Surgeon Boss, Surprise Dad

“We have things that need to be said.” Her gaze didn’t leave the happy couple in the print. They’d been at a hospital picnic celebrating twenty years of business in the community. Kelly had taken the photo and given him and Liz framed prints.

He loved this woman and it showed in that picture. Just as her feelings for him showed. Life had been near wonderful with the exception of Gramps. How had things gotten so out of control?

Shaking inside, Adam sat on the opposite end of the sofa. He didn’t want to hurt Liz.

“We should let things end without getting messy.”

She paled at his “let things end”, but kept her chin high. “Things are already messy, Adam. More so than you realize.”

He wasn’t strong enough, not tonight. He needed her to leave, needed her not to make doing the right thing more difficult. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I care,” she said point blank, not budging an inch.

“You shouldn’t.”

“Why wouldn’t I care about you? You were my boyfriend, my best friend, my lover.” Her whiskey-colored eyes penetrated him. “Actually, I thought we were more than that.”

“I thought you’d met someone else.”

Her gaze searched his and she started to say one thing, visibly changed her mind, then said, “I love you, Adam. I have for months and imagine I still will until I draw my last breath.”

“Liz.” How could he convince her she was better off without him?

“You must have realized how I feel about you. Other than Gramps, you’re the only man I’ve ever loved.”

Why was she telling him this? He didn’t need to hear this, didn’t need to know what might have been.

“I’m sorry, Liz. What we had was fun, but I’m not in love with you, nor do I want to be.”

Her gaze lowered to her lap and her throat worked, as if she had a difficult time making his words go down. “You don’t love me? You’re sure?”

Liz deserved a wonderful life, to fall in love with someone who would cherish her, take care of her, give her the whole world. He couldn’t deprive her of that.

“No, Liz.” He met her eyes, forced himself to hold steady, to remember he was doing this for her. “I don’t. I never have, and I never will.”

She glared at him, suspicion in her eyes. “If you don’t love me and never have, tell me what’s changed? Why your attitude went from caring and wonderful to ignoring me almost overnight? If you didn’t love me all along, what was the difference? Why couldn’t we just keep going on as we were?”

It was a logical question and one he struggled to answer.

“After Gramps’s funeral seemed like the right time to make a break.”

Liz closed her eyes, inhaled a deep breath, visibly trembled. Better to hurt for a day or two now than to get stuck with him every day and night for the rest of her life.

“I’m sorry, Liz.” He was sorry he’d put her in this position. For that alone she should hate him.

“The past year has been an aberration, but it wasn’t real. Not for me. Your grandfather’s funeral made me realize you’re a free woman now, ready to move on with the rest of your life.” Lord, he sounded sincere. Like he believed what he said. She sat in silence staring at her hands, hands that trembled in her lap. “It wouldn’t be right for me to hold you back when I have no desire for our relationship to go further.”

“Hold me back?”

“You should move on with your life, date other men.”

A soft hiccup escaped from her lips and she attempted to hide the tell-tale motion by covering her mouth with her hand.

“Because you want to date other women?” Her voice sounded frail, lost.

No, he wanted to scream, he only wanted her. But prolonging the inevitable only made this all the harder. They needed a clean break. Liz needed to be free.

“Yes.”