There was another knock at the door. Jasmine Walters, the receptionist Ashanti had hired for Barkingham Palace’s second location, poked her head into the exam room.
“Hey, do you need to sign for the shipment of prescription dog food, or can I do it?” the younger girl asked.
“You can sign for shipments,” Ashanti said. She lifted the Maltese from her lap and held it out. “And will you ask Maxine to clip Cassiopeia’s nails?” The moment the door closed, she turned back to Evie. “I need to know everything. When did you decide to break up with Cam?”
Evie blew out another sigh. Shesowas not up for rehashing this.
“When I went home Wednesday to get the earrings I’d borrowed from you and caught him screwing another woman in our bed.” Evie snapped her fingers. “Shit, I still forgot to bring your earrings.”
“What!” Ashanti slammed both hands on the exam table. “That rat bastard!”
“Won’t argue with you there.” Evie pulled out her phone and turned the screen to face Ashanti. It was riddled with red notification bubbles.
“He’s left a dozen voicemails over the past two days, but I don’t care what he has to say. He knows that cheating is the one thing I will never forgive him for. And for him to bring that woman into my house? Into my bed?” She returned the phone to her pocket. “Nope. It’s over. I’m done.”
Ashanti slipped off the exam table and perched her butt against it. She shoved her hands in her hair.
“Evie, I just don’t understand. You and Cameron are… well, you and Cameron. Sure, the two of you have broken upa few times, but you’re engaged now. I thought you were in it for the long haul.”
“So did I,” Evie said. That little zing of hurt pierced her chest again.
“What did he say when you caught him?” Ashanti asked.
“That I was blowing things out of proportion.”
She gasped. “He did not!”
“And he called me ridiculous,” Evie added. “Oh, and did I mention they were doing it on my satin sheets?”
“Not the green ones!”
“Yes, the green ones.”
“He really is a rat bastard,” Ashanti said.
Evie shook her head. “I’m done, Shanti. I’ve taken him back in the past, but this is different. I can’t do it. I won’t.”
“What about the clinic? Do you think you can still work there?”
Evie hunched her shoulders and let them fall. “I’ve been going back and forth in my head, trying to picture what it would look like. The last time Cam and I broke up, we managed to continue working together, even though it wasthemost uncomfortable work situation you can imagine. The entire staff was walking on eggshells for a month.”
“But you figured out a way to coexist through that rough patch.”
“I know,” Evie said. She stared at the portrait of Duchess dressed as Marie Antoinette that hung on the wall.
She wished it was as simple as just figuring out a way to coexist with Cam, but the situation wasn’t as black and white this time around. She’d been mired in the awful swirl of grayness of this mess Cameron had made of their relationship for two days; she still couldn’t decide what to do.
Wait a minute. What was she even thinking right now?
Of courseshe knew what to do: expunge Cameron Broussard from every facet of her life. It reallywasthat simple.
“This is more than just a rough patch,” Evie said. “I tried to come up with a solution last night, wondering if maybe we could work on different days of the week, but…” She shook her head. “I can’t do it. It’s his practice. I don’t want to be beholden to Cameron for anything, especially my livelihood.”
Ashanti frowned, then nodded. “I get it.” She blew out a sigh. “Well, you know you always have a job here. It may not be a full-time job, but it’s something.”
“It’s everything to me,” Evie said. She leaned over and bumped Ashanti with her elbow. “I love you, chick. Thanks for always having my back.”
“Always,” Ashanti said. She folded her arms across her chest. “So, you want to go slash Cam’s tires? Put sugar in his gas tank?”
