Page 56 of Egotistical Jerk
"I've told you before, Sebastian, you made it my business when you jumped into her bed and put this hospital's reputation on the line." There was a pause and for whatever reason, I imagined her thin lips curved into a derisive smile. "Not that it matters. If she takes the job, you don't have to tell her that you've lied to her, now do you?"
My brain shut off after that. It was more concerned with trying to figure out what Dr. Sheppard could be talking about. Because Sebastian, the man who owned a very large piece of my heart, wouldn't lie to me about anything.
Would he?
The loud bang of the door being slammed shut jolted me back to the present. Angry footsteps came in my direction before I felt his presence in front of me. Completely opposite to the chaos rioting inside me, I slowly parted my lids to find Sebastian crouching in front of the couch.
His beautiful face the picture of concern. Deep lines marred the skin above the low dipping eyebrows while a storm brewed in those dark eyes of his. Sebastian carefully took me in, and I had to wonder if it was to check if I was all right or if I overheard his conversation with Dr. Sheppard.
"Hey."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
My gaze roamed over his face and the uncertainty I saw fueled my need to know. I pushed into a seated position and huddled at the end of the couch, the spot furthest away from him. I licked my lips once.
"What was she talking about?"
He reeled back as if I had slapped him, and I swear I felt the effect of it in my own gut. Like a giant fist ramming into my chest, knocking the air from my lungs.
"H-how much did you hear?" Jumping to his feet, he started pacing.
"Enough to know that you've been keeping something from me."
Sebastian stopped walking and faced me, his long fingers speared through his hair. He closed his eyes and pulled in a deep breath. When his lids parted to reveal those dark irises again, I knew whatever he was about to say was going to change things.
"Diana came to me a while ago…" His Adam's apple bobbed a few times "Said she'd heard a rumor that I was seeing someone on my team and then informed that if it was the truth that person wouldn't be able to stay on in diagnostics."
My stomach churned violently. "Why?"
Sebastian's cheeks turned pink as he shook his head. "She believes it will send a bad message. That future doctors will think they can…" He averted his gaze and mumbled, "Sleep their way to a better position."
I jumped up and planted my hands on my hips. "No! I meant why didn't you tell me?"
"Mia." Sebastian took a step toward me, but I shook my head. His long, defeated sigh filled the space between us. "I wanted to… I just—"
I felt sick. So, so sick. "You knew this the entire time we were together, and you never said a word."
He took another step, this time completely ignoring my shaking head, then another and another until I was standing with my back against the wall with his large frame towering over me.
"I didn't know the entire time. Memorial doesn't have a no fraternization policy."
"How long?"
He knew exactly what I was asking. Screwing his eyes shut, he begged, "Mia."
"How long, Sebastian?"
I saw and heard him work down a swallow before he looked at me again. "Almost two weeks."
My stomach dropped like a big sinking rock in the middle of the ocean.
"How could you? You knew how I felt about being a diagnostician.You knew! I had a right to know, especially since it was my career being toyed with."
The muscle in Sebastian's jaw started ticking at an alarming pace. "Considering everything that happened today, I'd say our emotions are running too high to have this conversation now. We've both lost someone who meant a lot to us, and we're not thinking or acting rationally right now."
"Really?" I seethed. "Would you like to see me actirrationally?" He opened his mouth to say something, but I shut him up by pushing past him and stomping toward the door. With my fingers curled around the cool metal of the handle, I glared at him over my shoulder. "I quit."
Chapter 26
