Chapter Thirteen Sloane
Chapter Thirteen
Sloane
Istood in front of the ER doors, fidgeting, torn between walking in or just letting it go.
Evie was still inside—discharged but hadn’t left yet.
Had Cameron revisited her this morning?
How would I even say what I needed to say if I went in?
What would she say to me?
My foot tapped restlessly against the floor. My mind spun, and I had only six minutes left to spare.
Okay, I told myself. I’m going in.
But just as I was about to take a step, a tap on my shoulder stopped me.
I turned and found Caleb frowning.
“Why are you just standing here like you don’t know what to do?”
“She’s still there, isn’t she?” I asked him.
Caleb stared at me for a moment before saying, “I’m not entirely sure. She’s been discharged, though. Cam said he was going to tell you. How are you feeling now?”
My gaze drifted back to the door. I ignored his question and said instead, “I’m going to talk to her.”
“Are you sure?” Caleb asked.
I looked at him again. “Did Cam see her today?”
Caleb shook his head. “I asked him that too. He said he didn’t want to.” He tried to meet my eyes. “And what are you going to say to her?”
“Something important,” I said. It was true, even if I was still trying to figure out how to put it into words.
“If you go to her, she might think she’s succeeded in riling you up,” Caleb said. “Cam told me he doesn’t fully believe everything she said, that she was probably up to something. That’s why he didn’t want to come see her again.”
“He visited her twice yesterday.”
“That’s true. Once with me and Car, and then again after his shift. He said he needed to ask her something.”
That made me turn to him again. “Ask her what?”
Caleb shook his head. “He didn’t say.”
I hesitated again, still unsure if I should go in.
Caleb bent slightly, trying to catch my eyes since I was staring at the floor. “If you’ve got something to say to her, go in and say it. Just... be careful. I think this woman is cunning. Caroline thought so too. She hasn’t done anything extreme yet, but don’t trigger her.”
“Okay.” I nodded, trying to ignore the anxiety tightening in my chest and the possibility that what I was about to say might set her off. But it was important. I had to say it to her. “Where did you place her?”
“In the observation unit.”
“Good choice.”
I marched inside and headed straight in. The ER was as busy as ever, people rushing around, too distracted to notice me slip through—or at least, I hoped they were.
When I reached the observation unit, I saw her already standing. A woman stood beside her—probably her friend or relative.
I stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind me. Kamar stood on the other side of the door, watching. When our eyes met, he gave me a slight nod, then turned and walked away.
I was glad Caleb had put him in charge. Kamar was kind and quiet, and he respected Cameron. That was enough for me.
Evie stared at me as I stepped closer.
“I don’t want to explain myself again,” she said immediately, defensively. “I told them I didn’t even know how I got here.”
“I’m not here to talk about that,” I said, my mind already racing through the things I wanted to say.
She fell silent, waiting.
“Even though I don’t think it was a coincidence that this is the hospital that guy brought you to, I’m going to set that aside for now.”
I paused, watching as her face went slightly pale.
“I just want to give you a piece of advice, whether you want to hear it or not.”
Her expression tightened.
“Have some self-respect. A little more dignity. It’s embarrassing to chase after a man, a married man like this.
Really. And if you truly care about him, you wouldn’t try to create problems at his workplace.
He loves it here. He built his career here.
He’s a damn good surgeon with a bright future ahead of him.
He left you. So move on peacefully and stay away from here. ”
A slow smirk spread across her face. “So you think he’ll come running back to you?”
I shook my head, stunned by how stubborn and shameless she was.
“It doesn’t matter what he decides. If you care about him, you protect him. You protect his career. His future. The one he’s spent years building with effort, sacrifice, and dedication. And if you ruin that for him, I promise you, he’ll hate you for the rest of his life. Remember that.”
I turned to leave. I’d said what I needed to say.
“I’m not going to hurt him. I love him. He left you and came to me, Sloane,” I heard her say behind me. “There had to be a reason for that. He might have forgotten it now, but sooner or later, he’ll remember.”
“Yeah, sure...” I muttered, then walked out of the room.
As I made my way back to my floor, opting for the stairs over the elevator, my phone vibrated softly in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw the name Maria Torres flashing on the screen. My breath caught—my divorce lawyer.
I hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button.
“Mrs. Sloane Davis? This is Maria Torres.”
