The Girl Who Always Wins (Soulless 13)

“No, you fucking don’t.” He pushed to his feet and started to pace, his muscular arms red with pumping blood. “Leave.”

“Atlas, I’m not going anywhere—”

He marched to the coatrack and yanked a sweater off.

I ran across the room to get the door before he could, but his finger had already stabbed the button and the doors opened.

“Atlas.” I grabbed on to his arm. “Listen to me—”

“We’re done.” He didn’t twist away or make a movement, just pushed me away with his eyes. “I deserve to be with someone who accepts me as I am, who is happy to have adopted children with me, not put me through that horrendous and humiliating experience all over again.”

Now I started to sob. “I was just trying to help—”

“I don’t want to be with a woman who thinks I need help.” Now his eyes flooded with tears, angry tears. “You looked me in the fucking eye and said they would be ours…ours. And then you do this to me.”

“Please don’t go.” I sobbed and pulled at him. “Please.”

This time, he twisted out of my grasp and stepped into the elevator, slamming his hand into a button. He faced me but stared at the panel, waiting for the doors to close so he could get away from me.

“Atlas…”

Silence.

“That’s not what I meant…”

The doors finally started to close.

“Goodbye, Daisy.”

9

Atlas

I went to the bar where Dr. Hamilton and I had celebrated after our shift at the hospital.

But there was no celebration now.

That happiness that had inhabited every inch of my body, that unspeakable joy, that happily-ever-after feeling…it was fucking gone. The sun had set, but this time, the sun wouldn’t rise again. I sat alone at the table, only a few people inside, and drank as I looked out the window into the darkness. Taxis passed, looking for fares from midnight travelers.

I just needed to wait until Daisy left.

I got a notification on my phone every time the elevator doors opened to my penthouse.

They hadn’t opened yet.

If she dragged this out, I’d crash at a hotel if I had to.

When I returned to my home, I didn’t want her there. I didn’t want to repeat anything that had already been said. It was done. Over.

I hadn’t felt this shitty since my parents died.

Fuck…why did life have to be so fucking hard?

Why did I have to fall in love twice—and both women were wrong for me?

I called the automated system at the lab to say I wouldn’t be coming in. Since I was the director at the clinic, I didn’t have to call anybody. Just wouldn’t show up. Do all my shit at home.

I got a notification on my phone.

She finally left.

The penthouse felt different the second I walked inside.

The energy had changed, like someone had just died on the living room floor. This was going to be a home for the both of us, for us to sit side by side on the couch and work in the evenings, talking about our patients, living in perfect harmony.

Then maybe two kids who needed a home would join us.

Not going to happen.

I fell onto the couch and lay still, my eyes immediately closing, the depression so deep that I instantly fell asleep.

In the morning, I woke up to messages on my phone.

None were from Daisy.

One was from Dr. Hamilton. Everything alright?

We had a lot going on in the lab, and I wouldn’t have called in sick unless I was physically unable to stand on my own two feet—which was totally accurate. Just need a day. I’ll be back tomorrow.

If you only need a day then you must have food poisoning.

Yep.

Drink some Pedialyte. That’ll help.

Will do.

Wasn’t sure how I was going to work with him now.

He’d be professional and omit his daughter as a topic of conversation.

But he might treat me differently, and I wasn’t looking forward to that.

I didn’t sleep well that night.

So, when I went to work the next day, I was a bit out of it.

I went into the lab and got to work, knowing Dr. Hamilton was in the other lab preparing the samples for the next trial. I was isolating cells from the patients who had had success to compare them to the ones who were different. If I could figure out what it was, maybe we could understand a way to help everyone, not just a select few.

When my alarm went off, I knew it was time to shed my lab equipment and get to the clinic.

I’d been dreading it all day.

How was this supposed to work?

How was I supposed to see her every day and be professional?

Not just see her…but talk to her.

Collaborate.

Spend hours alone with her in the same room.

I didn’t see how that would ever go well.

I went to the clinic and powered through the lobby and the assistants to get to my office without interruption. Daisy didn’t call or text, thankfully, but maybe she was waiting to speak to me face-to-face.