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Thea snorted. ‘Doctors! What do they know? I could have told you weeks ago what that was if I’d known what was happening. I’m not talking about that, and you won’t have one of them again, Kallie. You know what I’m talking about.’ And she placed her hand on Kallie’s belly.
So she had known…
Kallie went pink and shrugged awkwardly, too bemused to even be surprised at Thea’s intuition. ‘I don’t know, Thea. I don’t know that I can…until…until…’
Just then the main door slammed. Alexandros. Kallie tensed. Thea stood up and looked at her. ‘You have to tell him. Everything. Now.’
Kallie got up and walked up into the hall from the kitchen. Alexandros was coming down the stairs.
‘I was looking for you…’
She nodded jerkily. ‘I think we need to talk.’
‘Yes.’ He was grim. ‘We do.’
This is it. He’s going to tell me about the divorce and I know I should tell him about the pregnancy now but if I do…
‘Kallie?’ He was looking at her intently.
She faced him squarely and drew up reserves of strength from somewhere.
‘Ye
s?’
‘Let’s sit down.’
He took her hand and led her over to the sofa, sitting down beside her. Putting a little distance between them.
Oh, God, he’s going to be nice about it…This is so much worse…
Kallie felt bile rise and had to take deep breaths to will it down.
‘Kallie. The doctor told me what he thinks happened last night, that it was some form of a panic attack…’
The abject and pitiful relief that flooded Kallie when he didn’t mention divorce straight off made her feel like laughing out loud. She nodded her head and focused on his face. His strong, hard-boned face. Lovingly took in every feature as if she had to imprint it on her memory.
‘Last night…you were thinking about what happened seven years ago, weren’t you?’
She stopped breathing and started again painfully. His hand tightened on hers. Eventually she nodded. Something intense flashed across his face but then it was gone.
‘Kallie, I’ve been thinking. A lot. I suspect that your reaction in the restaurant came from what happened that night, too, that somehow the alcohol triggered it, especially after not drinking for so long…’
How could he intuit what she’d only just figured out for herself? Her mouth opened. ‘The doctor…But how…?’
‘Because I know you now, Kallie.’ He gave a small smile. ‘I knew you then, too, and I think that’s why I was so shocked when you came on to me…’
Her cheeks went hot with embarrassment. Her voice was strangled. ‘I was only seventeen…It was a crush, Alexandros. That’s all. No hidden agenda. I was the same person you knew.’ She shrugged, dying somewhere inside at having to explain herself. ‘I was just growing up and wanted you to see me…as a grown-up…’
‘Kallie, the last time we really would have talked was before my father died…you were fifteen. Can you see what it must have been like for me? To suddenly have you kiss me? Especially when I’d been so distracted, busy. We hadn’t seen each other in so long and…I just…I thought you had changed beyond all recognition.’
He drew in a breath. ‘But I know you didn’t do it, Kallie. When I really thought about it and remembered your reaction that day…when I showed you the paper, it was the first you knew of it, wasn’t it?’
She nodded vaguely, couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
‘And you got so upset when Thea told you what had happened afterwards. You said you hadn’t read the article. I just chose not to believe you. It was easier…’ Easier than facing uncomfortable feelings… But he couldn’t get into that yet, they still had more to discuss.
‘I think it’s time you told me what really happened.’
