Page 67 of The Roommate Problem
His faced paled, the dark brown freckles standing out in stark contrast. Her heart raced, panic setting in as she rushed to assuage the fear she saw in his eyes.
“She’s fine, August. It was a simple laparoscopic gallbladder removal. The surgery was this morning, and she’s home now resting.”
“This morning?”his voice roared. “Gran had surgery this morning and didn’t tell me? Was anyone there with her? Who drove her home? What happened to girls’ weekend?”
She thought he was mad when he came home? The man was absolutely livid now. The paleness had given way to stark red rage, filling every inch of his expression. Anger, betrayal, and fear swam in his gaze as he stared at her, demanding answers she knew he deserved.
Oh shit, I’ve screwed up big time.
“Um, her friend Patricia is with her. She drove Agatha and is staying with her overnight. They live in the same building.” Her hands were shaking, guilt choking her as she tried to fix this unfixable situation. “Your grandmother didn’t want you to worry, so she said she wasn’t going to tell you until after. The girls’ weekend was kind of a cover, I guess.”
“You guess?” he spat. “And this was what? Just another lie you were keeping from me?”
“No!” She reached for him, but when he flinched away, she tucked her arms around her aching stomach. “I mean, I wasn’t supposed to know about this, either. I kind of walked in on Agatha talking to her doctor, and she swore me to secrecy. I’m sorry, August, I know I should have told you, but Agatha made me promise.”
“She’s my grandmother, Moira. Mine.” He pounded a fist to his chest. “I don’t care how simple the procedure was. What if there’d been complications? What if she had died? I never would have gotten the chance to say good-bye. You had no right to hide something like this from me, promise or not. She’s my family, not yours, and I deserved to know.”
Her heart broke, cracked like a crystal wedding vase and shattered into a million tiny pieces. He was right. Agatha wasn’t her family. She should have told August no matter what she promised. Just imagining what could have happened…no, she couldn’t. It was too painful.
“August, I-I’m sorry.” Tears leaked out the corner of her eyes, tracking warm paths down her cheeks.
“Save your sorrys for someone who actually believes them.” He stared at her as if he’d never seen her before. “I don’t think I can trust anything you say ever again.”
A sob broke free, and she bent over as pain and guilt pressed a heavy weight on her shoulders.
“I have to go see Gran.” He rushed out of the kitchen, heading for the front door.
“August, wait.”
He paused with the door slightly ajar. Not even glancing back, he spoke. “I know I’m breaking the sub-lease, but I can’t stay here anymore, Moira. I can’t…be with you. I’ll come back tomorrow for my things. Please don’t be here.”
With a slam of the door, he was gone. Mo crumpled to the floor, letting the tears flow freely, heaving sobs racking her body. What had she done?
She knew what she’d done. She’d lied and kept things from the man she’d fallen in love with. The man she suspected was her soul mate. And now, because of her actions, he couldn’t be in the same room with her, couldn’t even stand to look at her. She’d screwed up so, so badly. And it might have just cost her everything.
