I drove to the parking lot a hundred yards away and then directed the radio listening device directly at Lacey’s cell phone signature. I prayed the walls of the building weren’t too thick to get a signal. There were windows in the waiting area so I had a decent chance of picking up something.
I put the headphones on and immediately pulled them off. My eardrums almost burst from a loud screech. I adjusted the dials, turned down the volume and frequency, and put the headphones back on. I could hear the nurse at the front desk speaking on the phone. I adjusted the angle, someone coughing, a child crying, a television set, and then suddenly, a man’s voice.
“Because I have such strong feelings for you, Lacey. I’m crazy about you.”
That was it. I stabilized the signal.
Then came Lacey’s voice. “Rob, I had no idea you felt like that.”
“I’m nuts about you, Lacey. You’re an amazing woman, and you deserve everything a man has to give. You’re nothing like all the other women I know.”
“You’ve known me for such a short time.”
“And in that time I’ve learned so much, about you and about myself. You make me want to be a better man, Lacey. You make me want to do something real with my life. I’m through playing games with women. You taught me that.”
“What are you talking about, Rob? I haven’t taught you anything.”
“I want a relationship with you, Lacey. A real one. I want the whole deal. I don’t want to let you down. I want to give you what you want. What you deserve.”
I cut off the power to the receiver. I’d heard enough. At this point, it was just an invasion of their privacy. Whatever trouble Lacey had been having earlier in the night, it was the normal troubles of a girl out on a date with a guy who was trying to woo her. I was sure that was the guy whose nose I’d broken at the club and I felt bad about that now, but the best thing I could do was leave. If Lacey was trying to have a relationship with that guy, that was her decision to make. It wasn’t my place to interfere.
I climbed into the front seat and turned the ignition. I should have been happy for her. I knew that. As I pulled out of the hospital lot, I knew in my heart that I should have been happy for her. The guy sounded genuine. He was offering her a real relationship, and I’d smashed his face for it.
I figured Lacey would find out soon enough. I’d beaten up her new boyfriend and his friends. I’d jumped without looking. She’d hate me more than ever when she found that out.
I’d blown it. I’d ruined my chance with the one girl I’d ever loved. I’d hesitated, I’d failed to offer what she deserved, and now some other guy was stepping up to the plate. My breath caught in my throat. I tried to take a deep breath but I couldn’t breathe. I pulled over and took off my seatbelt, then I leaned forward in my seat and gasped for air.
Chapter 22
Grant
I’D LIKE TO TELL YOU that everything went fine from then on. I’d like to say Lacey was happy. I’d like to say she was going out with Rob, and that he was a great guy, the guy she’d always been dreaming of. I’d like to say he was the kind of man she deserved, the kind of man who would look after her. I’d like to say I was happy for her.
But I can’t. You know why? Because fuck Rob Crawford.
I’m not saying Lacey was my girl, because I know I never offered her what she wanted. But this jerkoff? Please. I didn’t like the way he treated her one bit. He said she’d taught him how to be a man, how to treat women properly, but from what I could tell, he just wanted a piece of eye-candy he could bring to parties and use to woo potential clients. He was constantly trying to get her to do things to enhance her appearance, whatever that meant. As if she wasn’t the most beautiful creature God ever created already. He was using her as an advertisement for his clinic.
I watched her get ready for her dates with him, I watched the way she changed her style, the clothing she wore, even the way she spoke. Fuck, it was the longest two weeks of my life. She was meeting up with him practically every night, going to fancy parties in the city, or black tie events at his clinic. I hated watching her leave. I knew it was my own fault. I hadn’t claimed her. She was free to do whatever she wanted with whoever she wanted, but fuck, I didn’t have to like it.
I tried to ignore it, but I couldn’t. For those two weeks, every time I saw her get ready for a date with Rob, I felt like I was watching my own wife get dressed to go out with another man.
Is that crazy? Is that the kind of domineering bullshit that people don’t approve of any more? If it is, I don’t care. It’s how I felt, and I’m not going to hide it.