My Forbidden Doctor - Stephanie Brother Page 0,16

for this, and my lip curled in a vicious snarl. Straightening to flounce toward me in her tight pants-suit, she picked up her jaw enough to frown and stabbed my chest with her polished nail.

"You should've slept with me. Now, you're going to suffer the consequences. I hope you like scrubbing toilets, Carl, because even having an inquiry about sleeping with patients is going to get you fired."

I was speechless, fuming as she strutted past me with a flick of her hair and a little huff. To be so brazen...! All I could do for a long few seconds was glare at the spot Eva had just been, my face flaming so hot it could melt off my skull.

"... Carl?" Sucking in a sharp breath at my sister's call, my cheek twitched in agitation. "Do you want me to go with you to HR tomorrow?"

"I— I don't even know. I need to think. I don't understand what the Hell just happened? Did she really just say that?" My question echoed down the empty hallway, and Laurie grunted lowly into my ear. "I would never sleep with a patient."

"But she's right, Carl. Just having the investigation on your record is something you may not be able to recover from. I'm not a lawyer yet, but I know enough about ethics violations to acknowledge she's got you pinned. You never mentioned you were having trouble with someone?"

Disgust and panic mingled a volatile storm in my chest, and I practically growled as I turned on my heel to take the stairs. I was shaking, my eyes stinging and disbelief slowing my mind.

Was this really happening? Right now? After my appointment with Melissa earlier, I just had to get served with false allegations? No matter what the fuck I told myself, what I did with her was still inappropriate.

Mel just looked really heartbroken, and it reminded me so much of Laurie when her dad died. I couldn't stop myself from comforting her, and then I noticed the gold flecks in her eyes, and...

"Carl!" I jumped at my sister's shout, clutching my chest as a gasp flew from my dry mouth. "What kind of problems have you been having with that woman from just now?"

"She's tried to grope me a few times— been really aggressively pursuing me despite the rules against inter-office romances. I've always brushed her off. About two weeks ago, she saw me with another woman and lost it. Just was really upset for some reason. I've never given Eva any indication I was interested in her." Dismalness struck my chest like a hard fist, and I started down the stairs after taking a deep, stabilizing breath. "I haven't seen much of Eva since, but she'd find reasons to come to my office to talk to me or have a 'consult'. A week after I started here, she and I were in the elevator and she shoved her hands down my pants."

"You never reported it?"

I paused at that question, and Laurie scuffed lightly at herself.

"Of course not. We'll talk about it more. Do you want me to just grab take away and go to your place?"

"I feel like I'm going to throw up." My stomach roiled at my admission, and I pushed my way into the open air to gasp for breath. "I can't believe this is happening— Laurie, the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"We'll figure it out, Carl, okay. So, just... calm down. Sit somewhere and breathe. I'll stay on the phone with you." Leaning against the front of the building where the glass walls gave way to brick, I dropped my briefcase to run both hands through my hair. I could just feel that bitch watching me— sitting in her car, all happy at the fact that she's got a good shot at ruining my life. Sliding down to sit, I tucked my head and fisted my hair as my panic rose.

Chapter 9

Melissa

My thumbs hovered over my phone screen, and my brain pounded from the effort of trying to find the right words. The backlight lowered, and I tapped the text box absently to keep my phone from locking. Beyond the edges of the tea cabana, the rain was heavy but not sheeting— just the perfect fall to keep my allergies at bay.

"I just have to do it." Hyping myself up, I forced my thumbs to tap the screen, gradually making out the words I wanted to say. "Just type it— Dad, I—"

Just then, my phone started to ring, and