AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She felt the bed shift with his weight as he raised himself on his elbows. “I would hardly call that kissing her.”
“And don’t get me started on the circus at the door.” She mimicked his movements and struggled to sit up. She started to turn on the light by her bedside, but realized that for the past few hours she’d been sweating up a storm. She must look a mess. The cameras tonight reminded Macy of Duke’s glamorous world. She imagined everyone in it woke up flawless. “I can’t imagine living under that kind of scrutiny.”
“I never liked it.”
“Then why did you put up with that?”
“It was just part of...” His voice trailed off into the darkness.
“It was what Kristina wanted,” Macy summed up. She felt him nod. “It seems like you did a lot of things that she wanted.” She thought about his situation with Kristina. From what she’d learned over the past few weeks, Duke owed a lot to Kristina. She wanted him to do the news; he did the news. She wanted to move to DC; he moved to DC. He made plans to visit his parents in the DR, and she didn’t want to, so he didn’t go. Obviously, she wanted to put her pregnancy on him. What was he going to do?
“So...” Macy slowly drawled out. “What did she want?”
“Well, she wants me to go along with this pregnancy.”
“What the hell?” She sounded jealous. But she couldn’t stop herself. “You’re going to let this lie continue?”
“I told her no.”
“Why did she even feel she could ask that of you?”
“Macy,” Duke sighed. “The baby isn’t mine.”
“And I clearly understand it’s not yours,” Macy clipped icily. “Why does Kristina think she can come to you and ask you to cover for her if you two have been over for a while now?”
“It’s because of who the father of the baby is,” Duke confessed. “Look, a part of me had gone along with Kristina’s path. There was a time we both wanted the same thing. We both wanted to report the news. We both achieved that. I owe my success to a handful of people.”
In the darkness, he reached for her, turning her body to its side, and pressed his against hers. “You know I’m under contract MET right now in DC, and it’s my outstanding reputation as a news anchor that gives me leverage with the contract there and keeps me here in Tallahassee. I like having the upper hand when I come to a table to negotiate. Shaming or exposing Kristina won’t help.”
“And what about the giant elephant in the room?”
“Huh?”
“Her pregnancy, Duke.”
“Well, you already know that it’s not mine.”
“True.” She didn’t like the sound of his voice.
“So to me, that’s all that matters.”
She sighed against the pillow. Her heart sank at his explanation. She would have much rather preferred he told Kristina to go to hell rather than let the world believe that it was his child she was carrying. She wondered what it was she had over him to make him think he had to protect her. That urge of jealousy struck her again. She wondered what that feeling would be like if Duke had been so protective over her.
A flash of panic wrenched at her heart. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. She realized right then and there that she loved Duke Rodriguez. And the heartbreaking thing was that he obviously did not feel the same way about her. Not once in his speech about his career and his negotiations had he mentioned her or the direction of their relationship. Kristina was a part of building Duke’s career. What did Macy offer him for his future?
Macy controlled her breathing so that Duke couldn’t feel her sob. Fortunately the garbage trucks down the street grew closer, drowning out any sound she might have made. She pulled the covers away.
“Where are you going?” he asked, holding her close.
“The garbage trucks are coming. If I don’t get the trash out now, it will be doubled next week, and they’re not picking up the day before Christmas, as usual.”
Duke raised himself up on his elbow. “Well, hang on. I’ll do that.”
Macy pushed him back with her shoulder. “It’s okay. I know where everything is. I’ll be right back. You rest.”
“We can sleep in, you know.”
How well did she know that? Duke didn’t have to do the news in the morning. She knew his schedule by heart. Weekends were his free time, which he spent helping her. But then Monday would roll around and of course, this Monday would be
