Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68735 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68735 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
The doctor got up and walked toward the office, a frown marring his face.
I waited for him to open the door and walk out before I followed, making sure to scoot far away from the doctor as I took in the scene.
“I’m sorry,” Audric blurted. “But I saw your car in the lot, and…”
He looked helplessly at me, and I softened.
I walked toward Lottie, who was the one behind all the screaming, and pulled her into my arms.
“Hey, pretty girl,” I cooed. “What’s wrong?”
Lottie didn’t stop screaming, but she did give Audric the breath he needed to take to calm down.
“Ahh, we still have ten minutes,” the doctor said.
“It’s fine, I’ll still pay you for the full time.” I smiled.
“Okay.” The doctor nodded. “I’ll make the appointment before you leave.”
“No, no. That’s okay, thank you. I’ll call and make one,” I lied.
I wouldn’t be calling to make one.
This guy gave me the creeps, and I realized my mistake.
I should’ve found a woman who could listen to my issues.
I’d instantly be more comfortable and could handle myself better, while also feeling more in control.
The doctor opened his mouth to say more, likely to call me on my bullshit, but I left before he could.
The moment we were outside, I said, “What brought you into the parking lot to even see my car?”
Not that I cared.
I was happy to help anytime he needed it.
And maybe should’ve been offering my help from the start.
I was such a bad person.
“Doctor’s next door.” He looked green. “She has yet another ear infection.”
I looked at the poor girl. “Did you get some Tylenol and ibuprofen into her?”
“Yeah, and was picking her script up when I happened to look over and saw you here. I need to tell him.”
My brows rose. “Now?”
“Her doctor wants medical history of the father.” He looked sick. “She’s showing signs of hereditary issues that he thinks might shine some light on a few other things we’ve noticed, too.”
“What other things?”
“She has sight issues that he thinks she needs to go see a doctor for. She’s showing signs of also having hearing issues that might or might not be related to her ear infections.”
“Damn,” I murmured as I patted Lottie on the back. “Well, let’s go.”
He looked at me with startled eyes.
The last thing I wanted to do was admit to more failures today, but seeing the terrified look in Audric’s eyes had me putting my own issues behind me and being there for a man I once called friend.
“I’ll go with you,” I said. “Explain what I know.”
He looked like I’d just offered him a lifeline in the middle of him drowning.
“You will?” he breathed.
“Of course,” I said.
He looked at the door of the office I’d just come out of, reading the nameplate on the door, then looked at me. “A psychiatrist?”
I loosened the tie on my hair, causing a few errant curls to break free.
The relief on my scalp was instantaneous, and the headache that’d been forming at the base of my scalp instantly relented.
“Someone else started sharing their own issues lately, so I thought it was time to face mine.”
His lips twitched. “I’m glad. It’ll be helpful to see someone to talk about your feelings. You have a lot of them.”
I snorted.
That was an understatement.
Then again, he would know better than most about all the shit swirling around in my life.
“Your car or mine?” he asked.
I gestured toward his. “You have the car seat.”
The last time mine had one in it had been three years ago.
And the ache in my chest was still so huge it hurt to breathe.
Audric rounded the truck and opened the door, gesturing for the car seat.
Instead of getting her into it, I handed her off to him.
“That one looks way fancier than the one I had for Damon,” I murmured quietly.
He took her, locked her in, and closed the door before saying, “I just need to make a quick stop at the pharmacy.”
I rounded the hood of his truck and got in, sighing when my ass hit the seat.
“Ahhh,” I said tiredly. “Your seats are like clouds.”
“Had to get a new vehicle when…”
When Laney had died and taken their old vehicle.
I nodded.
“Didn’t want anything like the old one. I’m not saying it’s what killed them, but I’ll never have a small car again. Maybe if they’d been in this, they all would’ve been alive right now,” he murmured quietly.
Laney and Apollo’s son, Tavi, had been stuck in rush hour traffic on I-30 in the middle of Dallas when a senator’s son driving a million miles an hour had lost control and launched himself over the divider wall separating his side from Laney’s.
Laney and Tavi had been killed on impact—though Laney had been given enough life saving measures to help save the baby—as had three other people in three separate vehicles.