Page 30 of Shark’s Rise

My human instinct told me to go to him. Hug him. Comfort him. But the relationship we shared wasn’t like that. I was paralyzed with indecision.

“Elijah.” I sat up and scooted to the end of the sofa, nearest to where he was still so eerily frozen. “I— I can’t imagine… I have no words—”

He cut me off when he raised his head. I lurched back, unable to hide my astonishment. The agony and bitterness of a hundred broken hearts were etched on his handsome face. I’d never seen him like this before. I wanted to tell him I was sorry, but suddenly that seemed wildly inappropriate.

“Don’t,” he nearly barked before a grimace contorted his features. “Just don’t,” he said in a softer tone. “Sorry. Honestly. It’s raw. It’s been three fucking years, and it’s still so raw. I keep thinking it will get easier, and it doesn’t. But that’s not your fault. So I apologize.” He took an intentionally long breath. Then again. He closed his eyes, clearly working to calm himself. I watched him, frozen in my spot on the sofa.

“Thank you for sharing a part of your past with me,” I finally said. “I can only imagine how difficult that was.”

He gave me a forced half-smile. “Well, there is a reason for doing so, Abbigail. And it wasn’t just to exorcise my demons or forge some bond between us or whatever.”

“Gee, thanks for clearing that up,” I muttered tersely. That at least had him shifting back into his usual asshole demeanor, navigating us into familiar waters. Floating on those currents was my abject curiosity. “Why flay yourself open like that, then? What’s this all about? If you’re going to go right back to this?” I waved my hand up and down his seated frame.

Elijah let half a beat go by before reaching down and finally grabbing the small shopping bag at his feet. He extended it my way. “I picked this up for you the other day when Joel and I were running errands. You and Sebastian seem to be the only two people on the planet who haven’t figured it out yet.” He shook his head and nudged the bag toward me again.

“Figured out wha—”

My vocal cords surrendered to a choke as I opened the bag and pulled out the box inside. The words pregnancy test all but throbbed in purple lettering on the long container in my trembling grip. I stared at them. Hard. Then looked at him. Back again to the box. One more time at the determined man in the chair—this time not disguising my disbelief.

“You and I both know how that’s going to turn out.” Elijah nodded at the box. “Don’t we?”

I opened my mouth. Shut it. Shoved the box back into his cute little brown bag. “You think this is clever, Mr. Banks?”

He arched his brows. “I think this is smart, Ms. Gibson. The faster we find out, the quicker we can get you some proper care—”

“I have a stomach bug, damn it! I’m not even late. Not that it’s your business.” I hurled the pillow across the room. “Any of it!”

He shot to his feet. Threw his hands in the air while bumping his voice up to match my shout. “For Christ’s sake, woman. Be serious right now. I mean, I get the whole virgin thing and all—but shit!”

I surged up to mirror his stance. “You know what? Fuck you. I know you have some shit you haven’t dealt with from your past. And honestly, you may want to talk to a professional about all that, as long as we’re being assholes to each other. But don’t put your shit on Sebastian and me. We have more than our share of drama at the moment, in case you haven’t noticed.”

He narrowed his glare. “Of course, I’ve fucking noticed. That being said, do you really think I did this just to be ‘cute’?”

I shoved out air through my nostrils and stomped across the room.

The bastard did the same, stomping the opposite direction.

“Abbig—”

“No,” I spat. “Just. Don’t.” Neither of my snarls helped to dissipate my outrage. I was just more pissed off now—enough to fire at him, “Next time you want to get me a gift, buddy? A candle or some fucking flowers will suffice!”

Only then did I realize that I still clutched the brown bag, the offensive purple box sticking out the top like a wino’s stash. I whipped it away like it had turned into a snake—right at the asshole across the room. The top of the box hit Elijah’s head so hard, it bounced off his hard skull and smacked into the large window beside him. It shooshed down the glass and thumped to the floor. The box fell free from the bag, its brilliant violet letters landing face-up. Taunting me.

And now driving me into a full fight-or-flight.

I stormed down the hall to my room and slammed the door. The entire wall shook, and I watched the hanging artwork tremor with a vaguely satisfied smirk. Which, of course, quickly dissolved into rolling, raging tears.

How dare that bastard stick his nose into our personal life? How dare he insinuate I was so naïve, I wouldn’t know if my own damn body was with child or not? And how dare he possibly be right?

And in that case…how dare I?

I couldn’t even comprehend it. How dare I? How could I? How could I bring a child into this dangerous situation? Into this world where I couldn’t even be with its father right now? In which we wouldn’t be able to share any of the happy, exciting…terrifying times with him or my family or friends?

I angrily wiped my face. Desperately pushed the horrible thoughts away.

Elijah was wrong. He had to be.

Nevertheless, I pulled up the calendar on my cell phone. Swiftly, I searched for the last time I’d had my period. I usually kept careful track, even in the days before Sebastian, so I’d know to be “prepared” on the Abstract delivery runs. But time had gotten warped since I’d been at this house. Everything was out of sorts. I barely knew what time of day it was anymore, let alone how it related to the passing days and weeks. My period had been the last thing on my mind.