with both hands resting on her lower belly. Richie perched on the armrest beside her, and Andrea and Caleb sat at the other end, all of them watching me like I was about to announce the worst news of their lives. “If you’re dying, just tell us.”

I laughed, staring down at Andrea’s beige carpet. “I’m not dying. There are just some rumors going around about me, and I want you to hear about them from me before you hear it from someone else. Especially you, Olivia.”

Olivia lifted her brows in confusion, but Andrea’s face tightened with concern. I was sure she was expecting the worst. It was probably best if I got the words out as quickly as possible.

“I’ve been romantically involved with one of my employees, which is against company policy,” I said. “People are finding out, and this could put both of our jobs in jeopardy.”

Andrea nodded in relief like she understood, but Olivia looked even more bewildered. “Is it Elaine, the intern lady?”

"No."

"Tiffany from advertising?"

"What?” Tiffany from advertising was at least a decade older than me. Then again, that was the same age gap between Jill and me, so I had no right to be so taken aback by this suggestion. “No, it’s not Tiffany.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "Then who?"

I took a breath, looking into her eyes from across the room. “It’s Jillian.”

For a second, she just stared like she was waiting for the “gotcha!” moment. “No, it’s not,” she said, shaking her head.

“It is.” I interlocked my fingers over one knee. “Jill and I have been seeing each other all summer.”

Olivia still blinked at me in disbelief, but it was her brother that finally spoke up. “The news lady?”

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