Two of a Kind(SAMPLE-Now available in paperback & eBook)

Chapter 3

 "I'll see you tonight." Roman hung up the phone, looking forward to tonight.

* * *

Roman took a seat, facing his first patient of the day. At sixteen, Jane Bradley led a troubled life. Her parents were going through a messy divorce and her older sister was in rehab battling an addiction to prescription drugs. According to the folder Roman had in his hands, Jane had trust and abandonment issues.

"I don't want to talk about my family," she stated.

"Then I won't ask you any questions about them." Roman shifted to a more comfortable position and crossed his legs. "This is your time to talk about what ever you want."

"My friends don't know that I come here." Jane cleared her throat. "I'm anxious about telling them."

"Why are you anxious?" Roman inquired.

"I don't know if I can trust them to keep quiet about it," she explained. "I mean what if one of them tells someone else and that person tells someone else. It could end up all over the school."

"In the past did they keep quiet when you told them something important?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Then why wouldn't they keep quiet about this?" Roman wanted to know.

Jane was silent for a moment as she thought about what he said. "I'll tell them, but if people start talking about me behind my back I'm dropping out and doing home schooling. High school is tough enough without having people talking about you." She slipped out of her shoes and tucked her legs beneath her. "Were you popular in high school?"

"No," Roman answered, smiling crookedly. "I was what some people would call a nerd. It didn't bother me though. I had no urge to be popular."

"I wish I was popular," Jane confessed.

"Could your wish to be popular stem from a need for attention?"

Biting her lower lip, Jane nodded. "At home I'm invisible. My parents are too busy fighting over who's going to get what after the divorce to pay any attention to me."

Roman wanted to tell her that everything would be alright but he couldn't do that. He was there to listen and help her if he could, not give her false hope. "I'm going to give your parents a call and ask them if they would be willing to come in and meet with me. Would you be alright with that?"

Jane shrugged her shoulders. "I don't care."

"I won't share with them anything we've talked about," Roman assured her. "The conversations you and I have are private."

"Do you have any kids?" she queried.

"No."

"That's a shame." Jane cocked her head slightly. "I think you would make a great dad."

"Thank you, Jane," Roman uttered warmly.

"I wish my dad was more like you," she said.

"I'm not perfect." Roman uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. "I have my faults just like your father-just like everyone else. What are your faults?"

Jane shrugged. "I don't know."

"When you do know write it down in your journal and we'll go over it sometime."

She promised she would.

* * *

Roman spent the remainder of the morning meeting with patients. After lunch he headed to the hospital to visit with a patient of his, who had undergone emergency surgery the day before.

When Roman arrived at the hospital he rode the elevator to the second floor, where he was informed at the nurse's station that it would be a ten minute wait due to the patient having tests done. Roman took a seat in the waiting room. While he waited he checked his phone for any messages.

"Roman."

He looked up and found his ex-wife's sister coming toward him. Returning his phone to his pocket, he rose to his feet. "Hello, Susan."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Are you here to see Paula?"

"I'm here to see a patient of mine." Roman frowned. "Paula's here?"

"I guess you didn't hear the news," Susan said. "She was in a car accident last night."

"Will she be alright?" Roman asked concerned.

"Yes, the doctor said she'll make a full recovery." Susan pinched the bridge of her nose. "She's down the hall if you want to see her. Her room number is 204. I have to go and pick up Tara from day care." She squeezed his arm gently. "It was good to see you."

"You too." Roman walked up the hallway, scanning the room numbers as he went. Reaching room 204, he took a deep breath and went in. He closed the door softly and moved toward the bed.

Roman paused beside the bed and gazed down at his ex-wife, taking in her injuries. Her left leg and arm was in a cast. A bandage covered her left temple and a large bruise was on her collarbone. Her long black hair framed her pale face.

A chair was by the bed. Roman began to pull it closer and stopped when he heard Paula mumble his name. He turned to look at her and saw her brown eyes were glazed over with pain.

"What – what are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I'm here to see a patient of mine," he replied. "Your sister saw me in the waiting room and came over to talk. She told me you were in an accident. I thought I would check on you – see if you need anything."

"If I do I will let my boyfriend know," Paula told him. "Don't concern yourself with my welfare. It's not like you ever did in the past."

Her words stung like a slap to the face. Roman kept his expression blank. "I will admit I deserved that."

"Yes, you did," she croaked her eyelids growing heavy. "Still I shouldn't have said it. We agreed after the divorce we would remain civil toward one another. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Paula." Roman touched her shoulder. "You need your rest. I'm going to go." Turning, he made a beeline for the door.

"Wait," Paula said, raising her head slightly off the pillow. "There's something I need to tell you."

Roman retraced his steps. "What is it?"

"When we were married I – I did something I'm not proud of." She sighed and then grimaced in pain. "I cheated on you."

Roman passed a hand across his face. "I know, Paula. I've known for a while now. Why are you telling me this now?"

"I almost died, Roman." She swallowed hard. "The doctor said I flat lined. They had to work on me to bring me back. I've been given a second chance at life. I want to do it right this time. Part of doing it right is owning up to the wrongs I've done. I'm sorry I cheated on you."

Roman lowered his head, closing his eyes. He never thought he would ever hear those words from her. "It wasn't all your fault. I was partly to blame. If I hadn't been so wrapped up in my work – if I had been there for you maybe you wouldn't have felt the need to cheat."

"Maybe we just weren't meant for each other," Paula said.

"Maybe not." Roman looked at her. "Are you happy with Brandon?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Then that's all I care about." He smiled. "Leave the past where it belongs."

"Are you happy?" Paula wanted to know. "Because I don't think you are."

Uncomfortable, Roman sidestepped the question. He wished her well and quickly took his leave.