CHAPTER 1
PENN
I can’t be late. Not again.
I lift my arm to look at the watch on my wrist as I jog toward the restaurant. “Fuck,” I grunt. It’s even later than I thought. I can already picture the look on Aria’s face. She’s going to be hurt, disappointed, and embarrassed… again.
I can’t keep doing this to her.
I walk into the restaurant, and the owner points toward the back. He knows who I am because I performed surgery on his wife last year. “How’s Cecilia?” I ask, out of breath.
The man nods as he rushes me toward the back. “Good. Good. Thanks to you. Now hurry. They’re about to cut the cake.”
I run a hand through my hair as I follow him. Fuck, the party is almost over.
As soon as I walk into the room, my eyes go straight to Aria. She has that fake smile on her face again. The one I’ve been seeing too much lately.
She’s upset, and I don’t blame her.
I walk straight to her, bypassing my family, and lean down to press my lips to her forehead. “Sorry,” I whisper.
When I lean back, her eyes don’t quite meet mine. “You should probably apologize to your sister too.”
I nod and look across the room at Skyler. She has a worried look on her face, and I force a smile. We’re supposed to be happy, and the last thing I want to do is ruin my sister’s baby shower.
I walk toward her, ignoring the dirty look Zach is giving me. Not that I blame him. He’s protective, and he doesn’t like anyone upsetting her. I can appreciate that.
I lean over and hug Skyler. “Hey, sis. Sorry I’m late. A surgery ran over.”
She’s usually forgiving, but not today. Under her breath, she mutters, “You should apologize to your wife.”
I nod. “I did.”
Her gaze burns into me, and I know she’s mad. More and more lately, I’ve been showing up late, missing family dinners, and there’s no doubt my family is starting to question it all.
I gesture toward where Aria is sitting. “I’m going to have a seat.”
As I walk across the room, I don’t miss the stares from my family. Ozzy is shaking his head at me, and I know exactly what he’s thinking. His wife passed away a few years ago, and I’ve heard him say it enough times that I can hear his voice in my head now.You need to be thankful for what you have. Don’t take it for granted.And then the other one.You never know when it’s all going to end.
Just thinking about losing Aria makes my chest tighten.
Bree, Logan’s wife and my sister-in-law, lifts her eyebrows at me, and Logan does the same. It seems I’ve pissed off my whole family by being late.
I sit down next to Aria and put an arm around the back of her chair. She tenses, and it feels like a punch to the gut. She’s always curled into me when I touch her, but today is different. I can’t say I blame her after the argument we had last night.
I pull my arm back and reach for her hand instead, threading our fingers together. “Hey,” I whisper.
She’s smiling, but I can only imagine how hard it is for her to fake it. “What?” she whispers back.
I pull our hands up and press my lips to her soft skin. “I’m sorry. I really tried to be here on time.”
She looks at me, still smiling because everyone around us is watching. Then she leans closer. “You really think I’m mad because you’re late? You’re a doctor, and you save lives. I understand that.” She blows out a breath. “What I don’t understand is why you’re pulling away from me.”
I look into her big brown eyes, and the hurt there nearly takes me out. I’ve fucked up, and I don’t know how to fix it. Not without losing her, and that’s not an option.
I squeeze her hand. “I love you, Aria.”
She pulls her hand from mine. “Can we talk about this later?”
