AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It made sense to say he loved Raina. They were married. People generally fell in love and then got married. No one had to know they’d skipped a significant portion of those events.
“Is she worth all this?” Emmaline asked.
“Em,” he huffed a laugh, “she’s worth more than everything.”
His phone rang, and he unceremoniously snatched it off the desk, told Emmaline to give him a moment, and walked to the far end of the lecture hall.
“Hey, baby,” Raina greeted.
A flush warmed his body. “Who’s around you that you have to pretend you like me?”
“A lot of nosy university researchers.”
“So, youhaveto talk to me like I’m the husband you’re in love with?” He ran his fingernails over the coarse hairs along his jawline. “Interesting. Hi, sweetheart. I miss you.”
“I miss you too, baby.”
His heart fell backward into a daisy-covered meadow, arms splayed and legs kicking. “What did you mean in your message earlier? Is work going to take longer than anticipated?”
“Yeah. I won’t be back until next Wednesday.”
“Wednesday?But you’re coming back, right?”
“Yeah. Why? You thought I wouldn’t?”
“It crossed my mind.”
“I love being with you, Lucas.”
Maybe there was an upside to her being away for work. When people were around, she said things he would never have heard otherwise.
“I only had a moment to check in,” she said. “I’ll call you later when we’re done, okay?”
He nodded. “Okay. Thanks for checking in.”
“Your panic attack’s gone?”
“It wasn’t a…yes, it’s gone.”
“Good. Talk to you later, baby. I love you.”
He nearly collapsed where he stood. “I love you too, Rai.”
She hung up.
Once the world stopped spinning, he returned to his desk to find Emmaline’s spot vacant.
“Knock, knock, part two.” Delilah poked her head through the door. “All done? I figured we should walk out together instead of me waiting for you at your car with us being brother and sister and all.”
“Delilah…”
“I know, I know. You don’t enjoy being happy. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Something you don’t know? What’s the significance of Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes when attempting to diagnose a thirty-one-year-old male patient with a history of optic neuritis and progressive weakness in their lower extremities? This is a question I remember from my exams.”
He collected his things and joined her at the top of the steps. After a silent exchange about who would leave first, she sighed and exited while he followed.
“I asked you a question, Daniels.”
