Page 96 of The Photograph

“On my way home. I’m tired. I just want a hot bath and go to bed. Can we take a rain check? I’m going to Rainbow to set up two new bedrooms and I had a full weekend. Can we say next week Thursday or Friday?”

My heart races during his long pause. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

I’m just tired of begging you for sex. “Just busy. I’ll see you next week.”

“Okay baby, rest well. Good night.”

“Night, Gabe.”

When I get home, I cry in my bath and again under my duvet.

****

Gabe

She’s avoiding me.

I slam the door of my office behind me, open my laptop, but all I can think of is her.

It’s difficult enough to resist her when she keeps wearing those sexy dresses and fuck-me shoes. When she stripped wearing that red ensemble, I nearly came in my pants, and it took every ounce of my drained willpower not to bury myself inside her. And ride her hard until neither of us could move.

But this distance between us is far worse. And the thought of other men seeing her, touching her, making her smile, is driving me fucking crazy.

I exhale sharply. My appointment with Dr. Nareen Ahmed is in an hour.

An hour later, I enter the office of the woman who saved Aelin. The attractive brunette extends her arm to the chair across her desk. After she sits down, she studies me for a couple of seconds.

“Mr. Matthews, I told your assistant over the phone. I won’t divulge information on my patients.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Dr Ahmed, I just want to ask you a few hypothetical questions.”

She smiles and perches the thin silver framed glasses on top of her head. “Of course, that I will do.”

“If a twelve-year-old child is… sexually violated and develops an infection which is left untreated. Years later, she gets … she gets pregnant and loses the baby because of the scarring left by the infection for which…” I clear my clogged throat. “…for which she needs emergency surgery…” Fuck. This is harder than I thought.

Nareen Ahmed’s expression sharpens as she scrutinizes me. “Mr. Matthews you’re telling me a story. I don’t hear a question.”

“How long would it take to recover from that type of surgery?”

“Depending on the patient’s age and health condition, without complications, it would take roughly three to eight weeks to be physically fully recovered.”

The knot in my chest loosens. “Eight weeks… How long before the patient can safely have sexual intercourse?”

She leans back in her armchair. “Mr. Matthews, the right time to have sexual intercourse with a woman whether she’s been sexually victimized or not is when she tells you she’s ready.”

Aelin’s been telling me for weeks she’s ready.And I kept rejecting her for fear of hurting her.“Thank you, doctor.”

On my way to my car, I shake my head.I could have had her weeks ago.Tonight. I’ll have her tonight.

Just as I clear the parking lot, my cell vibrates. “Matthews.”

“Gabriel? It’s been so long. I’m so happy to hear your voice. How are you?”

Only one person calls me Gabriel. “Vanessa?”

She lets out that high pitched cackle which always sounded forced. I clench my jaw. Vanessa Hodges—now Hawthorne—, the only woman I asked to marry me, never did anything without an agenda.

“Oh, I’m so happy. I didn’t think you’d recognize me.”

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