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A further moment of shock greeted her. Her left breast had the bite mark where he’d bit into the skin and there were scratches on her throat and side of her neck. Grabbing a towel, she opted for a shower instead of a bath and knew she wouldn’t be able to wash the scent of him off her or erase what they’d done tonight.
Chapter 13
Her eyes opened slowly to see her Dad and Julian staring at her.
"What happened?" She whispered.
"You fainted, right after that violent retching in the powder room. I had to call Julian." Her father said grimly. "Want to tell us what's going on?"
"Would you mind if I talk to her alone, Joseph?"
"No." She shook her head and tried to rise from the cushions, but fell back weakly. "I -I think I’m pregnant."
"That's my diagnosis as well." Julian told her gravely. He took her hand and checked her pulse "You can’t keep anything down and Joseph said this has been going on for more than a month now?"
She nodded. "I thought it was stress at first." She looked at the man standing across from the sofa. "Summer is here and the activities are always strenuous. Not to mention that we’ve been helping the shelter to get it up and running."
"You’ve been running yourself ragged." Her father agreed grimly. "Going out early in the morning and coming home late. I haven’t seen Mark around either."
"Julian, I need to speak to my Dad alone.”
He rose and patted her hand. “I’ll be in the kitchen, but I’ll be back."
Alessia waited until he’d left and closed the doors behind him.
"I’m going to call Mark. He should be here."
"That wouldn’t be advisable." She told him quietly. "The baby isn’t his."
"What?" He sat on the edge of the sofa. "What do you mean?"
Taking a deep breath, she sat up slowly. "There’s something I need to tell you and you’re going to be mad."
"All right, then. What is it?"
"For almost a year now, I’ve been secretly seeing someone."
"I don't understand."
She closed her eyes wearily. "It's Maxwell Callister. He broke things off because I didn’t tell you I was seeing him. I couldn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t approve."
"I still don’t understand. He was - is with someone else. How could this baby be his?"
"We-" She took a deep breath. "We saw each other at the open-air gallery opening and it- we were together. I haven’t seen him since then."
"Alessia-"
"Hold that thought and help me up. I think I’m going to-" Stumbling from the sofa, she managed to make it to the bathroom.
Joseph stood outside, his heart breaking at the horrible sound coming from her. She didn’t have anything in her left to come out.
"I called the ambulance." Julian said quietly.
"Thank you."
*****
“I’m afraid Mr. Callister is busy. If you would leave a message-"
