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I couldn’t find the words for what I wanted to say, but it wasn’t like I was super skinny or anything. I still had some curves. It hadn’t even occurred to me that where I was might be unhealthy. So many women were so much thinner than me.
He pressed his lips together, somehow understanding what I was thinking. “Your body’s natural frame is never going to be waif thin. Some people are naturally thin and healthy. You’re not. Perhaps a nutritionist or counselor would be necessary?”
“She’ll go to both,” Jonas interjected. “We’ll need the referrals.”
“Good,” Dr. Steinman said. Both men seemed to be ignoring me. “She can return in two weeks. We’ll call with the blood test results. I suspect iron deficiency, but I’ll check everything.” He finally looked at me. “Are you tired all the time? How’s the sleep and stress?”
“She was physically attacked.” The anger and hurt in Jonas’s voice shamed me. “You can see the dark circles and puffiness around her eyes. She’s not sleeping.”
My shoulders slumped.
Dr. Steinman smiled at Jonas. “Thanks for answering for her. Let’s hear what she has to say for herself.”
Jonas lifted his chin.
I grimaced. “I’ve been unable to sleep. I take sleeping pills occasionally. As for stress….” I thought about Declan and glanced at Jonas. “I have been under stress.”
“Then, Lily, this is your warning,” Dr. Steinman said. “It’s you that needs to start helping yourself, or give in and go for hospitalization and have us insert a feeding tube. Hopefully that won’t get infected and cause other long term problems. Your other option is succumbing to possible debilitating illnesses or death.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Jonas spoke up.
I grimaced and crossed my arms. “That’s harsh.”
“I’m here to help my patients get better,” Dr. Steinman said. “So, if it scares you into health, I did my job. I don’t want you collapsing at work so I will write a request for stress leave that you can submit to your Human Resources Department. I’ll leave it in front with the counseling referral.” He turned to Jonas. “You’re her fiancé, so take care of her. I’m not giving her medication. Healthy meals, slow weight gain. She should have warm milk, massages, absolutely no stress and therapy.”
“I will take care of her,” Jonas said. “And we’ll be here for the next appointment. Thank you.”
My eyes widened in surprise at Jonas’s assurance. He couldn’t promise to be here in two weeks. He had work.
Dr. Steinman turned back to me. “See you in two weeks, Lily.”
He shook Jonas’s hand then left.
I turned back and quickly put on my clothing. “Jonas. You can’t be here.”
“Oh, Lily, I can be wherever I want,” Jonas said, not to just for me, but also himself.
He pulled out his phone and began texting someone. When I was changed, he took my hand. We walked out to the front desk and waited a few minutes to collect the referrals before leaving the office.
Once we were seated in the car, Jonas immediately reached for me. I didn’t resist as he placed me in his lap. I needed the comfort.
“David. We’ll stop in Jersey City. Then, back to the Waldorf hotel,” Jonas said.
I hid my face in case he saw my disappointment. We were right back into the same routine. He’d wine, dine, and leave. Still I snuggled against him. And, for the first time in weeks, I slept soundly.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
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Icould feelhis breath on my ear. His nose brushed against me, rousing me from my sleep.
“We’re here.”
I opened my eyes, looking past him out the windows, and saw my apartment building. My heart sunk. The scene of the crime. My Hell.
“Something wrong?” Jonas asked, tilting my head up to him.
My brows furrowed. Yeah, something was wrong, and it was the gorgeous, unavailable man holding me. I moved off his lap and onto the seat next to him. I had been so enraptured by having Jonas here that I had completely failed to remember what Dani had said about Melissa. He was seeing her now. But she couldn’t give him what he needed, a small voice in the back of my head reminded me.
