Doctor Feel Good: A Novel From The Be Yours Series

by Saffire, Blue

  He winks at me. “My wife loves you and I couldn’t let your boyfriend outdo me.”

  “Fiancée,” Omid corrects.

  Again I turn to him and give a look. His face remains expressionless, but his body gives off that—I said what I said vibe. I turn back to the others. I’ll deal with him later.

  “Oh, Uri,” Val says. “We’ll have to fly them out for a baby shower. It’s only right she have one in New York and one here.”

  He kisses her temple and looks at her adoringly. “Done.”

  “You guys don’t have to do that.”

  “You heard my husband. It’s already done. Besides, that will give you a chance to hang out with us.”

  “I may not leave,” I laugh. “I love New York.”

  “You’re welcome anytime you want,” Tasha says.

  My heart swells. These women have taken me in like a little sister. I appreciate them. Especially when my family still hasn’t come to grips with my choices.

  “Maybe I’ll get a place with the money from my house, since I have to sell,” I say and poke my lip out.

  “You’re selling your place,” Val says. “Why?”

  I get angry every time I think of Melvin. I don’t want to sell but it’s probably best. I don’t realize I’ve balled my fists up against my stomach until I see Val and Tasha as well as their husbands watching the gesture.

  “I had trouble with my neighbor. We think he was stalking me. It’s just better that I sell.”

  “Not think. We know,” Omid bites out.

  “Oh, wait, didn’t we handle this?” Val says her demeanor changing.

  Her husband nods. Omid grunts and looks away. I look at them all confused. I haven’t been back to the house.

  “I—”

  Val waves me off. “If you ever feel like you’re in danger you call me. As a matter of fact give me your phone. You should have me and Uri in your favorites.”

  She holds her hand out waiting for my phone. I look between her and Uri. She shoots me a pointed look.

  “I’m not joking. Hand me your phone,” she says when I don’t pull out the device. “You’re family. No one fucks with my family.”

  “Give her the phone, Divine,” Tasha says with an air of authority I feel compelled to obey.

  I reach in my clutch and hand the phone over. “You guys are all the way in New York.”

  “Means nothing,” Uri says. “Val is right. If you ever need me and I mean for anything, don’t hesitate to call. I’ll take care of it.”

  Sephora laughs. “You’ll get used to it after a while.”

  I think I’m stunned for the rest of the night. My instincts were right about these women. There’s so much more to them and they’re nothing to play with.

  Chapter 23

  CHATER TWENTY-THREE

  Bare It All

  Omid

  I’ve been holding this in all night. I know I have no right to be angry. I know my woman. She’s figured it out. She just doesn’t want to admit it or at least she’s in denial.

  I, on the other hand, haven’t been able to bring myself to utter the words. I know the damage they will do. I’m paralyzed by the outcome of my confession.

  Yet we can’t continue like this. Divine questioning my every word has led to the reason she can’t submit her trust to me fully. I can physically feel the gap growing between us.

  “Why does it bother you so much that I introduced you as my fiancée?”

  I want to kick myself the moment the words are out of my mouth. I’ve chosen the wrong way to start this and I know it. Still, I stay the course once it’s in motion.

  She whirls on me making the skirts of her dress flare out around her. She looks like something out of a dream. Navid closes the front door behind us.

  He sighs heavily. “Have a good night.”

  Ignoring him, I keep my eyes fixed on the woman standing before me in the foyer of the home we share together. She glares back at me. The way she’s studying me speaks a million words.

  “Why would you introduce me as your fiancée? You haven’t proposed, there’s no ring on my finger.”

  “We can fix that in the morning.”

  She frowns. “I would say no.”

  I pull a hand down my face. “Why would you say no?”

  She balls her fists and storms toward me. “Because I don’t know you,” she says between clenched teeth. “I asked you a simple question yesterday and you still haven’t answered.

  “You have a thriving practice but I sure as shit don’t think delivering babies would give you the kind of money to purchase Bentleys.

