The Doctor Who Has No Closure (Soulless 10)

“Maybe I’ll get an assistant when I’m the director of Harper Clinic.”

“Is Dr. Levinson leaving?” I asked.

“He talks about retiring in the near future, so…” She sipped her wine. “It could happen.”

“And you think they’d hand over the reins to you?” I teased.

She nudged me in the side. “Come on, I’m the smartest bitch in that place. First one to get there in the morning, last one to leave at night. Always.”

“Why don’t you open your own practice?” She was smart enough to have her name on the door, and she had Dad to help her with the business side of things.

She shrugged. “I really like where I work. I like the collaboration with the other physicians. Sure, I have an ass that won’t quit, but I rely on the expertise of my colleagues to fix patients. If I started my own practice, I’d have to hunt for all the right people, and not because of their degrees and experience, but because of their grit and heart, and it’s hard to find that. It takes a long time, and I’m just not that ambitious. I like where I’m at.”

I could totally see Daisy doing her own thing, having a team of doctors that wanted to work with her because of her mind and heart. She was young, so maybe in a decade she would realize she didn’t need anybody else but herself.

“What’s new with you?”

Other than sleeping with my old mentor, not much. “Just work.” I didn’t tell anyone that Sicily had seen my old wedding picture. It would just make things awkward, and they would think it was weird that I still had that picture…because it was. I should have thrown it out with everything else, but when I stood over the dumpster with it in my hand, I just couldn’t do it. Something held me back. I didn’t know what. I’d shoved it in the back of my closet until it came time to move. “Patient care, research, residency… Never stops.”

“But you’re enjoying it, right?”

I nodded. “Definitely. I just…” I finished my pretzels but couldn’t find the words.

“Just what?” she pushed when I didn’t answer.

“I feel guilty for leaving in the first place. I see the way these patients need me… And there were patients who needed me, and I wasn’t there.” I was a human being with needs like everyone else, but it haunted me that people couldn’t get the care they deserved because I was too weak to overcome my issues. It was pathetic, really.

She placed her hand on my back and rubbed me gently. “Don’t carry that burden, Dex. You needed to take time for yourself—and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

When the game was over, she finished off the rest of her wine. “So, I was thinking… You free tomorrow night?”

“Is there another game?” I grabbed the last handful of pretzels and shoved them into my mouth.

“No. Wanted to see if you want to get dinner.”

“Why?” I asked. “We’re together right now.” I saw my sister often, more than anyone else in the family, but I didn’t need to see her more than once a week. We had a lot in common, but we didn’t have that much to talk about.

“Well, I wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine.”

I turned to look at her, knowing exactly who that friend was. “That guy you’re seeing?”

“Yes.”

She’d never asked me to meet a guy before. “You want me to meet him?”

“That’s what I asked, isn’t it?”

“You said it wasn’t serious.”

“It’s not super serious, but I like the guy. I’m sorry, is this 1852 and I can only introduce a man to my family if we intend to be wed under the full moon on a summer’s eve in the eyes of God?”

“No. I just… I’m surprised, is all.”

“Why? You’re more than just my brother, you’re my friend. I’ve introduced him to my girlfriends.”

“So, Derek isn’t included in this? Mom and Dad?”

“No,” she said with a laugh. “You might come over for a game, and he could be there. I want you guys to know each other.”

That made me feel better but also worse.

“What’s the deal?” she asked.

“I just…haven’t met a boyfriend of yours since we were in high school.”

“A boyfriend in high school doesn’t count as a real boyfriend at all. Come on, you can bring a lady. Bring Sicily. Bring that chick I saw you with the other night.”

“You knew I was there?”

“Yeah, and you obviously knew I was there, so why didn’t you come say hi?”

I shrugged. “Why didn’t you?”

“Because I’ve never seen her before, and I assumed it was a one-time-thing type of situation. Didn’t want to ruin your game. Besides, you’ve met Mason before. No reason not to stop by.”

“If I’ve met him already, why do you need to introduce me again?”

Her eyes narrowed, full of ferocity like a packed punch. “Seriously, what is your problem? I put in a lot of effort with Catherine before you were married and made her feel like a sister after you tied the knot. And after she decided to be a fucking bitch, I didn’t hunt her down and kick her teeth in, so what’s so damn hard about spending time with this guy that I’m into?”