Page 3 of The Next Of Us
I dropped it back inside and slammed the drawer shut.“I know…I know and yet I can’t give up the idea the answer is in there.”I scrubbed my hand over my face.“I can’t fix my mistake if I can’t find it.”
Standing abruptly, Max held out his hand.“Let me take another look.”
I recoiled at the idea of releasing Ryan’s file to Max.I wasn’t hiding anything.In the early days, when Rhonda Deevers was threatening to sue, Max pored over the file with me, searching for a clue.
I simply didn’t want to relinquish it.I wanted it buried in my drawer under lock and key along with my horror, guilt, and obvious failure.
“Give it to me, son,” he continued, his voice gentling.“I’ll go over it again and compare it to my notes from my check-ins with Ryan.If there’s anything you missed, I promise I’ll tell you.”
But you’re here late every night…
I held Max’s gaze.
I couldn’t keep going the way I was.
My wife deserved better.
Sliding the drawer open once more, I looked down at my nemesis, tempted beyond reason to flip through my notes one more time.
Ignoring the urge, I handed it over, and a thousand pounds shifted from my shoulders.I inhaled deeply.“Thank you.”
“Why don’t you take the next two weeks?”
My gaze snapped up to his as my brow furrowed.“What?”
While Max and I still worked together, at this point I carried most of the therapeutic load while he focussed on initial assessments, diagnoses, follow-ups, and recruiting his replacement.
As much as I dreaded Max leaving, it would be good to partner with another full-time therapist.As it was now, the hours grew as my tolerance waned.Not a good combination.
He nodded.“I’ll take any patients that can’t miss, the rest can reschedule.”
My mouth hung open.
What would I do for two weeks?
How would I fill the hours?I snapped my mouth shut so hard my teeth clicked.
It’s not like I couldn’t afford to shuffle vacation time around to accommodate the extra time off, but two weeks alone with my thoughts?
No.
He looked at his watch and pushed back from his desk.“I’ve got preliminary interviews lined up this week and next.When you get back, we can decide who to bring back and see them together.”
“That would be good.”I heard the relief seeping into my voice.
He chuckled.“Take Nadine up to the cabin for a few days.See if you can reset.”His amiable smile gave way to a look of deep concern.“And if you’re still in this place when you get back, you’re going to need to talk about it.”
“I know.”
I know.
2
Roots
Nadine
I woke up the same way I went to bed: alone.Worse, Aaron’s side of the bed had not been slept in.
