Page 20 - It Ends with Us

no des ire for a wife. I especial ly don’t want chi ldren. The only thi ng I

want out of life is succes s. Lots of it. But if I admit tha t out loud to
any one, it makes me sound arro gant .”
“Profes siona l succes s? Or social status?”
He says, “Both. Any one can ha ve chi ldren. Any one can get
marri ed . But no t ev er yone can be a neu rosurgeo n. I get a lot of pride
out of tha t. And I don’t just want to be a grea t neu rosurgeon. I want

to be the bes t in my fiel d.”
“You’re right . It does make you sound arro gant .”
He smiles . “My mother fea rs I’m wasting my life away bec ause all I
do is work.”
“You’re a neu rosurgeo n and your mother is di sap pointed in you?” I
laugh. “Good lord, tha t’s ins ane. Are parent s ev er rea lly ha ppy with
thei r chi ldren? Wi ll they ev er be good eno ugh?”

He sha kes hi s hea d. “My chi ldren wouldn’t be. Not many peo ple
ha ve the drive I do, so I’d only be set ting them up for failure. Tha t’s
why I’ll nev er ha ve any.”
“I actually thi nk tha t’s res pec table, R yle. A lot of peo ple ref use to
admit they might be too sel fis h to ha ve chi ldren. ”
He sha kes hi s hea d. “Oh, I’m way too sel fish to ha ve chi ldren. And

I’m defini tel y way too sel fis h to be in a rel ations hi p.”
“So ho w do you avoid it? You just don’t date?”
He cuts hi s ey es to me, and there’ s a slight grin affix ed to hi s face.
“When I ha ve time, there are girls who satisfy tho se need s. I don’t lack
for any thi ng in tha t dep artment , if tha t’s wha t you’re asking . But love
ha s nev er appealed to me. It’s always been more of a burden tha n
any thi ng .”

I wish I looked at love like tha t. It would make my life a hel l of a lot
ea sier. “I env y you. I ha ve thi s idea tha t there’ s a per fec t man out
there for me. I tend to bec ome jaded ea sily, bec ause no one ev er
meet s my stand ards. I feel like I’m on an infini te sea rch for the Holy
Grail.”
“You sho uld try my met ho d,” he says.

“Whi ch is?”
“One- ni ght stand s.” He raises an ey eb row, like it’s an inv itation.
I’m glad it’s dark, bec ause my face is on fire. “I could nev er sleep
with someo ne if I didn’t see it going any where. ” I say thi s out loud,