Page 49 of The Surrender (Arlington Hall #2)

“You never told me.” I don’t need to rack my brain.

He did not tell me. “I don’t even know who you are.

” I feel like I’ve lived in the dark the whole time I was with Nick.

Been deceived, made a fool of way before I met Jude Harrison.

“Stay away from me, stay away from my family, and stay away from my work.” I’m one stride away from the front door when it swings open, my brother appearing.

“There you are.” Clark exhales, relieved to find me. “I was worried. Do you feel okay? Sick? Because Rach is getting terrible morning sickness, and she thought you might be too.”

I stare at him. Just stare.

“You’re pregnant?” Nick blurts from behind me.

“Oh fuck.” Clark tilts his head slightly to look past me and confirm who’s here.

“Pregnant?”

I’m frozen, my brain failing me. Think.

“Pregnant?” Nick says again, his voice getting louder, closer. “You’re fucking pregnant?”

“Who’s pregnant?” Mum appears behind Clark, and my whole world just got a little bit messier.

I close my eyes briefly, at a loss. “Me.”

“Oh my Christ,” Mum breathes.

“Is it mine?” Nick asks, his expression everything I hate. Hope.

“Nick?” Dad joins Mum on the doorstep. “Is what yours?”

I stare at Clark in complete despair. Poor thing looks absolutely mortified, his eyes wide and full of apologies.

“Amelia’s pregnant,” Nick declares.

“What?” Dad coughs over his shock. “How ridiculous. She can’t be.”

“I’m pregnant.” I say the words clearly for my dad to hear, looking back at Nick. “And it’s not yours.”

He jerks, like he’s been shot. “Him?” he gasps in disbelief.

I don’t need to answer. This is horrific. Utterly horrific. And not because of Nick; I couldn’t give two shits about him. But my family?

“Amelia?” Dad sounds as lost as I feel.

“Okay, I think we need to give them some space,” Clark declares, taking Mum and Dad and pushing them back into the house.

“Pregnant?” Dad cries. “She’s pregnant? But how?”

“Oh, Dennis, come on. Do you really need an explanation?”

“Yes! She just told me she’s split up with Jude, whom, by the way, is a cracking chap. Why is she splitting up with him if she’s expecting his baby?”

“Jesus.” Clark throws me so many apologetic looks as he herds my parents back into the house, slamming the door.

I stare at the wood, feeling Nick’s presence, unable to face him. “He’s a cracking chap?” he says over a laugh. “So you’ve obviously not told your parents that he was using you.”

“No, Nick, I’ve not told them. I’ve got other things on my mind right now.”

“Of course. Jesus, Amelia. I don’t believe you.” He laughs. “How could you do this to me?”

“You?” I ask, stunned, sounding shrieky. “How could I do this to you ?”

“What the fucking hell are you talking about?”

Honestly, I don’t know. But I’m mad, and I fucking hate everyone right now.

I’m fighting to keep myself from toppling over, I’m shaking so much.

“I’m the fucking victim, Nick. Me. Jude Harrison used me because of whatever shitty financial advice you gave his family years ago, so don’t stand there being oh woe is me . ”

He backs down quickly, his mouth snapping shut. “I’m sorry, okay. I’m just dealing with a lot here.”

I laugh out loud, and then back up when he comes closer, his face imploring. Oh no. “This can still work,” he says, taking my shoulders, holding my useless form before him. “We can start again. Me and you.”

I stare at him, flummoxed. “You’d still have me with another man’s baby?”

He looks down at my stomach. “Well, there are solutions for these kinds of problems.”

“Solutions?” And I’m a problem? My baby is a problem?

“Yeah, you know ...” He shrugs. “I mean, I’m sure your dad will lend us the money to go private.”

“Private,” I murmur. “For an abortion.”

“Yeah. Only the best care for you, Amelia. You know that. It’ll be a new start. I can hop onboard with your brother at Lazenby Finance; you can, I don’t know, do your thing at LB&B for a while.” He smiles. “At least we know you’re fertile for when we try.”

What the hell am I listening to? “I’m not having an abortion, Nick.”

His face falls. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“But you have to, Amelia. I can’t raise another man’s child.”

“Are you fucking insane? Have you missed the past few months? I don’t love you, Nick. I have never loved you.”

“But what will I do?” he asks. “What about me?”

“What about you?”

“I was supposed to get into Lazenby Finance, Amelia!” he yells, exploding, making me flinch. “It was supposed to be mine.” He takes a breath, blinking, as I step back, stunned. “Ours. It was supposed to be ours.”

“It will never be yours.”

“Because you ruined everything!” His cool is lost again, and for the first time, I feel like I’m looking at the real Nick.

“Some rich prick shows you a bit of attention, and you drop your knickers in a heartbeat.” He laughs, and it goes right through me.

“And now look at the state of you. Fucking pregnant. How dumb could you be?”

Very dumb, apparently. Because I have no idea who this twisted, bitter arsehole is. “Is that why you’re so desperate to get me back? Because you want the business?”

He huffs, waving a hand in the vicinity of my stomach. “Well, I don’t want you now, do I? You’ve fucked it all up, Amelia. My future, your future, your family’s business’s future.”

I should slap him. But I don’t get a chance. Clark appears from nowhere, bunching Nick’s shirt in his fists and thrusting him down the pathway. “You’re out, Nick. Done for. You’ll never be a part of this family or our business, so back the fuck off and stay away from my sister.”

Nick staggers a few feet away, startled. “Your dad always wanted me to help you run Lazenby Finance, Clark. Perhaps because he saw more potential in me.”

“You fucker.”

“I would have been an asset! You would have been lucky to have me.” He gives me a filthy look, one that could turn me to dust if I allowed it.

“Get the fuck out of here!” Clark bellows before collecting me and taking me inside.

“Dad wanted Nick to help you run the business?” I ask, an old, familiar pain back. Nick but not me?

“I never told you because I didn’t want you to hate on Dad any more than you already did.” He slams the front door, slightly out of breath. “I would have fought him, trust me.”

I don’t believe this. Was I going to have any say in how I lived my life and who with?

“She’ll be a single mother!” Dad yells.

“Oh, shut up,” my brother shouts, all out of patience, pacing to the kitchen, me following. “Amelia’s right. You’re a bloody dinosaur.”

“Now, now, Clark,” Grandpa says. “Let’s not get excited.”

“Tell him that!”

I wander into the kitchen, and everyone shuts up, looking at me. “I’m okay, by the way,” I say, the words strained and broken. I’m far from okay. “In case any of you were wondering.” I collect my bag and throw it over my shoulder. “I’ll be going now so you can all carry on arguing about my life.”

“Amelia, for Christ’s sake, pregnant!” Dad’s hands go into his hair. “Who will support you?”

“I’ll support myself,” I snap. “And were you ever going to tell me that you were planning on giving Nick what should have been mine?”

Dad looks stung. “It was the natural progression.”

“It was bullshit, Dad!”

My anger refuses to allow the tears to break free as I storm out of my parents’ house. “Amelia, wait,” Dad yells, coming after me. “Amelia, I’m sorry.”

Even that one rare word from my father doesn’t stop me, and I keep hold of my emotions until I reach the end of the road.

Then I cry like a baby all the way to Abbie’s, distraught. The blows just keep on coming, and I don’t know how much more I can take.

Charley’s there when I fall through the door in tears, and they both dedicate the rest of the evening to feeding me, watering me, showering me, and tucking me up in bed.

Charley spoons me, and Abbie spoons Charley, all of us cuddled up on the bed as I sob myself to sleep and my best friends comfort me.

My world falling apart around me.