Like You Love Me by Locke Adriana

Author:Locke, Adriana
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amazon
Published: 2021-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

HOLDEN

You’re late.” Dottie grins smugly over a cup of coffee. “But I’ll cut you some slack today.”

She takes a slow, deliberate sip and waits expectantly.

I knew this would happen but failed to resolve the situation on the drive over. Every quarter mile I got closer to the clinic, the heavier the certainty felt. But as my mind raced to get a hold on the potential questions Dottie would undoubtedly ask without the crowd of the party, my brain would just as quickly skip back to Sophie.

Writing the note—deciding whether to even write it at all—was harder than marrying her. What should I say? Should I say anything? Is it out of pocket to say I’m worried she’ll feel like a wreck after all that champagne? Would it be rude if I didn’t?

Should I stay home today?

Fuck if I knew. All I did know for sure was that I was locking the door and she needed to know that.

Maybe it was an excuse, some juvenile way of equating my decision. But it worked.

Dottie pulls me back to the present with an arched brow.

I flash her a half smile.

My bag hits the counter with a thud. I make a point of taking a long, deep breath before heading to the coffeepot. My stomach curls as if to warn me that the bitter acids aren’t going to go over well.

Yeah, well, neither is Dottie’s prodding.

She can’t take the silence.

“I’ll have you know that I didn’t expect you at all today,” she says. “With that beautiful wife at home and all.”

“Yes, well, my beautiful wife is at home asleep, and my grandfather is coming in today.”

It’s a shitty explanation. I know it. And as I look up at Dottie, I can see she knows it too.

“And I wanted to see you,” I say, pouring on the sweetness. “I have an inkling that you helped Liv put that whole thing together last night, and I wanted to thank you. In person.”

She smacks her lips together as if to say, “Sure.”

It occurs to me briefly that trying to fake all this in front of Dottie is pointless. Her bullshit meter is exceptional. I’d forgo it all and just tell her the truth, but Sophie will be here long after I’m gone. That will be her ball to play however she chooses.

I take my coffee and walk over to the appointment book. My eyes scan the records, glossing over dates and times. All the while, I try to ignore Dottie’s stare on the side of my face.

The longer I go without looking at her, the more pointed her gaze gets. And the deeper she digs, trying to work out what’s really going on, the more amused I become.

I lift my mug and take a sip.

“Are you planning on having kids soon?” Dottie asks.

The coffee goes down the wrong tube. I leap back from the desk before I choke all over the notes about a cat named Scotch.

Struggling to catch my breath, I pound on my chest with the palm of my hand.

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