CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“So?”Lucy, the queenof patience, was finally cracking at Bethany’s silence.
She’d brought her best friend to the space that could potentially be her new practice an hour ago.At first, Bethany had been excited, ordering them takeout as she rambled on about what could go where.But as they both sat cross-legged in the middle of the shop floor, eating pizza, excitement had morphed into crippling fear.
“What’s going on in that completely unhinged brain of yours?”Lucy calmly asked, picking up another slice from the open box between them.
“I should do this...tell me I should do this.”She sounded desperate even to her own ears, so she wasn’t surprised to see Lucy’s baby blues widen.
“You’ve literally just spent an hour talking about all the things you’re going to do to this place...”
“It’s a big commitment.”Bethany’s teeth dug into her lower lip.“I’ve recently discovered I’m not great at those.”
She watched Lucy’s eyes roll.“You’re being dramatic.”Bethany shot her an unimpressed glare, that clearly didn’t indicate she should elaborate.One her friend chose to ignore.“Okay, let me get this straight.You make therightdecision to not go ahead and marry a man you’re not in love with...and now you’re questioning whether you’re cut out for commitment?”Yes.Exactly.She was glad they were on the same page.
An exasperated sigh left Lucy’s lips before she continued.“I’m seriously questioning the intelligence of everyone in the medical field right now.Do they teach you to be this dumb at college?”
“Um, rude!”Bethany hurled her crust, aiming right for her so-called friend’s forehead.
“B, I can’t believe you need me to say this to you, but I guess I don’t have a choice.”Lucy’s hand slowly dragged down her face in what looked more like frustration than anything else.“You’re the most committed person I know.Do I need to remind you that you’ve spent a decade training to be a doctor?”
She didn’t need a reminder of that.She’d worked her ass off.A four-year undergraduate degree, four-years of medical school and now she was in her third and final year of her residency in family medicine.She was so close she could taste it.
“Fine,” she huffed.“But what about Woodvalley...what about me staying here...setting up shop.If I do this, if I take this lease, there’s no turning back.”
Lucy eyed her thoughtfully for a moment.“You’re talking about, Benny.”She correctly guessed.“You’ve already committed to Woodvalley.You did that the moment you moved back with Doug the Douche.The only reason you’d have second thoughts is...Benny.”
It was true.The decision to move back.Start a life here.Build her own practice.That was made long before she stepped back into town.
“Oh, God,” she moaned into her hands which were now over her face.“I’mthatwoman.Ihatethat woman.”She faintly heard her friend laughing at her pain.“The one who’s going to let some stupid guy determine what she does or doesn’t do with her life.”
She was pathetic.
“So don’t be that woman, B,” Lucy said between bites of pizza.“Do this for you.Fuck what happens with Benny.This is yours.This is what you’ve always wanted.Don’t let anyone take that away from you.Sign the lease and woman up.”
Her hands immediately dropped, eyes widening at her friend as her mouth hung open in disbelief.
“What?”Lucy fidgeted under her stare, still chewing.
“Did you just sayfuck?” Bethany didn’t bother hiding the amusement in her voice.Her best friend had just cursed.For the first time ever.
She was treated to the most aggressive eye roll she’d ever witnessed and then it was her turn to take a pizza crust to the head.
Worth it.
***
Deep breaths.You’vegot this.
As her gaze landed on the hand Benny was holding, she knew she was lying to herself.