  “Bentleys! I thought I was hearing things when I asked the ladies what kind of cars you gifted them. I sat there like an idiot bobbing my head while they gushed about the gifts you and your cousins send as small tokens. Omid…” she pauses and sucks in a breath.

  Tears fill her eyes, she shakes her head as if to clear it. I swallow hard. The truth hanging over my head like a taunting villain.

  “I know I’m not going crazy,” she continues in a whisper. “I don’t want to believe what my brain is telling me. I don’t know how to process what my brain is trying to tell me. I… I can’t.”

  She turns and walks toward the kitchen. I hang my head in defeat. All of these months I’ve wanted her to figure it out on her own. I know that’s what’s truly been holding me back.

  “Our pride leads us down stormy roads,” LaSalle said that night at Club Desire.

  Standing here now sober, his words connect. My pride has led me to be a fool. Allowing her to figure it out on her own has been the worst thing I could’ve done. It may cost me everything. I can already see the tear in our relationship.

  I shrug from my tux jacket and head for the bedroom. Tossing the jacket on an accent chair, I walk into the bathroom and stand before the mirror. I stare into my own eyes. Anne Sassa has always told me to be the man I want to be. This isn’t the man I want to be.

  I’m not a liar. I’m not a coward. What I am is a man in love. A man that would do anything for the woman he loves and our children. Including risk losing them to heal the gaping hole left from the past and my omissions.

  I tug my tie free and blow out a breath. Here is my chance to be a man and do what I should’ve have done from the start. I can’t allow the fears of an eighteen-year old boy control my life. This isn’t about my father, this is about me and facing the truth. I fucked up.

  “Here goes nothing,” I mutter.

  * * *

  Divine

  I grumble to myself as I rummage through the refrigerator. I’m not hungry, I’m annoyed which, is why I’m pushing things around but not settling on anything. I grab a bottle of water and the Swiss Rolls I had chilling and tear the pack open.

  “He’s not crazy. It wouldn’t even make sense. All coincidence. He wouldn’t. Nope, and God wouldn’t do me like this,” I mumble between angry bites.

  I wiggle my way onto one of the island bar stools. I’m not going to open the can of worms sitting in my subconscious. I’ll be a wise woman tonight. The way my hormones are taking over, I might stab Omid and torch this place.

  “He hasn’t seen my crazy. I swear. Why not answer my damn question?”

  I place a hand on my belly and try to relax. I smile when I feel the tiny flutter inside. I’m still getting used to that. I just started to connect the feeling to being the baby’s movements about a week ago.

  “You’ll be a fatherless child if I’m right,” I fuss.

  The hairs rising all over my body are my first clue to his presence, followed by his cologne filling the room and his heat against my back. He buries his face in my neck, but that familiar tickle doesn’t come. I go to turn to face him but he wraps his arms around me, holding me in place.

  “I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you,” he says, causing my pulse to race. I should be thrilled he has said the words for the first time. However, I hear the but in them. “I knew you were my wife when I stared i
nto those brown eyes.

  “I am thirty-eight. I was born in Shiraz, Iran. My first visit to the U.S. was when I was eighteen. I came to visit my uncle and twin cousins for the summer.”

  “You motherfucker,” I seethe. “Get your hands off me.”

  “You have to hear me out. Listen to me, Divine.”

  “Get off me,” I sob.

  He releases me and I turn in my seat. I nearly fall off of the bar stool. He reaches to steady me but I lower to my feet on my own swatting his hands away. He backs away to give me space.

  It’s like a slap in the face. Looking at him shaven, it’s all been there right before my eyes. I fall to my knees in the middle of the kitchen and clench my belly.

  “I don’t understand?”

  He drops to the floor and crawls closer. I’m frozen. The amount of hurt and deception I feel threatens to choke me.

  He cups my face in his strong hands but it’s more like I’m being burned instead of comforted. I can’t breathe. It’s the same face just older and without the amber eyes. Or should I say without the sunglasses.