“Yes, this is she,” I replied quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Thank you for reaching out to me,” she said briskly. “I received your email about your intention to file for divorce. You mentioned that he’s agreed to the divorce. Has he retained a lawyer yet?”
I paused, anxiety knotting my stomach. “I’m not entirely sure,” I admitted.
“Alright,” Maria said thoughtfully. “You also mentioned wanting to move forward as soon as possible. We can arrange a meeting with your spouse and their lawyer to discuss the important details, such as custody, alimony, and asset division. Would that be okay with you?”
I nodded to myself even though she couldn’t see it. “Yes. That sounds... good.”
“And do you think he’ll be open to that as well?”
“I believe so,” I said, though the confidence in my voice felt fragile.
“When would be a good time for you to meet? I understand you’re both doctors, so your schedules might be tight.”
“Cameron and I have the day off tomorrow,” I said.
“Perfect. I just had a client cancel, so I’m free at four. Does that work for you?”
“I’ll ask him first.”
“Okay, just text me once you’ve confirmed.”
“Sure,” I said, still feeling dazed.
“Have a good day, Mrs. Davis.”
“You too.”
I stood frozen, caught in the unbearable truth I was trying to grasp.
It was real. I was losing him for good.
The only one who stayed, even when I pushed him away again and again.
He would no longer be there for me. Not ever.
“Is he coming?” Maria asked, seated across from me in the meeting room of her office.
“He said he is,” I replied, folding my hands on the table.
“Is he bringing his lawyer?”
I shook my head. “He said he didn’t need one.”
Maria’s brow furrowed. “That’s not good. He’s planning to negotiate on his own?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I said quietly.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s ten minutes past four. We’ll give him fifteen more minutes. If he doesn’t show, we’ll call the meeting off.”
“Okay,” I said, my voice even, though my chest felt tight.
Then we both went quiet. Maria turned her attention to her laptop, fingers tapping against the keys, while I sat there, lost in thought.
I thought of everything that had led us here.
The arguments. The silences. The things we both got wrong.
How I kept pushing him away, again and again. How I couldn’t bring myself to say the one thing he needed to hear—I love you.
Not enough to make him stay.
Not enough to make him choose me.
How, after ten years of marriage, I still couldn’t give him what he needed. I couldn’t show him affection the way a normal wife would. I took him for granted, again and again, but he stayed. Patient. Forgiving. Until I pushed him to the edge.
And then, his betrayal.
How he went looking for comfort in someone else.
How the hurt was still lodged deep in my chest, tangled in my mind, refusing to let go. It kept eating at me from the inside out, and no matter how far I ran, I knew I would never escape it.
And I didn’t think I could ever forgive him for it.
I kept telling myself, over and over, that this needed to happen. The divorce. The separation. That it was the right thing to do.
But God, it hurt.
Because, despite the betrayal, he was the only one who ever stayed. Even when I gave him every reason not to.
Even though I knew my words cut deep, he always came back.
I relied too much on that. I thought he always would.
“But now it’s all buried under how much I’ve come to despise you. Whatever I have left to give you, it’s gone. There’s nothing left in me for you. Nothing. Not love. Not even hope.”
I said that to him.
I pushed him too hard.
But I never expected him to walk away. Not after all those years he spent holding on and trying.
But he did.
He gave up on me in the end.
I’ve been through worse. I’ve lived through things that should have broken me. And they didn’t.
I used to hold it all together inside, like that was the only way to survive.
But losing him broke me.
It scared me.
That it was happening now meant I was losing whatever part of me had once been strong.
The part that held me together through the worst.
And if that part was gone...
I didn’t know what was left.
The door burst open, snapping me out of my thoughts. A young man held it ajar as Cameron stepped inside, looking disheveled and drained.
His hair was a mess, his shirt slightly wrinkled, like he hadn’t slept.
He mumbled a quiet apology and took the seat beside me without meeting my eyes.
Maria glanced up from her laptop, her eyes flickering between us. She gave a small, tight smile.
“Finally. Let’s get started, then.”
“Yes,” Cameron replied, while I stayed silent. I couldn’t speak.
Maria closed her laptop with a soft click and looked both of us squarely in the eye.
“Since you’re here now, Cameron, let’s make the most of it. We have a lot to cover, and I suggest we stay focused on finding a resolution today. The longer this drags out, the more complicated it gets for both of you.”
He nodded.