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“So, you get everything done at the office today?” he says, before taking a bite of his medium-rare steak.
“Mostly,” I reply, trying not to heave as the smell of charred meat makes its way up into my nostrils.
He watches me intently, those eyes of his reading me. A man like Kaden doesn’t get where he is without being able to read the room. But I doubt even he will guess this one.
Instinctively, I press my hand to my stomach and hope that he hasn’t noticed. He slices into the meat and chews slowly, methodically, still watching me.
“How about you?” I ask. “Did you finally sign off on the Grosvenor deal?”
A small grin tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Better believe it.”
Instantly, his words and that smile go to my stomach. There is something about this man that just drives me wild.
“Well, that’s great.”
“Maybe we should be celebrating,” he says, loading veggies onto his fork and flashing me that smile again.
My stomach sinks to the ground. If only he knew there is nothing to celebrate. In fact, it’s the opposite. “I’m sorry, I need to just –”
There’s no time to finish my sentence. I rush to the bathroom and throw up what little food I’ve managed to eat. It’s not long before he calls from behind the door.
“Amber, are you okay in there?”
Collecting myself and wiping my mouth, I get up from the bathroom floor and open the door. The last thing I want is for him to see me like this, but I’ll just lie my way out of it. That's all I can do.
“I’m fine, just feeling a little off. I’ll get an early night.”
“Sure, I’ll join you.”
“No… I mean, you don’t need to.”
“Oh…” he says, disappointment dressing his face. “Of course, you get some rest now.”
He touches my arm as I brush past him, and I turn and smile flatly.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m sure,” I say, turning and leaving for the bedroom.
When he finally comes to bed I’m still awake, though I keep my eyes closed. He gets in and I feel him getting closer, his arm resting on my hip. All I can think of is the child inside of me.
Could he accept it? Or will this be the reason why this sham of a marriage finally collapses and dies?
34
KADEN
If I’m honest, heading to my grandfather’s party is the last thing I want to be doing and certainly not a priority on the list of things that occupy my mind. Pressing at my temples, I struggle to recall a time when I ever felt this way.
On a daily basis I can deal with it all and always have. I can sift and sort through everything – what needs to be done, what my focus should be at any given time, who should be doing what and by when.
Not now, though.
An unfamiliar sensation grows in my chest as I try to figure out what is going on with Amber, because something is, that’s for sure. I like to know what is happening, what to expect, it’s just who I am. But right now, I don’t and that’s not something I can live with easily.
“You look stunning,” I say as Amber emerges from her dressing room. My breath catches as she walks towards me. How did I ever get this lucky?
But the look on her face is the same one she’s been wearing for days now, though she tries to mask it with a tight smile.
