Page 61 of Push

I froze mid-step. The skin on the back of my neck prickled ice cold. “What?”

“She’s not like us. Her brother couldn’t wait to be rid of her, and her mother…” Kayleigh’s high-pitched laugh was condescending. “Well, that drunk wasn’t much of a mother, was she?”

“What the hell are you playing at?” The tightly controlled anger in my voice was unmistakable. “I’venevertalked to you about Gwen’s family.” I’d run my mouth and shared far too much about my marriage, but that was one vow I’d never broken. Gwen’s secrets were as precious to me as my own.

“You…you…did.” Kayleigh’s eyes darted to her feet.

My shadow fell over her, taller, stronger, my temper on the edge. “Who told you those things?”

She twisted the hem of her scrubs in her hands. “You’re scaring me.” Her chin trembled as she fought back tears.

“Do you still think this is a game?”

She barely whispered, “No.”

“Now, you listen to me carefully, okay?”

Her nod was slight, but a flicker of hope lit up her eyes. “Okay.” I could hear the anticipation in her voice. She thought she’d won.

“You’re going to turn around, walk out that door, and then you’re going to keep walking until you get to your car. You’re never stepping one foot inside this clinic again. Do you understand?”

Kayleigh’s head shook furiously.

“Youdon’tunderstand?”

Her voice pitched up with desperation. “Toby—”

“You’re fired.”

Her eyes rounded. “The lawyer said youcan’tfire me.”

“Watchme.” I dodged past without laying a finger on her, grabbed an undershirt off the shelf, and tugged it over my head. “I didn’t do the right thing by my wife when I should have, but I am now. Send your lawyers after me. Waste your time trying to bleed me dry. I’ll defend Gwen until I’ve spent my last dollar. I’ll protect her and my son with my last breath.”

I snatched the white dental coat off the hanger. I didn’t bother putting it on. No time. I strode straight for the door.

“Toby!” Kayleigh scurried after me through the changing room. “Gwen forgot about you. She never supported you. I did!”

The slamming door blocked the words from my ears. I stormed down the hallway but couldn’t escape the wail that followed me. Heads dropped as I passed. Murmured voices floated from the reception desk. I didn’t care. I wasn’t looking back.

All my attention needed to be focused on the only woman who mattered to me—and that sure as hell wasn’t Kayleigh Roberts.

20

She Had a Visitor

Gwen

“Wait.” Marnie’s jaw dropped.“TobyfiredKayleigh?”

I nodded but focused on chopping the kale for our post-workout smoothies. Well, forme,it was post-workout. Marnie had waited outside the yoga studio. But if anyone saw her dramatic collapse onto the kitchen stool after walking up the hill to my place, they’d think she’d done the workout too.

“Gwen.” She slapped the counter next to the chopping board to get my attention. “You cannot leave me hanging like that. When did this happen?”

“Tuesday.”

“But that’s”—she counted on her fingers—“four whole days ago!” When I didn’t add more, she circled her hand, prompting me to keep spilling the gossip Judy had told me at the coffee shop.“And?”

“She said the day was an absolute shitshow. Toby came flying into her office ranting about Kayleigh sneaking into the changing room, refusing to take no for an answer—”

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