Page 18 of Reluctant to Love

9

Eleanor

All of the air has been sucked from my lungs.

“What did you say,” I ask Roderick.

“Is your child mine, Eleanor?” His jaw is tight with tension and I can see the veins in his neck strain under the pressure.

“How do you know I have a child?”

“Don’t fuck with me! Just answer the goddamn question!” Roderick’s voice fills the entire room and surprises me. I’ve never heard him yell before.

“Yes,” I answer quietly.

“This is the secret? The one you said would change everything?”

“Yes,” I answer, my voice more defiant. I tilt my head and stare into his green eyes. They’re blazing with hurt and anger. “And from your reaction, I was right.”

I stand up and push past him. I can’t worry about Roderick and his ego.

“Where are you going? We need to talk about this!”

I spin to face him. “I don’t have time, Roderick. I have to get home. Izzy has the flu and was just admitted to the hospital.”

“Then I’m coming with you,” he insists.

“No, you’re not.” I was working my way up to telling him about our daughter, Izzy, but somehow, someway, he found out. I cannot handle having him in my space…no, having him invade my space and throwing Izzy into a tailspin. More importantly though, Izzy needs to be prepared.

“Yes, I am, Ellie.”

His insistence is irritating. “Stop being so selfish! Think about Izzy. She has no clue and you want me to bring you home and introduce you to her as her dad? Sorry, I’m not going to traumatize my daughter for your sake.”

“Ourdaughter. She’s my daughter too.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t have time for this. I need to pack up and get to the airport.”

“Aren’t you even concerned about your meeting tomorrow?”

“Not really. My daughter is in the hospital with a fever that will not budge. That’s all I’m concerned about.” Not to mention the astronomical hospital bill that will follow in a few weeks. Yeah, I’m pretty concerned about that too.

Before I can get by him, Roderick reaches out and hooks his arm through mine. “I’m coming with you, end of story. Besides, I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to afford a ticket this last minute.”

Money. I hadn’t even thought about paying for a flight home and of course, Roderick is Mr. Moneybags now. “Didn’t the publisher pay for a private jet?”

He drops his hand from my arm, freeing it and I rush across the suite to the second bedroom and begin packing. I stop to check in with my mom but there’s no change in Izzy’s condition. Her fever is still sky high.

“Oh, darling, just a quick question,” my mom asks before I hang up. “Do you know any Leos?”

“No, I don’t know anyone named Leo.”

“Not the name Leo, but the astrological sign.”

I turn to face the doorway just as Roderick enters with his hand on his suitcase. “Yes, I do.”And I’m staring right at him.

“They’re quite passionate and fiery. Typically, not a good match for Aquarians like you but I was talking to my friend Cheryl, who is a medium and she said—”

“Mom! I really don’t have time for a story about Cheryl. I need to get to the airport if I have any hope of getting on a flight tonight.”