She stands up. “I’m gonna let you get some rest. You take care of yourself. I’ll let you know if I get any bites! Don’t worry. We’ve got this! You’re not alone.”
I turn my head away so she can’t see the tears that have begun falling yet again.
I don’t turn back until she’s gone. Then I sink down, letting the grief for my life roll over me, sobs catching in my throat.
Letting the ache that I feel for him build up. Because one way or another, I will never see him after this. It would hurt too much. And I can’t let him know that our one time had a lasting consequence. That will be my secret. Why mess up his life? I can handle this myself.
CHAPTER6
Frederick
Isigh and fall back into my desk chair, exhausted. The last three days have been a complete mess. Poppy getting sick proved to me how important she is to this office if I didn’t already know.
Which also backs up theno matter how much you want her, you can’t have her. You need to move on and keep your dick in your pantstalks I’ve been having with myself.
The receptionist that’s been subbing pops in and hands me a file folder even though I’ve asked her to put them on my damn desk and stop just popping into my office. She seems bound and determined to get every second with me she can.
I glare at her. “I’ve asked you to leave the file folders on my desk in the morning. And stop just coming in my office.”
She smiles slyly and moves closer, making me back away. She pouts. “But doesn’t this feel way more personal? I think the other way just makes you seem unapproachable.”
“If only,” I mutter under my breath.
“What was that?” she asks cheerily, still stalking me around the room.
“Never mind. Why don’t you go ahead and leave for now? I can handle the office for the rest of the day.” And I need a break. I want Poppy here. I want her restful, yet addicting presence. I want to know that she’s alright.
When she didn’t show up at first, I thought she caught a flu. Goodness knows, I’ve felt run-down and then boom! You get slammed by some little bug.
“Oh, I couldn’t leave you alone. That wouldn’t be right.”
“Trust me. It’s fine. Go home.” I bark at her and she flushes.
“Fine. But I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I nod but no way. There’s no way I’m suffering through another day with that barracuda.
I hear her leave and finally feel my shoulders settle down to my shoulders. I hate feeling pressured and I’m tense as hell.
“Dr. Knight? Are you here?” I hear Spring Castle and run my fingers through my hair, trying to straighten my tie as well. She’s my last appointment of the day and I can’t wait to go home and prop my feet up, have a beer and wish that Poppy would be back.
I’ve tried. Oh, how I’ve fucking tried not to think about her. But it’s impossible. And now that I know she was taken to the hospital, I’m terrified that she’s not well. That another woman I care about will pass away.
I step out of my office. “I’m back here, Mrs. Castle. Come on back. I just sent the receptionist home.”
She pops around the corner and eyes me with a hard look in her eyes. “What’s the matter with the receptionist?”
“I don’t want to say. She just needed to go.” God, I hate fucking gossip. Hate all of it.
Ever since my wife was killed. She was a nurse for the same hospital I worked at. Both of us worked long hours and somehow our lives just got away from us. We never had time to just…well, to just be together.
We hadn’t been intimate for six months before her death in a car accident on the way home from work in a storm. So when it started making the rounds that she was two months pregnant…I knew. She cheated on me. And it had to be with someone we worked with. I went to the funeral and eyed all the men there with suspicion. Same with work. Every good-looking man that could have been near her and I had to wonder. Was he the father of the baby she was carrying?
In the end, I had to leave before I lost my mind. I wasn’t in love with her anymore and probably hadn’t been for a long time. But there’s no way in hell I would have ever cheated on her. She apparently didn’t have the same qualms about that as me.
All of this runs through my mind while I watch her. I know Spring is friends with Poppy. And I’m assuming she may have seen her. But I don’t know why she’s glaring at me. Unless she thinks I’m working her too hard.
“How’s Poppy?” I ask, gesturing to the exam room. She moves in front of me but turns as soon as she walks in the door.