asked him.
“I thought we’d talk. If you’ll just tell me what it’s going to take we can get this behind us.”
She frowned and nearly laughed. “What it’s going to take?” she echoed.
“I’ll forgive you and take you back. I’ll even give you something for security if that’s important. But you have nearly ruined my life, my career, my relationship with my daughters and friends, and I think you’ve got your revenge by now. Let’s get this over with. It’s been nearly a year. What are you holding out for?”
She shook her head. “I just want to be divorced,” she said. “Let the lawyers work out the details.” She strained to listen, hoping to hear sirens.
“I’ve been suspended from hospital privileges because of you,” he said. “My closest friends are now your friends. And employers—they’re your friends and employers. I can’t even imagine what kind of lies you had to tell to make all that happen, but I give up. I just want my life back. What’s it going to cost me?”
She squinted at him. Was he truly crazy? She shook her head a little wildly. “I never did anything to you,” she said in an urgent whisper. “I only want to get away from you! You’re mean and dangerous and you should go now. Go before the police get here.”
“I’ve spent days in jail because of you,” he said. “My partners think I’m unstable because of you when all along you were the unstable one. But I can deal with all that if you’ll just give me my life back. Give me my kids and friends and life.”
“How am I supposed to do that, Brad?” she asked.
“I will do whatever it takes to put it back the way it was, back when I had some control and could make things work. It was difficult, you’ve always been difficult, but once I figured it out, everything was fine. It’s not anymore.”
“It wasn’t fine,” she said. “It was terrible. We slept in separate rooms. We were both so unhappy. I have never understood why you didn’t ask for a divorce first!”
“Because it worked,” he said. “It wasn’t perfect, but it worked. I took such good care of you. You always had the best of everything and I didn’t ask for much in return. It worked.”
“Worked? Was that the life you wanted?” she asked with a shake of her head.
He grimaced and suddenly pulled a small, silver handgun out of his pocket. “The alternative is much worse,” he said. “I need my life back. I can’t function like this. That’s all I’m after. It was just fine.”
“Brad, don’t be rash—you’ll find someone better. You’ll find a woman who suits you better, who likes things the way you like them. You’re so popular with your patients and coworkers...it won’t be long before—”
He waved the gun around. He stood and he looked so tired, so worn. “I told you what my plan is. You never listen. We have to go home and end this craziness. I don’t have anything more to lose. Because of you changing your mind, I’m losing everything.”
“But that’s not true,” she said. “You have the house. You chose it. I never even looked at it, it was always your house. You have a successful practice. You have had other women—we both know that. You have two daughters and if you’d only tell them you care about them, they’d be there for you. What more do you need?”
“I need you to come home, Lauren. I don’t want to be alone anymore. There’s no one to talk to.”
“But... But you never talked to me,” she said.
“Of course I did,” he said. “I called and texted every day. I talked to you after work every day. I talked to you on the weekend. We went out to a nice restaurant every week. Twice a week. We traveled and made friends...”
“You shoved me, pinched me, yelled at me! We did only what you wanted to do, went where you wanted to go! We didn’t talk—you talked! And if I said anything—” He scowled and pointed the gun at her. “Please,” she said. “Please don’t.”
The back door opened with a crash as Beau came in. He carried two bags of groceries, then kicked the door closed with his foot. He grinned at Lauren. “Get a little distracted, honey?” he asked. Then he noticed Brad. “Whoa!” he yelled, dropping the groceries on the floor and leaping to place himself in front of Lauren.
Brad slowly raised the muzzle