AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"That's right."Andrew shifted in his seat.
"And you knew that when we got back together?"
He hesitated and then nodded, just a little.
Taking care, I put my tea on the side table."You lied to me."I pushed the blanket off my lap and swung my legs to the floor."When I came back from Vegas, you agreed to try for children," I said, trying hard to control my voice."You said you'd changed your mind.That we could try."
"As it turned out, you were already pregnant."
"That's not the point."I waved my arm."Why can't you have children, Andrew?"
"Lexi," he said."I don't—"
"Why?"
"I had a vasectomy."
Bile rose in my throat.I swallowed hard."When?"
"After we split up."
"So when you came to me, begging for me to take you back, to make our marriage work, when you told me you were ready to start a family, you already knew you couldn't?Is that right?"
He nodded."I didn't want children.I wanted you."
Anger clouded my vision."How could you do that to me?"I spoke through clenched teeth."You knew how badly I wanted a baby.You knew what it meant to me.What were you going to do when we didn't get pregnant?"I was yelling now, the battle for control lost."Were you ever going to tell me or were you going to let me go through fertility treatment and years of heartbreak?"
He stood from his chair and stood in front of me."Well," he said, his voice laced with bitterness, "that wasn't an issue after all, was it?"
Before I could stop it, my arm flew out and my palm made contact with his cheek.The crack of my skin on his flesh echoed in the room.He didn't touch the flaming red mark on his cheek; he just narrowed his eyes at me and said, "I'm not the bad guy here, Lexi.You can stand there and pretend that what I did was awful and heartless and everything else you want to call it.But try to remember your role here."
"Get out."
"You're the one who screwed around and got knocked up."I didn't recognize him, the venom in his voice.
"I want you to go."
"You're no saint, Lexi."
"Get out," I said again.
"Opening your—"
I couldn't listen.I needed to shut him up.Before I could think it through, I reached forward, grabbed the vase and heaved it as hard as I could.With a crack, it hit the wall, missing its mark.
We both stared at the mess.
"Lexi."Andrew's voice shifted.
"Just go."My voice shook but I stood my ground.
"I need to know for sure.Is he Ben's father?"
I could hear the pain in his question and I hated myself for it.
I turned away so I wouldn't have to look at him."Yes," I whispered."Leo is Ben's father."
I kept my eyes fixed on the sofa and traced the pattern in the fabric with my eyes, following the thread until I heard Andrew's footsteps and the gentle click of the front door as he left.
