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Dereck was in the middle of drinking, so it took him a while to respond. “What she said made no sense. I know she’s avoiding telling me the truth.”
“Well, the truth is that you are insensitive, self-absorbed, and all-around a terrible boyfriend,” Taylor said sharply.
Dereck took a moment to respond, anger building inside him. “What do you know, Taylor?”
Taylor’s green eyes were defiant. “Obviously, more than you.” She poked a finger at him. “One reason you lost her is that you don’t pay enough attention to her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Dereck brushed away Taylor’s finger and walked around the woman.
With folded hands, Taylor followed him with her eyes while shaking her head. “If this is how you treat your patients, it’s a miracle they are still alive.”
Dereck made a sharp turn, resting the empty bottle on the table. “What do my patients have to do with anything?”
Taylor’s eyebrows pushed upwards. “I’m simply referencing that you’re a doctor and your girlfriend was sick, and you didn’t even notice.”
“Alina was sick?” His eyes became wide. “What’s wrong with her? Is she okay now?”
Taylor’s voice was rising with each sentence. “If you were a wonderful boyfriend, these are all things you would know. I mean…” She took a step closer to him. “She tried telling you multiple times. You were just too damn caught up in your life to listen.”
Then Dereck suddenly remembered Alina telling him she had something important to say when he spoke to her that day. He hadn’t considered it was serious and brushed her off, demanding that she waited at the restaurant for him. When he arrived, she had ended things. What was Alina trying to tell him?
No. This can’t be. If there was something important, she would have found a way to tell him. She knew how important his job was.
“I can’t very well tell my dying patient I need to leave because my girlfriend wants to have dinner, can I?” Dereck kept his voice unwavering as he spoke, causing Taylor’s jaw to drop and her shoulders hunch.
Her eyes were wide when she said, “You obnoxious prick. I really hope that baby doesn’t take any of your insensitivity.”
“Wait, what?” Dereck asked, his face frozen in shock. “Is Alina pregnant?” He dropped himself on the couch, putting his head in his hands. When Alina left, Dereck didn’t think it was possible to feel any worse. He was wrong.
33
“Istill don’t see why you can’t take on a course or two. You have plenty of time. It’s not like I’m asking you to go to medical school.” Laura was demanding.
“For the last time, Mom,” Alina stressed in her words. “I do not want to do any medical courses.”
Her mother made an exaggerated sound. “You are so impossible. This is why you’re stuck making pornographic art.”
Alina scoffed and gave Casey a hard stare, and Casey’s laughter echoed through the room. If Alina knew it was going to be this tense around the breakfast table, she would have skipped the meal completely, although the scent of the blueberry waffles and eggs made her stomach grumble.
“For the last time, mother, I do portraits, not porn.” Alina stuck the fork into her waffles and sawed at them viciously.
Her mother didn’t refute her but continued her tyrant. “You two girls never listen to me. That’s why your lives are such a disappointment.”
Alina gave up altogether on breakfast then, dropping her utensils on the plate. “My life is not a disappointment, Mom. I’m doing very well for myself.”
Like daughter, like mother. The older woman did the same thing, discarding her knife and fork. “You think I don’t know you came here because something’s wrong?” She took a deep breath. “I may not know what it is, but any fool can see that you’re running from something.” She picked up her fork again. “That’s the only reason you ever come to see your mother.”
Casey kept her gazes on Alina, her eyes twinkling from worry.
“What a spread.” Lucas cut the silence in the kitchen, though the arguing women kept their fierce eyes on each other. “Alina, damn,” he went in a lofty tone. “You should come home more often.” Lucas grabbed a plate and started gathering items on it.
“Uh, Lucas,” Casey spoke for the first time since she sat down at the breakfast table. “Why do you come here when you have a choice not to?”
Lucas’ mouth was filled when he answered. “I came to see if Alina wanted to keep me company today. I have some time off and she’s only here for a short time.”
“I don’t think this is…” Casey couldn’t finish since Alina cut in.
“I would love to.” She stood up immediately and grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the dining room as he was about to stuff an orange slice into his mouth. Lucas had no choice but to abandon the plate with an array of breakfast favorites.
