Page 124 of My Fake Dating with the Grumpiest Highlander
“And who exactly is on the McGregor team?” Connor asks suspiciously.
Callum smiles.
The kind of smile that almost never leads to good things.
“All of us. Me, Keira, Lachlan, Mary, Cameron, Connor… and Dr. McLeod, naturally.”
The silence following that statement is heavy.
Every eye in the room turns toward me.
“I’m sorry?” I say slowly.
“You’re part of the team,” Callum repeats like this should be obvious.
“I’m not a McGregor.”
“Technically no,” he admits. “But you’re the castle doctor. You live here. You’re... associated with the family.”
I look at Mary.
She looks back at me.
Her expression is unreadable.
I turn my attention back to Callum.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
“Why not?” Cameron asks, leaning forward with his palms flat against the table.
“Because I’m not part of your clan.”
“You’re dating Mary, aren’t you?” Connor points out. “That makes you a McGregor by association.”
“Exactly,” Callum confirms. “By association.”
Something tightens painfully in my chest.
This conversation is going somewhere I absolutely do not like.
“I’m a doctor. I need to remain available for every clan.”
“You can still do your job,” Keira assures me. “The tug-of-war won’t last long.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then whatisthe point?” Lachlan asks, crossing his arms.
I search for the right words.
How exactly do I explain that I don’t want to be forcibly absorbed into their family? That I don’t want to pretend to belong somewhere I’ll never truly fit? That I’m already acting out one lie with Mary and don’t have the emotional capacity to perform another?
“It’s a matter of principle,” I finally say. “I don’t participate in competitions. I’m here to treat people, not fight them.”
“It’s not a battle,” Cameron corrects. “It’s a sport.”
“It’s an aggressive sport.”
