Page 1 of Not Because You Loved Me

Prologue — Katerina

New Year’s Eve — December 31

“What about the baby?”

There are moments when life throws you a ball so far out of left field that your brain simply refuses to catch up.

We had planned a low-key New Year’s Eve with my fiancé’s family. Trent seemed to have been under immense stress lately, behaving differently. I first noticed the shift in him about three months ago. At first, it felt sweet; I even attributed his sudden proposal to it, completely taking me off guard. But over the last few weeks, that endearing attentiveness morphed into something suffocating, and in the past few days he has seemed agitated with me. But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out the reason.

I thought a quiet night with his family would ease the tension. I was wrong.

Even before we arrived, he questioned my outfit with an almost manic edge, and then once we got to his parents' home, he tracked my plate at the charcuterie board and physically swiped certain items out of my reach. I am a pretty even-keeled person; I let most things go by because I know what truly matters. But my fiancé was testing my patience… and then, when his cousin handed me a glass of champagne, Trent practically growled, snatching the flute before I could take a sip.

Stepping into the kitchen was meant to give us both space. I took a few minutes to breathe, and while I was at it, I poured myself a whiskey. I pasted a cheerful smile on my face determined not to let whatever this was ruin my night, and stepped back into the living room, rocks glass in hand, to find Trent standing mid-room, a flush creeping up his neck and turning his skin a mottled, dark crimson. He stomped forward, lunging for my glass. When I jerked back, his hand hit my wrist, sending the glass and its contents shattering onto the floor.

“What about the baby?” he yelled.

His anger radiated across the room as I stood frozen, paralyzed by his words and actions.

What baby?

Trent huffed, shoving a hand behind his neck and squeezing the muscle, a dead giveaway that his mind was spinning out of control. His dark brown eyes locked onto mine; the same eyes that were once warm were now cold.

“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”

My throat locked. Words usually came easily to me, but the air felt thin, squeezed out of the room by the sudden silence around us.

“What are you talking about?” I finally managed.

“The baby!” he screeched.

I flinched and then took an involuntary step back. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Trent rolled his eyes, a bitter sneer twisting his mouth. “You know... I thought you were just nervous about us, because we had never talked about a future together. I thought proposing would give you reassurance.”

The floor seemed to tilt beneath my feet. A sudden, sharp spike of adrenaline sent my pulse hammering against my ribs. Reassurance? Of what?

That foreboding feeling of impending emotional turmoil was nagging me, a feeling I didn't normally ignore because it was usually correct.

“I tried to be patient,” Trent snapped, pacing the room. “I didn’t push when you kept working out, or kept up your strict diet. I trusted you knew what was safe, even though the fear ramped up because you weren’t gaining weight… I told myself you’re smart, you know your body. But alcohol, Kat? You couldn’t wait?”

I gasped.

His mother reached out, trying to catch his arm. “Trent, honey…”

Gideon stepped up beside his twin, trying to pull his brother back, but Trent shoved him off.

I held out a trembling hand, trying to bridge the widening gap opening between us. “Trent, stop. I don’t know what you’re talking about. What baby?”

He spun on me, his breathing ragged. “I saw the fucking test in your bathroom garbage, Kat! Don’t play stupid!”

Heat surged into my face, snapping through the paralysis. “I’m not playing anything! I’m not pregnant!”

His eyes widened, flaring with a manic realization that made my stomach drop. He stepped forward, grabbing my wrist in a grip tight enough to leave a mark. “Is it not mine? Did you cheat on me?”

Gasps echoed around the room.

“Were you going to pass off someone else’s kid as mine?” Trent growled, ripping his hand away as if touching me burned him. “Or did you get rid of it so I wouldn't find out?”