Page 44 of Medical Malpractice

Shit! Retract, retract.

…Um I didn’t mean to blow up your phone.

I just didn’t want you to think that I only meant that for the girls. Because I definitely include you as one of my girls. My main girl.

I groaned, letting my phone drop onto the bed as my fingers wound tightly in my hair. Fucking hopeless. My game is fucking hopeless. Although it always has been when it comes to her.

Gabriella didn’t reply, not that I blamed her. That didn’t stop me from having my phone fully charged and on hand at all times.

When my wife finally called on that second day, I picked up immediately.

“Ella,” I said, impatient to hear her voice. She gasped, which had me steamrolling ahead. “Is everything alright, darling?”

I could hear my pulse thumping in my ears, which is how I knew it took five painstaking heartbeats for her to reply.

“Ah, yeah. You just caught me by surprise… Can you come to Daisy’s for lunch? I think we need to talk—”

“Of course I’ll be there. I’m willing to talk—”

“About the girls, Leo. Talk about the girls.”

“And us?”

Ten heartbeats later.

“I’ll see you at twelve.”

She hung up.

I couldn’t hear my heartbeats anymore. I couldn’t hear anything at all.

I was thrust back into the present by the ornate door opening before me, where a red-headed pixie looked like she was about to cast a curse on me—which wouldn’t have been far from the truth.

“Daisy,” I said in greeting.

She grunted, not budging from her position blocking the entry. My wife’s friend was half my size, but I’d be a fool to ignore her menace as threatening as a giant.

“Can I come in?”

“Depends. You going to make her cry again?”

My lips pulled down in concern. That was the last thing I wanted. “That’s never my intention.”

Daisy speared me a scathing once over then shifted to the side. As I slid past, she said, “I’m rooting for you, Leo. But if you hurt her again, I’m going to destroy you.”

“If I ever hurt her again, I deserve your justice, Dais. In fact, I’ll welcome it.”

After a thorough cuddle session with Angelina and Celeste, Daisy took them to the park, which gave Gabriella and me a chance to speak freely.

We sat on the outside patio, my wife staring out into the overgrown garden while I stared at her. She was beautiful, my Gabriella.

I cleared my throat and rolled my hands into fists on my thighs to prevent from reaching for her.

“These last few days without you have been brutal, but it’s made me reflect on how shitty my behaviour has been. I was completely selfish, when I should have been thinking about my family. And you’re right, I should have trusted you with Austin. I will never let you down again.”

Gabriella gave an exasperated sigh. “How do I know this won’t happen again? What makes you think you won’t break down the next time something big happens?”

“Because I’m willing to put in the work! I’ve been researching strategies on how I can improve myself. How I process things, how I can contribute to a healthy relationship, how I learn from my mistakes so I don’t repeat them. I never meant to hurt you, and I never want to put you through that again.”