CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Oops …
Dorothy
“What are you doing?”
“Jesus!” I jump at the sound of Dr. Warren’s voice. “Don’t scare me like that.”
He tosses his lunch wrappers in the garbage. “I ate my lunch, watching you pace a six-foot strip for the past fifteen minutes. What’s up?”
“Nothing is up.” I force myself to stand still, shoving my hands into the pockets of my scrub top.
Fifteen minutes. Fuck … my break is up.
No. This is a good thing. I need to work. Work is good. I should think about work.
“Haven’t seen you lurking around the lab as much. Does this have anything to do with the reconciled Hawkins-Hathaway duo?” Warren tips his chin up, eyeing me with suspicion.
“Oh. So the rumors are true? They’re back together?”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Yeah …” he says slowly.
“Good. That’s great. Just as it should be.”
Then the breakup and subsequent thirty-two journals used to sort out my thoughts weren’t all for nothing. It’s a silver lining. Silver linings are good.
Roman has his parents back together. That is all that matters to me.
Sort of …
“How many cups of coffee have you had today, Mayhem?”
“One. Why?” I stop myself from pacing again. When did I even start pacing again?
He chuckles, pressing the button to the elevator. “No reason.”
“He’s happy. Right?”
Dr. Warren pauses, holding open the elevator doors. “Sure. I mean. They’ve all had gastrointestinal issues or food poisoning, vomiting-diarrhea shit stuff going on over the past three weeks. But I think everyone has recovered.”
“That’s good. Just in time for the holidays!”
He laughs again before stepping onto the elevator. “Sure.”
“Wait!”
The doors close before I can stop them. I need to get back to work. My shaky finger pushes the button.
“Hi.”
I look over my shoulder. “Hi.” I practically choke on that one word as Dr. Hathaway gives me a polite smile.
The elevator doors open again, and I rush onto it, which is stupid since she’s getting on as well. It’s not like I can really run from her.
She presses the button to the sixth floor. Fantastic. That’s where I’m going as well.
“How have you been?” she asks, and it feels real and kind. Not like she found out I had sex with Eli in the on-call room five weeks ago.
Not that I’m counting.
“Fine. I heard you’ve all been sick. Sorry. Hope it’s all good now.”
“Yeah.” She shakes her head with a bit of relief. “That wasn’t a lot of fun.”
“I’m sure not.” I reach into my pocket as my phone vibrates. When I pull it out, the other things in my pocket come out as well, dropping to the floor. “Crap.” I bend down at the same time Julie does.
My hand goes for the wad of tissue (because I don’t want her to touch my dirty tissues). She grabs a folded up ten-dollar bill and the one thing I really should have snatched up before her—but I didn’t.
We stand at the same time, both of our gazes affixed to the pregnancy test in her hand. My pregnancy test. The one I took in the cafeteria bathroom twenty-five minutes ago.
The doors open and she slips the test into the pocket of her lab coat. Like … what the fuck? That’s my test!
“A word, Dorothy.” She steps off the elevator, shoulders back, chin up like the boss bitch she is, making a straight line to her office with my pregnancy test.
What is it with the Hawkins-Hathaway duo and their constant need to have a word with me?
I was never sent to the principal’s office in school. So this is new for me. And it sucks because I’m not prepared for this. If she can give me a day, I’ll be ready. Something tells me she’s not likely going to grant my request.
“Close the door please.”
I close the door.
She stands behind her desk, as any authoritative boss bitch would do, and pulls the test out of the pocket of her lab coat. After wordlessly staring at it for an eternity, she lifts her gaze to mine. “Please tell me you have a boyfriend.”
I shake my head.
Her brow wrinkles as she returns her attention to the pregnancy test.
“When is the last time you spoke with Elijah?”
“Um … on Halloween he sent me a photo of Roman, but I didn’t respond. But not because I didn’t think it was a cute picture. Roman is the most adorable little boy I’ve ever seen.”
Dr. Hathaway grunts a laugh and nods several times. “And when is the last time you had sex with Elijah?”
It’s not her business. I mean … I don’t think it’s her business. I honestly don’t know whose business is whose right now.
“Five weeks ago,” I say because I can’t lie to her.
Her head resumes its slow nod. She would have been a good principal or maybe even a prosecutor.
“What are your plans?” She pins me with a neutral look that makes me squirm.