Page 135

He remained silent.
“It was the only way for you to move on with your life. I know you never wanted this.” I rubbed my belly.
“You don’t know what I want,” he said sharply. “Do you even know what I’ve been going through? Ever since you told me the baby was gone…”
I kicked at the ground. I knew it was a horrible thing that I had done, but I never knew the full damage it might have caused. Until now.
“I’ve been tearing myself apart, thinking of all the things I should have done and the pain you went through. Heart, I’ve been a wreck. And here you are…”
“You and I were never going to work. You know that.”
“Do I?” he asked.
I looked away. “Don’t do that. Don’t act like we were going to be some happy little family.”
“I wanted that, Heart. I told you I did. I told you I was in this. For you. For the baby.”
His words were everything I wanted to hear, but then I thought of what he had said at the charity event. And about the tabloids with Kiera. I couldn’t let myself fall for it, even though I so badly wanted to.
“Look…this”—I rubbed my bump—“doesn’t change anything.”
“What are you talking about? This changeseverything.”
“I can do this on my own, Daniel.”
“But I don’t want you to.” He looked at me sympathetically.
“It’s not really up to you.”
“I’m the father. Of course, it’s up to me.”
“Oh, now you want to be a father?” I snapped.
He closed his eyes and looked pained, but only for a moment. He then released a slow breath through his nose before looking at me. His blue eyes piercing.
“I’ll admit I was shocked at first. There were things I didn’t handle well. I’m so sorry for everything, Heart. But you have to understand that what you overheard was a lie, and one I regret every day. No business deal is worth lying about who I am, or hurting you in the process. You have to believe me.”
His voice was pleading as his eyes searched mine. It was so hard not to get lost in him. The little spray of wrinkles around his eyes. The iciness of his gaze. The slight stubble along his sharp jawline. The way he looked at me like that. It was all too much.
“And so what if I did believe you?” I asked. “What about your new fiancée? I don’t think she would be happy to know that her soon-to-be husband has a baby on the way.”
He sighed. “She’s not my fiancée.”
“Really? Because you looked awfully cozy on the beach.”
“It’s not what it looked like.”
I laughed sarcastically. “Please, explain how you ended up at the same resort halfway around the world at the same time.”
“It’s a long story…”
“Ofcourseit is.” I rolled my eyes. “You know, you seem to have an excuse for every little thing, Daniel. I’m surprised you haven’t used them all up yet.”
“I know I’ve lost your trust, but if you would just hear me out—”
“I’m good. Really. I’ve heard and seen enough.”
I slipped the ultrasound photos in my purse and walked toward the door. I heard his footsteps behind me. His hand slipped around my arm gently, pulling me to a stop. I whipped my head around and he lowered his forehead to mine. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me, and wondered if I had enough strength to stop him.