Forbidden Prescription 3 (Forbidden Medicine 3)

“Have you talked to your dad yet? Is he flipping his shit?”

“I’ve been avoiding him all day. Do you know how hard it is to get work done while there are about a hundred people you’re trying to avoid?”

“I can’t even imagine,” he said softly. “I just keep thinking about Whitney and how terrible this must be for her. I really hope she doesn’t think that I was in on this. I’m the one who actually wants to date her, remember? She was more than just a good roll in the sack. I actually like her.”

“And you don’t think I do?” I asked incredulously. “Never mind that. I’ll try to talk to Whitney. I’ll let you know if I hear anything from her.”

“Tell her I’m sorry,” Ted said.

“I will,” I said wearily, pulling at the ends of my hair. “Talk to you later.”

I hung up the phone and opened the closet door to see my father standing directly in front of me. His lightly lined face looked like he hadn’t slept in days. I was probably causing more grey hairs to sprout at that very moment.

“You’ve been ignoring my messages,” he said.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been busy.”

“We need to talk. Come with me.”

Office hours at the clinic ended twenty minutes ago, yet I was still at work, trying to keep myself busy. I didn’t want to leave work with all of the other nurses. That was their prime gossip time.

We silently walked down the long corridor toward my dad’s office. It made me more nervous that he wasn’t talking to me now. That meant that whatever he had to say could only be said in the privacy of his own office. I was in deep shit.

“I’ve already spoken with Whitney,” he said, shutting the door behind him. “She’s acting like she had nothing to do with the pictures.”

“She didn’t,” I replied. “It’s not her fault.”

“What’s done is done. I don’t think I need to explain the seriousness of the situation with you. There’s no way we can all continue to work here. I’m looking at retiring even earlier than expected. We’ve advised Whitney to find a new job, and I suggest you do the same.”

I nodded. I figured that he would want me gone.

“The thing I wanted to talk to you about was the reason you and Whitney were even doing those things in the first place. I just don’t get it, Chad. She’s your stepsister. Why would you have relations with your stepsister—on my wedding night, of all times?”

“We were together before we even knew about your relationship,” I said, raising my voice. “You didn’t have to marry Dr. Saunders.”

“No? Do you expect me to live the rest of my life alone?”

“Not particularly, but why did it have to be her?”

“I don’t know if I have an answer to that question. We love each other very much. There’s not much of a rhyme or reason to it. I’m not going to turn my back on the love of my life.”

“So how is your situation different from mine?”

“It–it just is,” he stuttered. “I’ve experienced much more life than you have. You have plenty of time to date whomever you want. If I pass up an opportunity like this, then what other options do I have?”

“What if I don’t have any other options?” I asked. “I’m nearly thirty. I’m not a child anymore.”

“Then why do you insist on acting like one? Besides, you aren’t in love with Whitney. If you just want to have sex with women, there are plenty out there. All I ask is that you keep your videos to yourself.”

I felt a fire ignite inside of me. Nobody understood. I didn’t just want to have a sexual relationship with Whitney. I had serious feelings for her. I’d tried to push them away for as long as I could, but they kept rising to the surface.

Even if I told anyone about my feelings for Whitney, I doubted that anyone would believe me. To my friends and family, I was just a playboy. I had slept around so much that no one even considered me as a possible romantic partner.

It was fun for a while. I had made love to so many beautiful women over the years with little consequence. Besides a few pissed-off hookups and a couple of pregnancy scares, things had been great for me. Even when I had the opportunity to enter into a monogamous relationship, I opted to stay single. It was more fun that way.

But now, I was ready for the next step. Whitney was special to me. She was the first woman in recent memory whom I couldn’t help but daydream about at all hours of the day. I wanted to come home to her after work and to wake up next to her in the morning.

Plain and simple, I was in love with Whitney. It went way beyond physical chemistry. I loved her and I wanted to be with her.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said to my dad, finally standing up for myself. “She’s not just a casual sexual partner, and I can’t just find someone new. She’s the one. I only want to be with her. Weren’t you just saying that you couldn’t turn your back on someone you love because it isn’t ideal?”

“Not ideal is an age difference or long distance. The two of you are stepsiblings. I’m not sure what would embarrass me more—for people to know that you used to fool around or for people to know that you’re in a committed relationship. It’s just not right, Chad. I don’t know how you’re not getting this.”

“Is that the only problem here? Or does this have something to do with the fact that you have never approved of any of my life choices?”