Chapter 9
Declan had promised to spend the next two days making it up to Piper and Chloe.]]
He’d even agreed to put his phone on airplane mode.[]
“But Piper, I’m a doctor. What if there’s an emergency at the hospital…“[]
Piper nudged Chloe forward.[]
“Just tell them you’re with a patient. Chloe’s your patient too, right?“]
Declan hesitated, then swallowed whatever he was going to say.
Piper had a point.]
There were plenty of other doctors at the hospital. Nothing would go wrong.
But the longer he stayed away, the more uneasy he felt.[]
When it was finally time to head home today, he couldn’t help flooring the gas pedal.]]
Piper gripped her seatbelt, her voice dripping with jealousy.[]
“Declan, you’re not rushing home to see your wife, are you?”
“Be honest–are you mad at me for what happened?“[]
Declan paused, Riley’s face flashing through his mind.
She probably went straight home after that scene at the restaurant.[]
She wouldn’t be in any real danger, but she was definitely pissed.[]
When Declan didn’t answer right away, Piper got pissy.
“I knew it. You’ve been thinking about her this whole time. You didn’t even want to be with me and Chloe.“[
Declan caught the tears forming in Piper’s eyes and quickly pulled over.[]
He kept his voice gentle and soothing.
“That’s not true. You and Chloe mean everything to me.”
“0
“Why else would I be willing to sacrifice Riley’s baby for you? Right?“]
“The baby isn’t born yet, so I have to keep Riley happy. Whatever it takes to get that kidney for Chloe.“[]
That seemed to calm Piper down.]
Now that he had a solid excuse, Declan raced to drop them off at the hospital.
After getting them settled, he practically sprinted to his car.
“Hey, Dr. Martinez! I need to talk to you!” a colleague shouted.
But Declan didn’t slow down. “Later! I’ll catch up with you later!”[]
He even stopped to buy flowers on the way home, planning to smooth things over with his wife.
But when he walked into the house, it was completely empty.
Most of Riley’s stuff was gone too.
When Declan saw the divorce papers, his whole body went rigid.
Chapter 9
That’s when he finally remembered to turn off airplane mode.]]
Besides missed calls from work, there wasn’t a single message from Riley.[]
He swallowed hard and tried calling her.
Both her number and social media had blocked him completely.
He panicked for a second, then started making excuses.
Riley was seven months pregnant–where could she possibly go?
The divorce papers were just a bluff, her way of forcing him to apologize.
That thought helped him calm down.
“Yeah, it’s all just mind games.“]
“I can deal with everything else, but attacking a kid? That’s crossing a line!“]]
Declan replayed the restaurant scene in his head, getting angry all over again.[]
He found another app to message Riley through.]
“You think this little stunt is gonna make me come crawling back?”
“What you did involves basic human decency. I’m not apologizing unless you say sorry to Chloe first.”
“Riley, you’re about to be a mother yourself. I need you to set a better example for your own kid.“[]
After hitting send, Declan sat staring at his phone like a hawk.[]
Every notification made him grab it immediately.[]
For the first time in forever, Declan couldn’t sleep. He showed up to work the next day with huge bags under his eyes when he went to check on Piper and Chloe.
