Page 22 of The Quirky Vet

Maybe definitely not?

"Stop acting weird," I mutter completely non-weirdly to myself.

Muir:Have a good rest of the day, and I'll see you at work tomorrow.

Fitz:Will do, and thanks again! You still want to keep things under wraps?

I instantly know what he's referring to.

Muir:Yeah. At least until after the wedding. That cool with you?

Fitz:Totally. It'll be tough, but I guess I'll have to restrain myself and not maul my hot AF hubby in front of our mates

Another rush of heat swamps me. What the hell is he doing?

He's kidding, you moron. Like you guys always do because for him, this is nothing more than a goofy misadventure, a byproduct of rejection and too much booze.

I drag a hand through my hair and remind myself to play it cool. I have to.

At least until after Wilby's wedding.

4

Fitz

"Feeling nervous about the big day?" I ask Wilby.

It's my third day back at work. Muir and Ryde are in consults and me, Wilby, and boss man, Linus, are enjoying a rare mid-afternoon reprieve in the staff lounge.

Wilby smiles, and it's the smile of a dude who's well and truly in love. "Nah. Col's living with me now so I know he'll show up. That's all that counts."

"Doesn't mean he can't still escape," Linus says, taking a sip of tea, not looking up from his newspaper.

"Or call the cops saying he's been kidnapped and is being held against his will."

Linus smirks as he flips the page. "He could get the US Embassy involved. Call in to60 Minutes. It'd be a huge story. An international scandal."

"Fuck you both." Wilby plucks his phone from his pocket, and judging by the way his face instantly lights up, twenty bucks says he's texting the uptight, grumpy New Yorker he's been in love with for over a year now.

I'm happy for them both. I am. But I'd be lying if I said there isn't a small part of me that's jealous of what they have.

I thought I had that with Erin.

Then again, I'm not sure my face ever lit up the way Wilby's is as he's texting back and forth with Col.

I did love Erin, but what Wilby and Col have is next-level. Maybe it's because they had to fight for it? They had obstacles to overcome such as distance, on-off hating each other, and of course, Wilby's personality.

Erin and I never had that same passion, that burning fire, those two do.

We met while I was in Brisbane at a veterinary summit two years ago. I thought it'd just be a one-night thing, but we kept in touch. She came out here a few times, met my family and thelocals, and despite that, decided to give it a shot and relocate here.

It never worked. Right from the very beginning, she struggled to adjust to life in a small outback town. She tried, I know she did, and we both pretended it was fine, but it just wasn't for her.

I was upfront from the very start and said I'd never move to Brisbane. That didn't stop her from trying to make me. It's the only thing we argued about, and our fight a few months ago was a real doozy. We both said some stuff we couldn't walk back, and even though we made up, the damage was done.

The only thing I could think of to get us on track again was getting married, which yeah, now that I think about it, wasn't the smartest idea. In fact, it was up there in the all-time top five worst ideas I've ever had.

It might sound silly, but I want the kind of big, all-consuming love you see in movies and read about in romance novels. I want to be swept up in something that's overwhelming, fiery, passionate, and deeply emotional. I want to have that irresistible pull towards another person. I want to overcome obstacles and misunderstandings and ultimately, triumph in the end and live my happily ever after with my soulmate.