Page 33 of The Grumpy Vet
Linus drops his fork with a loud clang. "What? Are you serious?"
"Unfortunately, I am. But it gets even worse."
"How?"
"When I broke up with him after he finally confessed his so-called straight football buddy wasn't so straight and was more than just a buddy, I told him we needed to split our stuff up. We had lived together for about eight months at this stage and bought a lot of furniture and household stuff. We also had a joint bank account. What I didn't realise is that by having the one joint account, he also had access to my other accounts. Includingmy savings account. The one I was using to save for a house deposit."
"Wait a minute." Linus stares at me intently. "I don't understand how he had access to your other accounts."
I blow out an exasperated breath. "The fucker knew my password. He called my bank one day, pretended to be me, and authorised access for himself."
"That's highly illegal," Linus says with a frown deeply etched across his forehead.
"Tell me about it. It was only my threat of taking legal action that made him pay back what he'd already stolen."
Linus shakes his head. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It sounds horrible."
"Yeah, well. It is what it is. Glad I found out sooner rather than later, before he had a chance to completely wipe me out. He cleared out shortly after that, and I moved on. Mainly to comfort eating. Hence why I'm carrying a bit more weight around than usual."
Linus's eyes cut to mine. "You look fine to me. Better than fine, actually. You're one of the two sexiest guys I've ever met in my life."
The compliment is so unexpected, and I feel so unworthy of it at this moment in my life, that I pull a Ryde and blush. Actually freaking blush.
"Thanks." I shovel some broccoli into my mouth and pray that's the end of that conversation.
As if sensing my mood, Ryde changes the topic. "How's your father doing?" he asks Linus.
It's not the smoothest transition, nor the cheeriest one, but it gets the job done. "He's doing as well as can be expected," Linus answers slowly.
"Are you guys close?" I ask after a beat of silence. "You know what, forget it. I don't know when to shut up, which is richbecause I was done talking about my ex. I get the feeling you're uncomfortable, so we can?—"
"No, no. It's fine." Linus lifts his fork in the air, a smile rising on his lips. "This is what people who like each other and have tasted each other's dicks do. They talk. Even if it's not about the most pleasant things. Or am I getting it wrong?"
I smile, appreciating the effort he's making. "You're a quick learner."
"Yeah, well, I have to be with you two. You guys keep me on my toes."
Ryde and I glance at each other. An unreadable emotion flickers in his eyes, lingering just long enough to mean something. What, I'm not exactly sure. But something about Linus's words, about us keeping him on his toes, registers deep inside with me, and possibly with my bestie, too.
"My father is a difficult man." Linus's deep voice pulls our focus back to him. "Imposing. Rigid. Not very liked around here, which is an impressive feat since most people tend to like the person looking after their sick or injured animal."
"Did you become a vet because your dad was?" Ryde asks.
"In part, yes. He made it clear he expected me to follow in his footsteps, that he wanted me to take over the clinic from him. But I've also loved animals my whole life and couldn't imagine doing anything else."
Linus takes a break, and neither Ryde nor I try to fill the silence. Him opening up like this is major. If the man needs time, we're going to give him all the time in the world. "I was happy to follow in his footsteps professionally, but I wanted to be nothing like him personally. I'm not sure how well I succeeded on that front."
"What are you talking about?" Ryde interjects. "Everyone in town thinks you're a great guy. The guys at the clinic love and respect you."
Linus dips his head, so I chime in with, "Yeah. You're nothing like the uptight, cranky bastard Ryde has made you out to be all these years."
"Hey! I never said that."
Linus looks up, his hazel eyes darting between us. A half smile forms on his lips. He angles his head towards Ryde. "You've been talking about me for years?"
"Since day one of starting at the clinic," I answer on his behalf. "If social media hadn't ruined my memory and recall abilities, I could tell you everything you've said and worn and every flavour of tea you've drunk these past two years."
Ryde lowers in his chair, his eyes becoming laser focused. A second later, the table jolts as his foot smacks into the leg instead of me. His lips press into a thin line, and I treat him to my smuggest smirk. "Nice try, buddy."
