My Forbidden Doctor - Stephanie Brother Page 0,37

He smiled slightly, and I sniffled hard through my clogged nose. "As for your dad... well, I didn't like him, anyway. He's inconsequential. I know you never wanted to get to this point, Mel, but it's best if we stop worrying about our parents' bad decisions and let it go. My mom is absolutely convinced that your dad loves her, and your dad has admitted to you that he's just in it for the money. Regardless of what happens next, it doesn't involve us."

"I was really gonna call you, Carl. I just didn't know what to say." I knew Carl already figured that, but I felt the need to reiterate anyway. He caressed my cheek, tracing up my nose, and my heart fluttered delicately. "I'm sorry if you thought I was ghosting you."

"We live in generally the same area, Mel. Even I was affected by the bloom this year. I knew it'd be borderline disastrous for you. Besides, Laurie's the one who thought that, not me. She's naturally negative-leaning."

A rough snort sounded at Carl's declaration, and I glanced over at the door to find Laurie leaning with her arms crossed under her bust. She was so friggin pretty, man, with her thick, blue hair and naturally tan complexion. She looked smart, gave vibes not to mess with her, and I puffed out my lips absently.

"What's up, Laurie?"

"I was just talking to Eric Dane, and he offered me a job." Her strong but beautiful face broke out in a huge grin, and she waved her hands as she stalked over to punch Carl in the shoulder. "You idiot! I love you!"

"Seriously? Just like that?"

Bright, brown eyes met mine, and Laurie reached to grab my hand and squeeze— like she couldn't contain herself. In that one movement, I knew she was a physical person, and I struggled not to tense when she shifted her beaming smile back to her brother.

"Yeah! I was thanking him for talking to my professor, and he mentioned that he was authorized to take on an assistant starting fourth quarter. So, what about you two? Are you still gonna date even though your whole relationship is basically bad porn tropes?"

My eyes widened, heat slithering up my neck, and Laurie rocked side to side on her tall heels as she picked at her pale green shirt.

"I don't know how that works. Are you going to just ignore the fact that our mom married your dad?"

"I have a feeling they won't be married long enough to matter." I really felt bad for Carl's mom, but... like... I also knew he wasn't that great a liar or a schemer. That this woman fell for my dad's lies wasn't something I could get involved in, and it was obvious Carl and Laurie had already tried to dissuade their mom. "Oh— you're okay, though, right, Carl?"

"Yeah— yeah. It's gonna be Hell, but my mom's an adult. I'm not gonna be there to pick up the pieces after she ignored me. I've been meaning to ask, Mel... is your dad's real name really Augustus?"

My brows rose in surprise, and Carl arched his quizzically. Augustus?

"Yes. Everyone just calls him Auggie, though. His father's name was Julius. It's kinda a joke. My granddad was that kind of guy." For a moment, I wasn't sure if Carl and his sister were relieved or amused— or both— and a soft knock on the door interrupted us. My doctor nodded in acknowledgment at Carl before his eyes met mine, and I licked my lips heavily as I sat a little straighter. "I'm gonna be discharged soon, right? I'm feeling way better."

"Good. Considering the circumstances, I think it's plausible to rule out intentional overdose, so you won't have to stay for observation." He winked at me, and relief slumped my shoulder as I ran both my hands up my face and into my hair. "I'm going to prescribe you a stronger allergy medication for the duration of the season. You'll most likely have some left over, and, obviously, you shouldn't abuse them."

"Of course not. No. I'll be more careful from now on." Nodding firmly, my doctor whose name I couldn't remember clapped his palms together. "So, everything's good. Awesome. I'm really glad I picked up those air purifiers when I was in Providence."

"Great. I'll get your discharge papers and send over your prescription, and you should be good to go." Just as suddenly as he appeared, my doctor was gone again, and I sighed heavily and threw myself back. Going