The Doctor Who Has No Chance (Soulless 11)

Just one look at her told me something was wrong—really wrong. “What is it?”

“Um…Catherine is here to see you.”

Just like that, my great day was ruined. Our happiness was sabotaged. It was as if she’d never sat on my lap and I hadn’t groped her ass. My sunny day was ruined by this goddamn rain cloud. “No.” I pushed out of my chair and walked right past her. “Nope. Not gonna let this happen.” I moved into the lobby and saw Catherine standing there, in jeans and a blouse, her hair perfect, her makeup spot-on like always. I walked right up to her and felt my entire body ache because I was so tense.

Sicily moved back behind the counter, probably because she had no idea what to do with herself.

Catherine glanced at her, her subtle anger visible. “I…I didn’t know she worked for you.”

“What the fuck does it matter?” I didn’t care if Andrea heard me talk that way to Catherine. I didn’t give a shit if she recorded it and put it online. I didn’t care about anything right now. “I made it very goddamn clear I want nothing to do with you. How much clearer can I make it, Catherine? I’m not the type to scream at someone like this, and you’re turning me into a man I hate, which makes me even more furious with you.”

She dropped her gaze for a moment. “I’m sorry. Can we…can we talk in your office?”

“No.”

She looked at me again, disappointed.

“I have nothing to hide. Say whatever the fuck you want to say in front of Sicily, because I’m not going to let her think, even for a second, that there’s something here between us when there’s not. I’m not going to let you sabotage what we have. I love her. I’m gonna marry her. I’m gonna put so many goddamn babies in her belly that we’re gonna have our own freakin’ basketball team. So, what the fuck do you have to say?” I didn’t look at Sicily to see her reaction, didn’t really think about her at all because I was just so angry right now.

Catherine winced like I’d slashed her with a knife, my words cutting her deep.

I took a breath and controlled my anger, dimmed it and brought it down to an appropriate decibel. “I don’t want to hurt you, Catherine. But you’re leaving me no choice right now.”

She took a few breaths because my words had hurt her, probably made her sick to her stomach to imagine me married to anyone else but her, just as it made me sick when she was getting married to some other guy. But that was our reality now. “Look, I really want to talk to you in private. It’s not about us…but it’s really important.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Dex, please—”

“No. Whatever you have to say to me could have been said the other two times we spoke.”

“You really think I’m so evil that I’m trying to sabotage your relationship?” she asked incredulously. “Dex, I want us to be together, but you’ve made it very clear that’s of no interest to you. I love you, so I would never try to cause you any unhappiness. I’m being genuine right now. I need to talk to you, and I’d like you to give me the respect for us to sit down and talk in private. It’s not about us, okay?”

“Then what could you possibly want to talk about it if it has nothing to do with us?” I believed Catherine wasn’t some maniacal, spiteful ex, but it was hard to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“When I tell you, you’ll understand. I don’t want to have this discussion in your office either. Can we…talk later?”

My mind tried to find a solution, but I couldn’t think of one. “Are you…sick?” Despite my anger right now, it would kill me if that were true, if there were a chance her life could be taken far sooner than it should be.

She sighed. “Can we just talk later? I’ll come by after work.”

Now I was actually a little scared.

“Dex.” Sicily’s voice came to me.

I turned to look at her, having forgotten she was there.

“It’s okay.” The look in her eyes was genuine, like it wasn’t a test. “Really.”

I turned back to Catherine. “Alright, come by around six.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

We closed up the office and then left the building.

There was so much weight on my chest that I could barely breathe. We were both somber, walking under a heavy rain cloud, while everyone else was blanketed in sunlight. I hoped, prayed, that Catherine wasn’t sick.

The idea of her dying nearly gave me an anxiety attack.

Sicily was quiet too, like it was the only thing on her mind.

“I’ll call you as soon as she leaves.” I turned to look at her before I headed the opposite way.