Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 42745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
I knew I was hurting her. I knew it every time she looked at me and tried to smile or tried to act like everything was okay when we both knew it wasn’t. I did the last thing I ever wanted to do: I hurt her, and I did it so badly that she had to leave.
I drop the note on the bed and turn toward the closet. Her side is still mostly full, but not all of it. A few empty hangers sway when I push through her clothes. Her favorite jeans are gone. Some shirts. A couple dresses. Her overnight bag is missing from the shelf.
I move to the bathroom next.
Her toothbrush is gone.
So is the face cream she keeps beside the sink. Her brush. Her shampoo from the shower. I grip the edge of the counter and stare at the empty space where her things should be, and my heart feels like it’s breaking.
I try to suck in a breath, and when my legs feel weak, I lower myself to the floor. I stare at the tiles, fighting back the tears. My wife has left me. Oh, she says it’s not forever, but as soon as she finds out what I’ve been hiding from her, she will no doubt leave me for good. Every part of me wants to go after her and bring her home where she belongs.
But I know if I do, I’m going to promise to be better and then keep hiding the truth from her. Maybe this is for the best.
Maybe she needs to be away from me to see that she wants more than I can give her. Maybe this is the beginning of her choosing the life she deserves. And honestly, if anyone deserves a family with kids, it’s Aria. Fuck, she deserves it so much.
I look down at my hands. I’ve saved lives, fixed broken bones—hell, I’ve held hearts in my hands. But I can’t hold on to my wife.
I press the heels of my hands to my eyes, but the tears come anyway. I’m usually able to keep myself together and the emotions locked in, but when it comes to losing Aria, there’s nothing calm or collected about it. I sit here on the bathroom floor and cry for the woman I love.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and for one stupid second, hope shoots through me. I pull it out fast. It’s not Aria. It’s the hospital. The last thing I want to do is answer it, but I’m the doctor on call and there are literal lives at stake. I push the answer button and put the phone to my ear. “Yeah.”
“Sorry, I know you just left, but we can’t reach Dr. Cline and—”
I cut the nurse off. “I’ll be right there.”
I hang up the phone, throw some water on my face, pack a bag of clothes because I can’t see myself staying here if Aria isn’t here, and then walk back outside to my car.
As I settle into the driver’s seat, I pull out my phone and type out a text to Aria.
I got your note. I’m not going to push you. I promise I’m not. I love you, and I always will.
I hit send and then type another text to her, telling her what needs to be said even though I don’t want to say it.
You deserve happiness, Aria. I hope you find it.
Then I drive to the hospital and try to focus on the emergency at hand.
CHAPTER 12
ARIA
I have two hours between patients, so I’m sitting in the hospital cafeteria eating a sandwich. Well, I’m pretending to eat a sandwich. Mostly, I’m looking at apartments, rereading the text from Penn, and hoping for just a glimpse of him. Heck, even if he decided to have another lunch with Nurse Jenner, I wouldn’t mind. That’s how pathetic I am right now.
I just need to see him.
I close the apartment listings on my phone and open our text thread again.
You deserve happiness, Aria. I hope you find it.
I read it for probably the hundredth time, and it still makes no sense. What does that even mean? I was happy with him. At least, I was until I started feeling like he didn’t want to have kids with me anymore.
I set my phone down and stare at the sandwich in front of me. It’s been a few days since I left, and the only thing I’ve accomplished is taking over Cathy’s couch and trying to figure out what the hell has happened to my marriage. I don’t know why, but I thought for sure he was going to come for me. I thought he would come home, find my note, and then tear across town to bring me home. The fact that he didn’t do any of those things made me hurt even more. It seems like he’s just completely let me go. Heck, he’s encouraging me to go out and find happiness without him.