Page 83 of One Last Rodeo

I don’t hear the rest of the sentence. Because I’d recognize that voice in my sleep. These days I only hear it in my nightmares.

I turn sharply and press my back to the cold concrete wall, palms flattening together as I draw in a shaky breath.

Jensen is meeting with Davis.

Jensen is meeting with my ex-fiancé about his shoulder.

My mind spirals, cruel and fast.

Jensen doesn’t trust me.

Every insecurity rushes in. Jensen sees me as just a femaledoctor. Nothisdoctor. Not someone worth listening to with experience treating all sorts of injuries, including his.

He lied when he said he trusted my call.

He sought an external opinion because he doesn’t think I’m qualified.

Tears sting my eyes, sudden and unwelcome. I clamp down on my bottom lip with my teeth until they stop.

He’s just a body.

He doesn’t matter to me.

I got ahead of myself thinking we could be more.

I do my job.

I don’t get attached.

I don’t need him to see me as anything more, because he’s no more important than Micah or Joel.

I shove off the wall, ready to disappear down the hallway before I can get caught, but the door opens behind me and Jensen steps out, calling something over his shoulder to Davis before pulling it shut behind him.

“Oh—hey, Kitty.” That boyish smile he always wears spreads across his handsome face when he notices me.

“No.” I shake my head and take a step back, my voice shaking more than I want it to, but I let it.

Maybe he needs to see the cracks that I keep so perfectly concealed most of the time. Maybe he needs to see how serious I am about being done with this. With whatever it was we started that I can’t afford to bleed for.

“Don’t call me that. I’m Doctor Alba.”

His brows knit together like he doesn’t understand. Like he can’t fathom how much my credentials mean to me. I wonder if he just addressed him as Davis,or as Doctor Davis.

“Yeah—sorry. No one’s around. I just...” His voice trails off and his face turns more serious as he studies my gaze. “You’re upset? What happened?”

I shake my head, the motion sharp. “Don’t call me that anywhere. In fact, we won’t ever be in private again, so you won’t have to worry about slipping up. I'm Doctor Alba to you now.”

“Catalina—uh, Doctor Alba—hey. What’s going on?”

He takes another step toward me. I lunge back like I’ve been burned. “Don’t touch me.”

He’s just a body.

He throws his hands up, stopping himself mid-step. “Okay. Okay. Just—talk to me. Please.”

To his credit, he looks worried.

To his discredit, I no longer care. I can’t think straight. Davis’s words roar in my head.