“Both of those suggestions are absurd,” she said.
I nodded, savoring a moment of profound relief and satisfaction. “Listen. You’re never going to have him the way you want. And I know how that hurts. I’ve been living it the past two weeks. I’m sorry for you, I really am.”
“Fuck you and your pity,” she snapped. “Save it for yourself. I’m the one he’s spending time with.”
“And there’s your saving grace, Corinne. If you’re paying attention, you know he’s hurting right now. Be his friend.” I headed back to the elevators and called over my shoulder, “Have a nice day.”
She slammed her door shut behind me.
When I got back to the Bentley, I told Angus to take me to Dr. Terrence Lucas’s office. He paused in the act of closing the door and stared down at me. “Gideon will be very angry, Eva.”
I nodded, understanding the warning. “I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”
The building that housed Dr. Lucas’s private practice was unassuming, but his offices were warm and inviting. The waiting room was paneled in dark wood and the walls covered in a mixture of pictures of infants and children. Parenting magazines covered the tables and were neatly stored in racks, while the dedicated play area was tidy and supervised.
I signed in and took a seat, but I’d barely sat when I was called back by the nurse. I was taken to Dr. Lucas’s office, not an exam room, and he rose from his chair when I entered, rounding the desk quickly.
“Eva.” He held out his hand and I shook it. “You didn’t have to make an appointment.”
I managed a smile. “I didn’t know how else to reach you.”
“Have a seat.”
I sat, but he remained standing, choosing to lean back against the desk and grip the edges with both hands. It was a power position, and I wondered why he felt the need to use it with me.
“What can I do for you?” he asked. He had a calm, confident air and a wide, open smile. With his good looks and affable manner, I was sure any mother would have confidence in his skill and integrity.
“Gideon Cross was a patient of yours, wasn’t he?”
His face closed instantly and he straightened. “I’m not at liberty to discuss my patients.”
“When you gave me that ‘not at liberty to discuss’ line at the hospital, I didn’t put it together, and I should have.” My fingertips drummed into the armrest. “You lied to his mother. Why?”
He returned to the other side of his desk, putting the furniture between us. “Did he tell you that?”
“No. I’m figuring this out as I go. Hypothetically speaking, why would you lie about the results of an exam?”
“I wouldn’t. You need to leave.”
“Oh, come on.” I sat back and crossed my legs. “I expect more from you. Where are the assertions that Gideon is a soulless monster bent on corrupting the women of the world?”
“I’ve done my due diligence and warned you.” His gaze was hard, his lip curled in a sneer. He wasn’t quite so handsome anymore. “If you continue to throw your life away, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“I’m going to figure it out. I just needed to see your face. I had to know if I was right.”
“You’re not. Cross was never a patient of mine.”
“Semantics—his mother consulted you. And while you go about your days seething over the fact that your wife fell in love with him, think about what you did to a small child who needed help.” My voice took on an edge as anger surged. I couldn’t think about what had happened to Gideon without wanting to do serious violence to anyone who contributed to his pain.
I uncrossed my legs and stood. “What happened between him and your wife happened between two consenting adults. What happened to him as a child was a crime and how you contributed to that is a travesty.”
“Get out.”