It sounds like that’s what he’d prefer, but I don’t care what he wants right now. His desires no longer hold any importance for me.
Me
I can’t wait. Can I bring anything?
Thomas
That won’t be necessary. I’m going to take them to supper afterwards.
I’mgoing to take them to supper. Notwe’reall going to supper. It looks like I’m not included which once again makes it clear that I don’t mean anything to him.What happened after our date that caused Thomas to change his tune and start treating me like garbage?I suppose I’m glad I got to know his true character before I gave him the opportunity to break my heart—which while not yet broken, has certainly been smacked around.
I force myself to try to remain nonchalant and unaffected.
Me
Where are you taking them?
Thomas
I thought we might go to the lodge. You and I had such a such a nice evening there.
I thought so too, but I’m starting to think we were on two different dates.
Me
What time would you like me to stop by?
Thomas
How about five? I really can’t wait to see their reaction to all our hard work.
He adds a trail of laughing emojis that makes me feel deviously proud of myself. Little does he know how hard I worked to sabotage his plan.
Me
Send me your address and I’ll be there.
It seems strange that I don’t even know where Thomas lives. Last week I felt like I’d known him my whole life, and now he feels like a total stranger to me. My heart once again clenches painfully.
Maybe I’m not meant to date. Maybe there is no happy ending for me. Perhaps my sole purpose in life is to capture other people’s joy while never getting to experience it for myself.
If that’s true and I’m destined to be alone and lonely, then I really want to make the most out of my revenge against Thomas.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
THOMAS
I feel bad I haven’t been in touch with Finley more since I canceled our second date. I should have at least called her, but I was afraid I’d say more than I should. Even so, getting to know her better is a big part of my decision about whether I want to stay in Elk Lake. Which makes me doubly excited to see her tonight.
I had originally thought I’d introduce Finley to my parents as a love interest, but now that my future is so uncertain, I think it’s best to just say she’s my friend, even though Vivie knows the truth about her.
Armie Bader was remarkably receptive to my ending my employment at the hospital. I’m guessing he might have even been relieved because he assured me there were no hard feelings. He also mentioned he would personally choose my replacement. In the meantime, he’s hired a traveling doctor to fill in for me.
I’m not going to tell my parents I’ve left my job. They would take my discontent as a sure sign that I should come home, and I don’t need the extra pressure.
I’ve had a great few days with Edward. Strangely, I don’t find what he does boring. It’s not like he sees a bunch of patients with exotic illnesses, either. It’s primarily been ailments like the flu, eczema, and strep throat, with a few others sent out for additional testing. The same conditions in a hospital setting would have bored me to tears, but it really is different here.
To keep rumors at bay, Edward has introduced me as his associate. I realized it would be a lot easier for gossip to spread if my full name were used, which is why he refers to me as Dr. T. I haven’t interacted with the patients a lot. I mostly sit back and watch Edward do his thing. Which is quite impressive.