  “You… I’m so confused.”

  “I reached out to you because you took my breath away.” He swallows. “My name is Prince Omid Arman Vahid. I couldn’t use my own name or picture for the profile. My cousins thought it would be better if I posted a picture of Remi and I together. Remi and I share the same middle name. We could say it was his profile which is why there were always more pictures of him than those of two of us or me alone.”

  “You catfished me?”

  “No, no, that’s not what I intended. Everything I shared with you was me. I never lied to you. I just wouldn’t address things you said about the pictures. Divine, I swear, I was going to tell you everything as soon as we met.”

  “But we didn’t meet,” I scream. “I sat in that park for hours. I waited for you. I… I waited.”

  My heart breaks all over again as that day comes rushing back. He told me he loved me. I believed him so I waited. I waited and waited. Feeling like a fool.

  “I’m so sorry,” he says as tears spill from his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I was coming. I promise you I was coming.”

  “Why?” I gasp. “Why are you so intent on making me feel like a fool? Once wasn’t enough? What is it about me? Why do you feel you have to crush my soul?”

  “Divine,” he breathes as pain covers his handsome features.

  “I loved you twice. I’ve allow myself to fall for you twice and you’ve… is this what dying feels like? I think you’ve killed me.”

  He crushes his lips to mine but I’m lifeless in his hold. “Please,” he whispers as he kisses me harder. “I love you. I love you so fucking much. I would never hurt you intentionally.”

  He shoves his hands into my hair and grips it tightly. Moving his lips to my neck, he repeats his words of love as I remain unmoved. Tears leak from my eyes but I’m hollow. I can’t form the words to my hurt and anger.

  “I gave up my entire life for you. I kept my promise. I came back for you. I told you no matter what I’d find my way back to America if I had to return home. I did.

  “You blocked my profiles. I couldn’t find you. Your number was out of service. I tried,” he pleas.

  I sob so hard. He’s right, after I sat in that park with my overnight bag waiting for him for hours, I was so mad and scared. Marica and I had made up a sleepover at Dada’s.

  “Dada’s house was all the way across town from the park we planned to meet in. I was scared and alone. Do you know the things I thought as a sixteen-year old girl in a park all by myself? I felt so stupid, terrified, humiliated.”

  “I plan to spend the rest of my life making up for that,” he says looking into my eyes.

  I turn away from him. “I can’t. I can’t trust you. I had to sneak into my best friend’s home that night after I allowed myself to admit you weren’t coming. I used her computer to erase you from my life.”

  “I was on a plane back to Iran. My father found out about the profiles. He was livid. My brother came to the States to stay for the end of my trip. He ratted on me. My father was on the next plane to collect us both.

  “Baby, I didn’t leave you there on purpose. Remi and Ramses were on a plane to follow me to make sure my father wasn’t too harsh with me. I had no way to send someone for you. Divine, if you only knew what happened. How I’ve always made the choice to protect you first.”

  He shifts his weight to sit on his behind, pulling me into his lap. “I love you. I can’t lose you again. I made a mistake—”

  His phone rings. He closes his eyes and curses. I go to move from his lap, but he tightens his hold. “Please stay,” he whispers as he retrieves the phone and answers. “Hello.”

  I curl into myself as he listens. “John slow down… No, she’s right here with me… What hospital?” He starts to get up and helps me to my feet. “We’re on our way.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “It’s Marica. She’s been in a car accident.”

  “Oh my God, the baby.”

  “The baby is fine. Nobi is with her. They’ve been trying to call you. Where’s your phone? We have to go.”

  I rush for my clutch. When I walk toward the door, he tries to place a hand on my back but I pull away quickly. I don’t need his comfort.

  I check my phone to find several missed calls and messages. I just want to get to my cousin. I’ll deal with this mess later.

  Chapter 24

  Living Life

  Divine

  I have so many emotions running through me. If I wasn’t shaking so badly I would’ve driven myself. I can’t even look at Omid.

