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Gen squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to hurt him. She might not want to marry him, but her love for him had been real at one point. His past haunted him, and her actions only emphasized his weakness. Shame flared. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I hate what I did, I have no excuse except I panicked and had to get away. I was afraid to face you."
"Have I ever hit you, Genevieve? Physically hurt you in any way?"
She shuddered but managed to shake her head. "No. But your words did."
He tilted his head, confusion evident. "I always said I loved you. Praised you. The only reason I would ever ask for more is because you are a brilliant doctor and I want you to succeed. I see your potential and didn't want you to settle. If that hurt you, I'll fix it. I'll be different."
The panic leaked in, the same fear he'd talk her back into this relationship. Somehow, with this man, her determination and strength disappeared in a puff of smoke. She fought to stand her ground and be honest. "I don't want to fix it anymore, David. We need to end this."
The tears that glinted in his eyes broke her heart. A tortured moan caught in her chest.
"Please," he whispered. "Give me some time. Give us some time. I pushed too hard with the wedding and the details, and your schedule. To think that I hurt you, or gave you the impression I didn't love you with everything I am, makes me sick. I'm begging you for some time."
"I don't know." She trembled. "I don't think it's a good idea. We don't work."
"We can work." He reached out halfway, then dropped his hand. "You need space. I won't push for anything right now when you're not ready. Spend some time with your family. Think. I'll see you next week at the hospital and we'll take it from there."
"No. David, I don't want . . ." Her words trailed off when he left her standing alone in the middle of the room.
Her body began to shake, so she crossed her arms in front of her chest and squeezed for warmth. Why wouldn't he listen? Why was she so weak around him? He played on her guilt like a master, until she found herself giving in without realizing how it had happened. She was never going back to him again. Space and time wouldn't fix their relationship, yet his stubborn refusal to accept her words as truth only made the pain drag on.
Gen sucked in a breath and slid to the floor. No more. She'd give him the few days he insisted on, and when she returned to the hospital, she'd talk to him. Be clear about their relationship being over. Maybe at work she'd have a better handle on things and be able to project a competent, confident woman who knew her own mind and heart. She never wanted to hurt him, but there was no way to avoid the final outcome.
They were over.
"Sweetheart?" Wolfe stood above her, a looming shadow. He hunkered down in front of her and tipped her chin up. "Was it bad?"
"He's not ready to let me go."
His finger caressed her cheek. "He doesn't have a choice."
She nodded. "You're right. I hate hurting him, but I have no choice. He said to take a few days to think and we'd talk when I get back to the hospital."
"Did he threaten you?"
"No. I think he's still in shock. I'll talk to him again at work and repeat everything I said. Maybe he'll be ready to accept it when he sees I won't change my mind."
Wolfe's face hardened, contradicting the gentleness of his touch. "And if he doesn't?"
"He will. I just don't understand why he would say such things to my family."
"For control. To keep you with him. Wrecking your support system leaves you dependent on him." He helped her stand and studied her face. "Your family will understand, just give them some time. He worked on them for a while behind the scenes. Don't feel too guilty about hurting him, Gen. He knows what buttons to push with you. Trust me, he's a bigger son of a bitch than I thought."
Maybe Wolfe was right. David was not going to make her afraid or doubt herself again. It was time she took control of her life. "I'll talk to him on Monday. Get my stuff. Make some decisions about my future."
A smile touched his lips. "Sounds like a plan. How about we go downstairs and show a united front to your family?"
He reached out his hand. When she took it, his warmth and strength gave her the boost she needed.
Gen followed him out.
"MACKENZIE! WHY AREN'T YOU on rounds?"
She looked up from shuffling stacks of clipboards and papers threatening to smother her alive. "I was assigned to the desk today. Sheila is overwhelmed so I was told to skip rounds."
Dale sneered at her, peering over his glasses like she was pond scum. "Maybe if you'd get your head out of your ass you'd know how to handle instructions better. You're needed on rounds."
Gen held tight to her temper. "Got it." As she hurried down the hall, his hateful gaze bored into her back. She used the time to toughen herself back up, swearing she wouldn't break no matter how bad it got.
And boy, things were bad.
She'd prepared for the worst, but reality hit her harder than expected. Gen had no idea how much David had told the staff, but it was evident she was the new rotavirus. She'd made many casual friends at the hospital during her years, but once her relationship with David went public, most of her so-called friends drifted away. Doctor/student relationships were tacitly frowned upon, but because of David's status and reputation, they'd been able to slide past most difficulties.
Not now though. No one spoke to her. If they were forced to give instructions, they related them in a cold, bitter tone, as if she'd run out on them instead of David. Whispers and accusati
ons flew about her having an affair. Her charts were misplaced, her schedules consisted of night and double shifts, and when she tried to grab coffee at the cafeteria, she was told they'd have to brew a new pot. Fifteen minutes later, she'd been forced to leave, and had caught the new nurse with a steaming cup right after she left.
"How you holding up?"
Gen didn't slow her pace but relaxed slightly at the feminine voice beside her. Sally Winters was the only other resident who was still polite to her. She was pretty in a natural sort of way, with honey-colored hair pulled back and sparkly brown eyes filled with mischief. She'd always enjoyed practical jokes, and was the most supportive in her group, helping out with extra shifts or duties with a cheerful disposition.
"Be careful, you may catch the virus."
She frowned and kept up. "What virus?"
"The one you get when you talk to me."
Sally laughed. "Give it some time to blow over, hon. David is like a god around here, and people are picking sides."
Gen hit the elevator button and glanced at her watch. "I think I'm on the losing one. Tell me the truth, Sally. Is the gossip brutal?"
Her expression was all Gen needed. Her heart sank. It was humiliating to have her personal life picked apart and analyzed, especially when no one really knew what happened behind closed doors. Still, she would not break, no matter how hard it got here.
"Look, as soon as the Kardashians do something, everyone will be so over you."
Gen grinned and stepped into the elevator. "Thanks. It's nice to have one person left to talk to."
"I'm tough. I'll catch you later for coffee."
She wrinkled her nose. "They don't make it for me anymore."
Sally shook her head. "Jerks. I'll straighten them out. Meet you downstairs after your shift."
"If I ever get out."
The doors swished shut and Gen prepped to take her medicine.
Hours later, beaten up emotionally and physically, she managed to slip into the break room and found it blessedly empty. She grabbed a paper cup and slugged down some water, trying hard to keep it together.
"Genevieve?"
She stiffened. There'd been no time over the past few days to talk, and she didn't know if she had the strength right now. Who would've thought being hated by the entire hospital would take so much out of her? He moved beside her and she struggled to straighten up and meet his gaze. "David."
