Page 162 of Trust Me

Chapter 42

Oliver

I was nervous when we left the bathroom, but I’d already come to terms with the inevitability of this Matteo situation. There had been opportunities for me to tell Dean, and I wasn’t avoiding it. I just didn’t want to add to any of the things going on with him and his family. When he did find out, I was ready to face it, no matter how he felt.

Part of me was glad that the doctor was coming over. Maybe it’d come up organically, rather than me blurting it out like some dirty confession.

The thing was, I didn’t feel ashamed. I had my brief moment of panic, but now I was prepared to defend my decisions. Dean knew me—maybe not as well as someone like Remi, but he wasn’t an overly reactive person. If he was bothered by finding out what I’d done, we’d talk about it, and that was that.

More than anything, I was concerned about his brother. He didn’t need more reasons not to trust me. That one might take a little longer, but I was willing to put in the time. I’d do anything for Dean, even try to get to the bottom of this resentment Blake had for me.

There were already voices in the living room, including a new one that I clocked immediately. It sounded a little different than it had on the phone, but I recognized it.

We rounded the corner, and all eyes landed on me and Dean. I saw his cheeks darken slightly, like he was thinking about what we’d just been doing in the bathroom. Our definition of ‘quick’ may have gotten mixed up with ‘thorough.’

Dr. Matteo stood, and Dean immediately stepped forward to shake his hand. The doctor was a tall man, though he looked smaller next to Dean. There was kindness in his eyes, just as there had been in his voice when I first spoke to him. It was what had given me faith that he was the right one after talking to a dozen other doctors.

“Dean, I’ve heard so much about you,” he said, sounding incredibly genuine. “Your mom loves to sing your praises.”

“That’s good to know,” Dean replied. “I’ll have to stop telling her things.”

“And you’ve got your dad’s humor. I imagine you kept your mom on her toes when she wasn’t at the hospital.”

“Nah, I was an angel.”

I snorted a laugh, which brought Matteo’s eyes to me. A wave of confidence washed through me, driving me to stick out my hand. If there was one thing I’d learned throughout my life, it was that a firm handshake could instill respect from the moment you met someone. In a world where people were always looking for a reason to write you off, first impressions were everything.

“I’m Oli,” I said. “Oliver Bennett if you want my government name.”

His eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh, of course. Sorry, I didn’t realize you were—” His gaze darted to Dean, then back to me, assessing.

“They’re dating,” Teresa filled in for him, sounding a little giddy about it.

“That explains it.” He chuckled. “It’s very nice to finally meet you, Oli.”

I felt Dean’s gaze, so I offered him a smile.

“Sorry,” he said, looking between us. “Finally meet?”

“We’ve spoken on the phone,” Dr. Matteo explained. Silence fell over the room. I saw him analyzing the situation, probably feeling like he’d stepped into something he wasn’t prepared for.

Teresa and Lee were watching, both of them revealing very little of their emotions. Blake had the look of someone whose suspicions had been confirmed. There might as well have been smoke coming out of his ears and nose.

Dean looked at me with a furrowed brow. “But why?”

I took his hand, hoping he wouldn’t shake me off. “I sort of found this job for her.”

He sucked in a breath and stepped to the side, letting me go. “You . . . what?”

“I didn’t want you to know,” I admitted.

“Now we have secrets?”

My gut finally caught up to the conversation, clenching in response to that question.

“No, I just didn’t want it to be about me.”

“Oli,” he sighed. “What the hell?”