Page 46 of Alphas Like Us

Rowin’s dark blue eyes stab Farrow. “You’re the one who broke up with me. After a two-year relationship, after Iproposedto you.”What.“I can wonder and question why you wouldn’t tell your current boyfriend any ofthat.”

Because I asked him not to, I think again, not fast enough to say it out loud. Farrow is alreadyspeaking.

“Go ahead and question, wonder,” Farrow says, glaring at his ex. “But you’re being masochistic as fuck by resurfacing shit from four yearsago.”

Rowin looks goddamn murderous at this point. “You know it’s my thirtieth birthdaytoday?”

Farrow almost rolls his eyes. “Fuckinghell—”

“You’re the same asshole who can’t even fucking regret orapologize—”

“I’msorry,” Farrow says as he stands; this argument is giving me whiplash. “I’ve told youI’m sorryseventeen timesfor hurting you, but you never want to hear it. I will never understand why you want me to rehash that night over and over again and keep rubbing salt in your wounds. To remind me that I’m an asshole? Man, I easily admit I’m one. And I don’t regret rejecting your proposal when I would’ve regretted marrying a guy I didn’t love. It’s that fuckingsimple.”

Heavy silence blankets the hospital room while Rowin stares fixatedly at the chart in his hands. Trying to squash the emotion that tenses hisface.

Farrow slowly sits back down on my bed, grinding histeeth.

I’m suddenly glad that I’ve never had to deal with an ex. But I can’t cheer about being the winner here for never experiencing this massive migraine. Not when someone looks raw and cut open in front of me, like Rowin currentlydoes.

Rowin clicks his pen to jot down stats or something on thechart.

“Happy Birthday, man,” I tell Rowinsincerely.

Hefreezes.

Farrow has his hand over his mouth. I’m not really able to distinguish his expression. It puts me onedge.

I just made things really fuckingawkward.

Awesome.

I recover with more confidence and ask, “You two met in medschool?”

“Yeah,” Farrow answers, his hand dropping to my knee. “But we were put in different residencyprograms.”

Rowin glances briefly at Farrow’s hand on me, then he scribbles on the chart. His eyes land on me for a short second. “You’re too sweet to be with someone likeFarrow.”

Farrow rubs my leg. “You’d be surprised how much of a dick Maximoffis.”

I laugh, which hurts like hell, pain flaring in my chest. I cough, and both guys hawk-eye the machines that beep a bitlouder.

A few more secondspass.

“You’re not doing the surgery,” Farrow states plainly to hisex.

“I never planned to. I’m not in a surgical residency anymore.” Rowin tucks the chart under hisarm.

Farrow frowns. “Your coat saysOrthopedic Surgery.” He motions to the embroidered name and department on the coatpocket.

“I’m getting a new one made.” To me, he says, “Dr. Rhee will be in soon to explain the surgery, but in short, he’ll attach a metal plate and screws to hold the bonestogether.”

Farrow combs both his hands through his hair. “Wait,” he says, “if you’re not here for the surgery, then why the hell did you stopby?”

To fuck with Farrow,probably.

Maybe to fuck with me, Farrow’s boyfriend, too. But it seems kind of callous. Especially after a caraccident.

Rowin faces me, not Farrow, and he tells me, “Dr. Edward Keene has requested that I be your physician after post-op. I wanted to introduce myself before you went into surgery. Any medical or rehab needs, you’ll defer tome—”