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That hurt. I kept my expression blank, not wanting her to sense that I was conflicted. My desire to keep her and the baby safe warred with my need for control.
More pressing matters needed my attention though. The doctor.
My blood boiled when I saw his number. It was a number that I used to contact him when I was younger, stupid, and still felt like I needed an ally.
The doctor loved to help unfortunate, misguided souls. I would know, I was one.
Is that what he was doing for Mya? It didn’t matter. I would get the truth from him soon. In the meantime, his betrayal stung, but it took two to tango, so to speak, and his partner in crime was sitting there across from me.
“I know what you’re doing. I heard what you said.”
What was she talking about? “You’re going to have to be more specific.”
If she could have hit me, she would have.
“Where’s Dr. Kali?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“I swear if you hurt him, I’ll?—”
“What? You’ll do what exactly?” I knew I shouldn’t have mocked her, but I was annoyed.
Admittedly, I liked to push her buttons. I liked it when she was angry. The way her breathing picked up, her eyes narrowed, and the look of determination in her eyes—I loved it.
If she’d had a gun, I would be dead, I was sure. I liked her fire. It appealed to me.
Shaking her head, she shot me a look of disgust that would have made a weaker man flinch. “I hate you. Dr. Kali is innocent…”
“Really? So, you just had his number for what reason exactly?”
She turned away from me and just stared out the window. Up until that moment, she had looked ready to breathe fire. Now, she didn’t even want to make eye contact. Did she really hate me? Well, I deserved it.
“Tell me about your plans to leave me, Mya.”
At my words, she nervously looked at me and then turned away again. She was silent. And the heavy silence bothered me more than I wanted her to know.
Is that what was going to happen? The silent treatment, again? It was a shame…I’d gotten used to hearing her voice.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I didn’t respond. I should have known her first instinct would have been to lie. I would have done the same.
People who betrayed me didn’t live long enough to talk about it. Yet, I would rather be betrayed by her a hundred times than be without her.
“Let’s try again, shall we?” I shifted closer to her. “Why did you have the doctor’s number? What were your plans? Were the two of you plotting with Matteo behind my back?”
The thought of her or the doctor collaborating with that piece of trash hurt. Hurt wasn’t a feeling I was used to dealing with, but in the last few hours, that’s exactly what I had felt. And I hated the feeling more than anything else.
“I wouldn’t ever work with Matteo.” Her disgust was evident when she said Matteo’s name. It was as if the very thought of him disgusted her. I knew the feeling.
“But the doctor?”
“He would never betray you. You can believe what you want, Dario. You’re going to anyway. You’re being paranoid.”
“I’m giving you the chance to clear the air. Confess.”
She smiled wryly, the action humorless and full of sadness. I felt my heart ache. The sadness is what I had caused.