Page 5 of Fourteen of a Kind
She turned and looked at me.
“You deserve better. If you’re smart, you’ll stay away from him.”
She gave me a slight nod and walked out.
“Well, that was fun.” Shaun grinned, standing up from his seat. “I have to get back to the office. I’ll see you later tonight down at the beach. By the way, that no sex policy doesn’t apply to any of us, right?” A smirk crossed his lips.
“Never.” I grinned.
“I didn’t think so.” He winked.
CHAPTER 2
Ella
Climbing into my car, I drove home with tears streaming down my face. I felt sick, and all I wanted to do was climb into bed and hide under the covers. But I couldn’t. I promised my dad I would be at family dinner.
Unlocking the door to my home, I set my bag and purse down, kicked off my shoes, and walked into the kitchen for a glass of wine. Grabbing the bottle from the refrigerator, I poured a glass and stood at the sliding door, staring out at the water. How could Landon do this to me? I thought we were happy. I heard my phone ringing. Walking to where my purse was, I pulled it out and saw Landon was calling. I should have declined his call, but I didn’t. I wanted to hear what he had to say.
“What do you want?” I answered.
“Just so you know. Your Uncle Christian fired me. Thanks a lot, Ella.”
“You’re seriously blaming me, Landon? You’re the asshole who was fucking Penelope. How could you do that to me? I thought we were happy together?”
“You’re too much, Ella.”
“What do you mean by that?” Tears streamed down my face.
“You’re just too much. I don’t know. Anyway, thanks a lot for getting me fired. I have no idea what to do now.”
“I do. Crawl into the sewer where you belong. It’ll be a cold day in hell before you get a residency in another hospital in Los Angeles. Not only will I see to it, but my family will, too. I’m sure Penelope was fired as well. So, the two of you can ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after.” I ended the call and blocked his number.
Throwing my phone down, I walked over to the couch, grabbed the blanket, and covered myself with it while I sobbed. I heard the sliding door open, and when I looked over, I saw my dad walk in.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He walked over, sat beside me, and pulled me into him. “Uncle Christian called me. I’m sorry.”
“He told me I was too much. Do you believe that?” I sobbed into this chest.
“Shh.” He held me tight. “He’s an asshole, and you deserve so much better. Look at me.” He broke our embrace. “You are a highly intelligent, beautiful woman. One day, you’ll meet someone worthy of you. Landon never was. We all knew that.”
“I know the family didn’t like him, but I did!”
“Did you really, sweetheart? Or were you settling because he was the first man you committed yourself to? Think about that for a minute.”
“Dad! I loved him! That’s it. I’m done. I hate men. They’re all liars and cheaters.”
“Sweetheart, that isn’t true. You can’t let the actions of one man allow you to think that.”
“He said I was too much! God, what does that even mean?” I stood up from the couch and paced around the living room.
“He was jealous of you, kiddo. You’re a doctor, and he’s a resident with years of training to go. Honestly, I’m not sure how he even graduated med school. He isn’t all that smart.”
“So this is how it’s always going to be?” I threw my arms out to the side. “I’m too smart for any man. Are they always going to be jealous of my accomplishments? Dad, I want someone who will love me for who I am as a person.” I placed my hands over my face and sobbed.
He walked over and wrapped his arms around me. “You’re only twenty-two years old. What happened to that little girl who said boys were distracting and her career would always come first?”
“Dad, I’m fully established in my career. I have a Ph.D. in cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, and trauma. I am too much for guys.”