  “Come, we’ll use my credentials,” he says.

  I follow him into the hospital in silence. My heart is racing. Dr. Nobi appears, looking a bit disheveled dressed in a white coat, dress shirt, bow tie, and shiny dress shoes. His pants look a little worse to for the wear.

  “What happened?” Omid asks.

  “Where is she? Is she okay? The baby?” I say shakily.

  Dr. Nobi looks at me sympathetically. “The ultrasound shows the baby is safe and sound. However, I’ll be observing them both overnight. Marica has a slight concussion, broken leg and fractured wrist. She’ll be needing a lot of help for the next two months or so.”

  “I’ll be there. She can stay with me at my house.”

  “You’re in no condition to help,” Omid says.

  I ignore him. Lifting my chin, I look at Dr. Nobi expectantly. He glances between us before he speaks.

  “He’s right. She’ll need a lot of help getting around and doing basic things but for now we want to focus on making sure the baby remains stable and that she gets some rest,” he says.

  “Can I see her?”

  “She’s been asking for you. I’ll show you to her room.” He nods.

  Omid starts to walk with us. I turn to glare at him. “Don’t.” I say the single word and turn to follow Dr. Nobi.

  My lips tremble and I have to fight to keep from sobbing out loud. She looks so banged up. She’s connected to all types of monitors.

  Dr. Nobi places a hand on my shoulder. “I should’ve warned you. It looks worse than it is. I want to keep an eye on the baby so she’s hooked up to the monitor for the little one.”

  “Yeah, and my face just looks like a hamburger. I’m okay,” she says with a tired smile. She then turns to Dr. Nobi. “Thanks to this guy. I’m so sorry I ruined your night.”

  “I told you to stop apologizing.”

  “What happened?”

  “Reckless driver. It was a hit and run,” Dr. Nobi says through his teeth. “I’m so glad fate had us on the same road. We were going in opposite directions but I saw when he ran her off the road. God, when I think of you being in that ditch with no one to know you were there.”

  His cheeks turn red with anger. I can almost taste it filling the room. He moves to look at the charts and monitor.

  “Wow, that’s crazy,” I say as I mo
ve closer and sit on the side of her bed, taking her uninjured hand.

  “It all happened so fast,” she says. She’s searching my face and her own crumbles. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you. I probably upset you and the baby.”

  “Are you kidding me? You better have called me. Besides, I was a mess before the call came in.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  I shake my head and glance at Dr. Nobi. He looks up at us, his blue-grey eyes bounce between us. I take him in for a moment.

  He seriously is a handsome man. He’s leaner than Omid and stands about an inch or two higher. He has a pair of the fullest pink lips. The thick wavy salt and pepper hair that tumbles into his face is something I wouldn’t think I’d find attractive but it works for him.

  He gives a small smile and it lights his entire face. I wonder how old he is. I believe him to be older than Omid but he doesn’t look to be in his forties despite the hair.

  Almost reluctantly, he places down the chart in his hand and starts to leave. “I’ll give you some privacy. I won’t be far, Mrs. Thompson. If you need me, ring the call bell.”

  When he’s gone, I turn to Marica and give her a look. “Mrs. Thompson?”

  “Yeah.” She shrugs. “He started calling me that after we got here and they fixed me up. He saved my life. He can call me Annabelle for all I care. Now what’s going on with you?”

  I look down into my lap. “He’s not related to Arman,” I murmur. “He is Arman. Prince Omid Arman Vahid.”

  “Okay, my head is hurting a little. Did you just say what I think you said?”

  “Sure did. He shaved his face and… I feel like such an idiot.”

  She squeezes my hand with the one I’m holding. “I never would’ve made that connection. You shouldn’t feel that way.”

  “Oh, you wouldn’t have made the connection because the boy—quite sure man—we thought was Arman was his cousin. Also named Arman. The cutie in the glasses. That was Omid. The boy that I was talking to,” I scoff.