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A birthday surprise. She had mentioned something similar when she had told him about the baby. But by that time he had already decided that she was not to be trusted. That she was a lying, cheating bitch who didn’t deserve his attention. And then she had told him about the baby, and it had frozen him inside. Iced over his every emotion . . .
Harris finally met his eyes, and Greyson sucked in a harsh breath as he saw the suspicious sheen in his twin’s gaze.
Fuck!
He opened his mouth to apologize, but the words were inadequate. His brother’s sincerity wasn’t in doubt. And if Harris wasn’t the baby’s father, the birthmark left only one other viable candidate.
His stomach felt like it was about to revolt . . . and then it did.
He barely made it to the bathroom on time. And when the bout of extreme self-disgust had waned enough for his gut to settle, he made his way back to the living room.
Harris was gone.
Leaving Greyson with nothing. And nobody.
“He actually said that?” Tina asked, her voice a study in horror and disbelief. After Tina had returned to the hospital in record time, Libby had taken one look at her friend before succumbing to a fresh bout of tears. The entire sordid story had tumbled from her lips in stops and starts while Tina had listened to the halting diatribe in shocked silence. Libby knew she had to be a complete mess, her face swollen and wet from all the tears she had shed.
“Yes. I have to get out of here, Tina. You have to help me,” she begged.
“Of course, but . . .” Tina shook her head, looking uncertain.
“No buts,” Libby interrupted defiantly. “My husband just told me he doesn’t believe our child is his. There are no buts here; I’m leaving him.”
“That goes without saying,” Tina soothed, always loyal. “But I’m not sure you can leave the hospital just yet.”
“I can. Both Clara and I are healthy enough to leave.” Libby had asked the doctor earlier, and while the man had advised against it, when pushed he had acknowledged that keeping them there overnight was just a precaution.
“Clara?” Tina asked, her eyebrows rising.
“Yes. I’ve decided to name her Clara.” Libby knew that her decision to name her baby that had stemmed from a place of defiance and pettiness. If Greyson wanted no part of his beautiful daughter, then he had absolutely no say in what Libby chose to name her. She knew, given his disinterest earlier, that he probably didn’t give two damns about what she named the baby anyway, but she still felt a surge of satisfaction in knowing that the name she’d chosen was nowhere near anything Greyson would have wanted.
“It’s a pretty name,” Tina said sincerely, and Libby sagged back onto the bed, feeling exhausted and heartbroken.
“Look, I’ll make a deal with you,” Tina said quietly, reaching out to take one of Libby’s hands into hers. “Spend the night in hospital, and I’ll take you anywhere you want to go tomorrow, okay? It’s best for both you and Clara.”
Libby lifted her free hand to cover her eyes and sobbed, tears seeping from beneath her palm and running down the sides of her face to soak the cushion beneath her head. She hated this. Hated how lost and afraid she felt.
“I don’t understand why he’s being so cruel.” God, she sounded truly pathetic. She hated that too. She loathed how weak he had made her. Tina didn’t answer, merely squeezed her hand comfortingly.
“We’ll get you discharged first thing in the morning, okay? It’s nearly midnight now anyway, and I’m sure they’re going to kick me out soon. Do you need anything before I go?”
Libby shook her head, completely incapable of suppressing her sobs.
“Oh, Libby,” Tina whispered. “I wish I could make this go away, I honestly do. Do you want me to speak with Greyson? See what’s going on?” Tina tended to avoid the Chapman brothers, so her offer to speak with Greyson was really sweet. Libby lifted her hand from her eyes to meet her friend’s concerned gaze.
“No. It’s fine. Harris has already said he was going to talk with him about this. Against my wishes, I might add. He’s trying to fix it. It can’t be fixed. I won’t forgive Greyson for this.”
“Prick,” Tina muttered under her breath, and Libby wasn’t sure if she was referring to Greyson or Harris. She had never really told Libby why she so despised Harris when she had once worshipped the ground he walked on. “I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning, okay? You’ll stay with me. Unless . . . I mean, do you want to stay with your parents?”
Libby shook her head, dislodging even more tears onto her wet cheeks. “No. I can’t. Their flat was bought and paid for by the Chapmans. I don’t want anything to do with that family or their filthy money right now.”
