The Bucket List (A REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE)

53. ALBANY

There were a few minutes of silence followed by a huff and then the door slammed shut so violently that I jumped. Muttering curses under his breath, Severide wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest.

"I'm sorry," he muttered against my hair.

"W-what's she doing here?" I tilted my head back to look up at him.

His glanced at the door. "I can't talk about it."

My eyes dropped. I pushed him away and walked around the desk to put some space between us. His ex-wife just fucking walked in on us. What the hell was she doing here? Why was he still in contact with her? Unless. . .

"Do you have kids?" I asked him.

I caught the pain that flashed through his eyes before he lowered them. "No. Katline's in trouble and I'm helping her. I can't tell you about it, Albany."

"Why?" I asked him. "Why are you helping her?"

He ignored my question and started down at the papers that littered the floor. Running a hand through his hair, he looked up at me.

"Because I owe her," he said softly. "I ruined nearly fifteen years of her life and I'm trying to make it up by bailing her out of the mess she got herself into."

My brows dipped into a frown. Ruined her life? I shook my head as I tried to understand what he was talking about. Severide walked around the desk and stopped in front of me. He cupped my cheeks and tilted my head back so our eyes locked.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were married before?" I asked him before he could utter a word.

Severide shrugged. "It's never come up. I didn't really think it's important."

I scoffed and moved out of his reach again. "Not important? We're in a relationship, Sev. How can you think that you marital status is not important? Where you ever going to tell me that you—"

"I can't do this right now, Albany." He turned away from me and walked over the door. "You should go home. I'll call you tonight."

He opened the door.

And just like that I was dismissed.

My heart dropped to my stomach and tears started burning my eyes. He was asking me to leave so he could talk to her. He was putting his ex-wife before me. Swallowing, I dropped my eyes and stormed past him and out of the door, but I came to a shocking halt when I nearly ran into Katline.

Baby blue eyes locked with mine and perfectly made up lips curled into a not so friendly smile. "Guess you're not so important, after all."

***

Willow's was a new restaurant that opened in town a few months ago. I'd entered it one time but once I saw the prices on the menu, I left again. Now, I was seated at a table which Steven had reserved for our dinner date with a menu in my hands.

He'd called me this morning and asked me out. I agreed because I hadn't seen any of them since we returned home. I was dying for some company.

My eyes darted around the restaurant as my mind wandered. I had no idea what to make out of Severide's dismissal earlier so I'd pushed it aside and focused on finding something to wear for my date with Steven. I remembered the way Thomas got pissed off when I asked him about Severide's marriage so I made a mental note to keep clear of that conversation with Steven.

For a moment my eyes lingered on a couple that sat a few tables away. It was clear as day that they only had eyes for each other. How many times had I sat up late at night dreaming of finding someone to look at me like that? I wanted a home. Family. God, I wanted a family so bad.

But was I going to get that with them? Was I just a. . . fling?

What if what we have now is all we'd ever be?

My eyes dropped to the table. What was going to happen when things got serious? Were the four of us still going to be in a relationship or not? What about Kieran and Thomas? Would they ever stop fighting? Would Severide always place his ex-wife before me?

Shaking my head, I sucked in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. I wasn't going to allow my insecurities to ruin my date with Steven.

But as the minutes passed my excitement for the night started to dim. I checked my phone every few seconds for messages from Steven but there were none.

By the time the clock struck eight and there was still no sign of Steven, I decided to call him. I was sick with worry. My mind was creating all kinds of bad scenarios. The fear and worry increased as his phone continued to ring and then go over to voicemail. On the fourth ring he finally picked up.

"Where are you?"

"Hi, this is Professor Quinn's phone," a soft voice answered. "Please hold on a moment. Professor, here's phone for you."

A few minutes later Steven's voice drifted through the phone. "Albany, is everything okay?"

"I should be asking you that," I told him. "Have you seen the time? I've been sitting here for three hours waiting for you."

He muttered a curse. "Our date. Shit. Albany, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot. I—"

"Guess I'm not that important then," I interrupted him. "Next time you're going to be running late, just pick up the phone and call me so I don't make a fucking fool of myself."

"Albany—"

I ended the call and swallowed the lump in my throat. I was not going to fucking cry! Dropping some money onto the table, I picked up my clutch and stood. I kept my head down as I walked out of the restaurant.

The moment I was on the sidewalk, the fight left my body. My shoulders slumped and the tears escaped. I didn't have enough money on me to get a taxi.

I hesitated a moment before I opened my contacts and pulled up Kieran's number. He answered almost immediately.

"Can you please come pick me up?"