Page 18 of Medical Malpractice

“He still doesn’t know that I know… I haven’t confronted him yet.”

My jaw literally dropped open before recovering. “How are you doing it, Daisy? How have you kept it under wraps so long?”

“The thought of revenge and maximum damage. He deserves nothing less.”

I raised my cup in salute, then took a sip when she hit me with her own question.

“What are you going to do now?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Between all this legal stuff, I’m kind of lost.”

“I thought you wanted a kid?”

“I did. I do. Above all else. But—”

“But what? You froze your eggs, right? And you don’t have that loser holding you back anymore. So, what other excuse have you got for me, Gabby?”

“It’s not that easy. There are risks involved, and I’d have to find a donor. These things take time.”

“Donor? There’s lots of eligible men out there. Hell, my best friend didn’t know her soulmate was right beside her until the dropkick husband was out of the way first. There are many eligible bachelors around. You’ve just got to be willing to open your eyes.”

What she spoke of was a pretty dream—one I desperately wanted to pursue when the time was right.

“I’m going through a divorce.”

“And?” Daisy snarked. “You gonna let your bastard ex-husband steal this from you too? Stop giving Nico power where he no longer has none. Get pregnant or don’t get pregnant. Just make sure it’s what you want. Not anyone else, just you.” She shrugged. “Take back your power.”

“How are you taking back your power?”

Daisy winked. “One message at a time,” she said, all cryptic, like she was the keeper of a monumental secret. “And what’s that other saying? To get over someone, you have get under someone else. Well, it’s my friend’s divorce party coming up, and I know the perfect place to test that theory.”

I smiled at the vivacious woman before me, wishing I could steal just an ounce of her self-assuredness. “Like a rebound?”

“Exactly like a rebound.”

Just as I was about to reply, an instinctual tingle made my gaze swing to the door to catch Leonardo entering. And when he caught my green gaze with his grey one, his smile stretched wide, brightening his face. He was beautiful.

“Phew,” Daisy said. “Now, there’s your rebound, Gabby. Oh, shit, he’s coming over here.”

She was talking about my Leonardo. I had asked him to join us on his lunch break so he could meet my partner in crime.

Leo stopped at our table and bent down to kiss my cheek. “Ella,” he said in greeting. The gesture was innocent—one we’d had since the beginning. So why were flutters erupting in my gut all of a sudden?

I half-assed an introduction between Daisy and Leonardo. And when the latter left us to grab a coffee, the former immediately seized my hand over the table.

“You little holdout! This is the Leonardo, the best friend you just moved in with?”

“Yes.”

Daisy gave an overexaggerated sigh. “Why is everyone else so lucky? Why didn’t I get a hot, available, male best friend.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Gabriella, are you blind? You just happen to have the perfect donor right here. Instead of wasting time at a clinic, you should try it the old-fashioned way. You know, for research purposes.”

I giggled, heat rising to my cheeks. “Leo is more than a rebound or someone to be used. He’s my rock, my other half, the person I turn to when—”

Daisy nodded along. “Mmhmm. Tell me more about how amazing he is…”