“Who’s not at work? Robert?”
“Yeah, I went to go see him. To apologize.”
She sighs.
“I mean, good for you, but you really did a number on him, kid. I’m not surprised he didn’t go in.”
“He unmatched me on the app. Now I have no way to reach him.”
“Well, shit.”
“Yeah,” I say. We’re silent for a minute, and then I try again. “Do you have any idea where he lives?”
“Where he lives? Are you going to go full-stalker on him?”
“No.”
“Meredith...” Her voice holds a warning.
“Okay, maybe,” I say.
“Don’t do it,” she says.
Fuck.
“Foxy, I can’t...I can’t let it end like this.”
“I told him about the dragon,” she says. “He’s going to be there tomorrow.”
“Nope. That’s not happening anymore. There’s been a change of plans.”
“Meredith, what are you saying?”
“Foxy, I’ve got to save this. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m not going to quit on him.”
She laughs.
“Okay, I think I know how we can figure out where he lives.”
That’s what I’m talking about.
Chapter 14
Robert
I’ve never called in sick to work.
Ever.
In all of my years as a doctor, I’ve never had a need to. Even when I got divorced, I kept going to work as usual. Today, though, I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t go treat people and take care of people and pretend that everything’s fine when my entire world feels like it’s falling apart because it is.
She doesn’t want me.
She doesn’t want me or need me and giving her my mark was a horrible, terrible decision. I loiter around my house for awhile, but I finally realize that I’m wallowing in self-pity, and that’s really a terrible look on me.
Finally, I decide to go to the coffee shop. Beans is a cute little shop where I can grab a mocha and just sit back and relax. Good. That’s what I really need right now. I need to relax. A
s soon as I’m in the shop, though, I can smell her.