Page 102 of Dr. Bad Boy

She just laughs. “You should bill an hour or two of work. That’ll make everyone around here happy.”

I do that, and she’s right, work is good. Especially because I manage to squeeze in ten minutes of my own research. I’m going to need a good family law attorney.

Max. He’s never far from my mind, as morning slides to afternoon, then the sky darkens and suddenly it’s dinner.

I record my last work of the day and flip back to the website for a well-regarded lawyer here in the city. She’s got a page about shared custody from birth.

I should be reassured that I’m not alone in this predicament.

It feels hollow nonetheless.

“Heading home?”

I shriek and close the window before looking up at Derrick, looming in the doorway. Way to be subtle, Columbo. “Yeah. Soon.”

“Have a nice weekend.”

I frown at the calendar. “It’s Thursday.”

He laughs. “It’s also a week and a half before Christmas. I’ve got holiday shopping to do. I’m taking a personal day tomorrow.”

And just like that, I slide back into despair.

I pick up my phone and text Matthew. I want ice cream tonight. He replies right away, but with a sad face, because he’s working an overnight shift.

My phone rings a minute later.

“Hey Matthew,” I mumble.

“What’s wrong?”

“Boy trouble.”

“You want to be more specific than that?”

“No.”

“Can I beat someone up?”

“No.”

He sighs. “I’ve got Rocky Road in my freezer. It’s all yours.”

He always has ice cream in his freezer and he never eats it. Some kind of mind-over-matter gym jock head game that I’ll never understand, but right now I’m super grateful for. “You’re the best.”

“No, V. You are. And you deserve to treated as such.”

But when I hang up the phone, that just makes me cry again, because Max did treat me well. This wound in my chest is not really of his making. It’s totally because I got carried away with the fantasy of having it all.

Itossand turn all night.

I finally get out of bed at the crack of dawn. I think about Max texting me on Monday.

Then I think about the fact that I left his house two nights ago and he hasn’t texted me since.

You did safeword out.

But his silence has to mean something.

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