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Adam almost stopped breathing.
“I don’t understand.”
“Some of the new treatments would have affected the baby. She wasn’t convinced they would work anyway, so she decided she’d rather give your child a fighting chance.” She looked up at him, her brow creased. “You guys must have discussed this, right?”
Adam carefully sat up and set Lizzie away from him. He turned to his side, put his feet on the ground, and buried his face in his hands.
“What’s wrong?” Lizzie touched his shoulder.
“I didn’t know she was pregnant.”
His words fell into the silence like shards of ice.
“Adam . . . how could you not know?” Lizzie rushed to put the light on. “What are you saying?”
He went into the bathroom and grabbed his robe before coming back to Lizzie who had already started scrambling into her clothes. It was too much—too goddamn much. He faced her, arms folded over his chest, aware that he was shaking, and unable to stop the long-held fury in his soul from finally consuming him and everything around him.
Lizzie rushed toward him, her hand outstretched. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea that Louisa—”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Okay.” Lizzie went still, her breathing almost as loud as his.
“Why would Louisa tell you something like that, and not tell me?”
“I don’t know. I’m really sorry.” Lizzie spread her hands wide. “Maybe—”
“Maybe she didn’t say it, and you’re just making shit up.”
“Look, I realize this is obviously something of a shock to you, but that’s hardly fair. She told me in confidence, and—”
“It’s a fucking lie!”
Lizzie winced as he raised his voice.
“I don’t know what you think she said, or what you’ve imagined, in some weird attempt to make me feel even worse about all the shit that’s currently going on in my life. Isn’t it bad enough that I took your virginity and didn’t even realize it? Do you feel compelled to tell me all this crap? Because I don’t goddamn want to hear it right now!”
His angry words echoed around the room, leaving behind a void of vibrating silence.
Lizzie took a deep breath, nodded, and headed for the door, pausing only to look over her shoulder.
“Maybe when you calm down, and think this through, you’ll come and talk to me about it, okay?” she said carefully.
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
She raised her chin. “You’re basically calling me a liar?”
Even through his haze of anger he caught the hitch in her voice, the hurt he was inflicting, and still couldn’t reach her through his own howling pain.
“Yeah, I guess I am.”
“About both things?”
He didn’t answer her. He couldn’t.
“Wow, thanks.” She unlocked the door. “I’ve had enough of the men in my life not trusting me. Don’t bother to call, Adam. I’ve managed without you in my life for fourteen years. It won’t be that hard to shut you out again.”
She closed the door quietly behind herself. Adam sank down to the floor as fear and rage fought for control of his head.
“Louisa . . .” he whispered. “What the hell did you do?”
* * *
Lizzie walked out into the kitchen gulping for air, and desperate to get away before she started bawling in earnest. She came to a halt and realized that her car was at the Cortez ranch. She glanced down at her inadequate sandals and made a decision. There was no way she was going back in that room and ask bloody Adam Miller for anything ever again. It felt like her heart was literally going to burst with pain.
She paused in the mudroom, borrowed a small fleece to put over her dress, and let herself out into the inky blackness. She was halfway down the drive when a truck came idling up behind her. Setting her teeth, she kept walking. Maybe if she were lucky, he’d do them both a favor and mow her down.
“Lizzie, where the hell are you going?” She only looked over her shoulder when she realized it wasn’t Adam, but Ben hanging out of the driver’s window. “Get in.”
She wasn’t stupid. It was at least two miles to get back to Morgantown and her feet were already killing her. Ben glanced over as she got into the passenger seat.
