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I clear my throat, forcing steadiness into my tone. "We'll be fine. I have some money set aside, and there are always opportunities for a man with my skills and experience."
"Of course we will." Talia wraps her arms around me, pressing close. Her warmth and scent envelop me, achingly familiar. "We don't need your family's money or name. All we need is each other."
Talia kisses my cheek, my jaw, the corner of my mouth, love and reassurance in every touch. My treacherous heart thrills at her touch even as guilt threatens to choke me. She believes in me, trusts me without question, and I've repaid that gift with deceit.
Her eyes flash with determination as she pulls away, scanning the room as if solutions might materialize from the air itself. She switches modes, seeming to forget that she was comforting me.
"Right. First things first, we need a new plan for the birth. No fancy private hospital for us now, I suppose." She laughs, a brittle sound. "The irony. I'd have given anything for a normal delivery, and now I'll get my wish."
I flinch at the bitterness in her tone. "Talia, I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this."
She waves a hand, dismissing my apology. "Nonsense. What's done is done. At least now I'll get to experience childbirth like any other woman." Her smile is strained, but she soldiers on. "We can stay at my aunt's place until we get on our feet. She's always offering to put us up, and the bookshop will give us both temporary jobs. It won't be glamorous, but we'll make do. We have each other, and that's all that matters."
Talia's optimism only makes my guilt cut deeper. I should tell her the truth, but I'm a coward. I can't face her anger and disappointment, not now when she's so determined to stand by me despite the loss of everything familiar and comfortable in her life.
"Talia," I begin, but she presses a finger to my lips, silencing me.
"Hush. No more apologies. We always knew your family might disinherit you, and now it's happened." Her eyes soften, and she cups my face in her hands. "But you still have me. I'm not going anywhere, Dare. We'll build a new life together, just the two of us. Our baby is all the family we need."
She believes in me so profoundly, and I've been over here, making mountains out of molehills.
Talia sighs. "Now, we have plans to make. The first thing is finding a new place to live before the baby comes. We can stay at Aunt Minnie's for now, but we'll need our own space eventually."
Her practical tone sets my teeth on edge. As if I'm not still reeling from the betrayal. Anger and hurt curdle in my gut, and I turn away from her probing gaze.
"You don't seem very upset about this." My voice comes out harsh, accusing. "Aren't you worried how we'll provide for ourselves? For the baby?"
Talia frowns, hurt flashing across her face. “What on earth is going on with you, Dare? I swear, for the last week you’ve been all over the map. First you tell me how you’re going to spoil our baby. Then you yell at me when I pick the birthing center recommended by the doctor that you insisted on. Today, you tell me you’re disinherited. I comfort you. And then when I start talking about the practical side of things, you blow up on me.”
“Maybe I’m hurting.”
She waves her hands. “Look around. You’re going to be fine. And because I’m your wife, I’m going to be fine. We have to make some quick decisions, though.”
I glare at her. “It must be nice to be so unperturbed.”
Anger flashes across Talia’s face.
"Of course I'm worried. But getting upset won't solve anything. We have to stay focused on the important things, like making sure we have a safe place to bring our child home."
"The important things," I scoff. "Like your promises to Aunt Minnie and Olive. What about your promise to stand by me?"
"That's not fair." Talia's eyes narrow, and her mouth presses into a thin line. "I'm trying to handle this responsibly, for our family's sake. Yelling at me won't make things any easier."
"I don't need you to handle me," I snap. "I need to know you actually care about what I'm going through. Or is my pain just an inconvenience to your plans?"
She makes a frustrated sound. “Grow up, Dare! You’re about to have a kid. That means you can’t just yell when you don’t get your way!”
“I’m just saying what we’re both thinking. Go ahead, tell me that you don’t have a plan to leave me now that I’m broke.”
Talia flinches as if I've struck her. "How can you say that? I love you, Dare. More than anything in this world. I'm trying to be strong for both of us right now." Her voice wavers, and she wraps her arms around her middle. "If you can't see that, then I don't know what else I can do."
I slam out of the room, hating everything I see, but myself most of all.
ChapterTwenty-Five
TALIA
I'm standing in front of my closet, reaching as far as I can on my tiptoes, when I feel the first contraction. My breath hitches in my throat as I clutch the closet door, trying to steady myself. I make a strangled sound in my throat as I clutch the closet door, trying to steady myself.
