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Regina felt deserted; she felt like Leo had slapped her. Regina walked out of the gala in a daze and hailed a taxi. Twenty minutes later when the cab came to a stop she saw that she had given directions to her old apartment. Regina began to cry in earnest, the taxi driver, a Sikh man in his late fifties said encouraging words in Punjabi.
When she finally made it home she saw that the lights were on in the living room and Leo’s car was in the drive. She thanked the driver, tipped him heavily and went in with her heart in her throat. She didn’t want to see Leo, she didn’t want to talk to him, she just wanted to pack a bag of clothes and get out of there.
“Regina?” he called coming around the corner, his shirt half open, his hair tussled like he’d been running his fingers through them. “Where were you?” he asked coming forward. “I looked all over for you; you weren’t answering your phone.”
Regina didn’t respond. She pushed past him to reach their bedroom but he held her shoulder.
“Regina I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I was angry,” he kissed her earlobe. “I was being ridiculous.”
“No you were right,” Regina said. “You should find someone who wants the things you do.”
“Regina, please,” Leo tried to kiss her but she turned her face away. “I didn’t mean it.”
“I mean it,” Regina said. “I’m going to pack some things and move out. I’ll get the rest of my stuff when I find a place.”
“Regina,” Leo looked hurt and Regina was glad. She had wanted to hurt him just as much as he had hurt her, to know that she could, that she mattered.
She threw a few clothes in to a large suitcase and changed her clothes. Leo watched her from the door but didn’t try to stop her. When Regina walked by him he held out a hand at first Regina thought he was going to stop her again but then she saw that his eyes were blood shot and his jaw was clenched in anger.
“This is on you,” he bit out. “You’re the one walking away from this.”
“Don’t kid yourself Leo,” Regina said more calmly than she felt. “You walked away first. But if it makes you feel better about yourself I don’t mind taking them blame. I’ve always been stronger than you anyway.”
She walked away from the only man she ever loved and even though her heart was breaking she didn’t shed a single tear.
Chapter Five
Estranged
Living in the office wasn’t as hard as most people said it was but it was sad. Regina missed Anita’s morning coffee, the fresh squeezed juice and the delicious breakfast. She also missed Leo. She had finally allowed herself a good cry once she’d sat down on her office sofa.
Her suitcase was hidden in the small closet inside her office bathroom. The emergency closet housed a few suits and spare blouses and shoes in case of accidents. Regina had never had an accident but after Rachel Hendricks popped all her buttons in a court proceeding and Nina Lutz went toppling off the court steps when her heel broke Regina had kept a spare closet well stocked. Jeffery hardly went in there and wouldn’t notice her suitcase and cosmetics bag.
Regina brushed the crumbs of her doughnut off her desk hoping it would stay down. She hadn’t had a cup of coffee in days, not because she was thinking of the baby’s health, but because it hurt too much to puke it all out. It burned worse than acid. Her breasts ached to the touch; her feet had swollen slightly so wearing a pair of heels was a form of self-torture.
And women look forward to this? Regina massaged her aching neck, shrugged it off and hunkered down to work. She had a busy day ahead of her; several client meetings and a session in court.
She’d also slotted time to meet Frank Simpson. She’d read his testimony and some of the things he said didn’t make sense. She wanted to meet the man face to face and talk about Dakota and the relationship she had with her sister. Regina found Diana’s morbid interest in her sister’s life unnerving. She wanted to know how the aunt had been with her nephews and nieces.
Regina found herself glancing at Leo’s picture on her desk. It was taken five months ago in the Alps, Leo was kissing her cheek and she was laughing with her mouth open. Regina felt a physical pang every time she glanced at it. Around midmorning Regina put the picture in her desk. There was no use thinking about him and causing herself more heartache.
