“Desperation can lead to lies,” I pointed out. “And you may not believe this, but if you open a dictionary now, a picture of your daughter’s face would be next to deceit.” I gave her a cold, warning look and added, “I will not be manipulated. The sooner you come to grips with that, the better.”
As expected, Katalina threw herself into the role of victim, wailing at her father to do something, to make me stop saying those awful things about her. The tears came on cue, streaming downher cheeks. “He’s mean and cruel, baba. He doesn’t want our baby. The one he put inside me.”
I narrowed my eyes at Katalina, feeling the heat of my anger radiating from my skin. “I don’t want to be with you, Katalina,” I said. “Nothing you do or say will ever make me get back with you! We’re over. Tia will be my wife and the mother of my children, not you!”
She doubled down on her claim, clutching her belly—which didn’t seem any larger than its usual toned flatness—and moaned dramatically. The sound grated against my nerves.
“This is our baby, Santo. Ours! And you need to put our family first.”
“I need to walk Zeus,” Tia said suddenly. “Excuse me.”
She walked away with the pace of someone trying very hard not to run. I immediately rushed after her, grabbing her hand as we exited. The feel of her fingers in mine calmed me. Behind us, I could hear Katalina continuing her performance, but the sound faded as we moved down the hallway.
We walked together in loaded silence until Tia opened the door to the gym. As soon as it closed behind us, she snatched her hand from mine.
“I can’t do this, Santo,” she said, her voice breaking.
My confusion turned to ice in my veins. “Santo?” I repeated, stepping closer to her. “Not Chrys anymore?”
Tia finally looked up. “Does it matter what I call you? You have a pregnant ex to deal with.”
“It matters,” I said. “It matters because Chrys is who I am with you. And what do you mean, you can’t do this?”
“Deal with Kat. Your baby. All of it.” Each word was a knife twisting in my gut.
“Angel, the baby isn’t mine.” I moved closer, desperate to make her understand. “There’s no other woman except you who can be pregnant with my child.”
“Then why would she say something like this?” Her voice wavered. “A baby is serious. She knew you’d want proof.”
I felt my patience begin to fray, my control unraveling. Tia doubted me and chose Katalina’s words over mine. My chest hurt. Her uncertainty cut deeper than I could have imagined possible.
In growing frustration, I raked my fingers through my hair. “You can’t possibly believe her. You know her. You know all she’s done to us.” I wanted to touch Tia, to pull her close and feel her softness against me, but she wasn’t looking at me. The distance between us seemed to stretch. “You have to trust me,” I urged. “I haven’t had sex with Katalina in years.”
“What happened when she showed up here after the crash, then?”
I explained what had happened that night. I spat out the shameful details, determined to be honest.
“Are you sure that’s all that happened?” Tia’s eyes searched mine, looking for any hint of deception.
I moved closer, and she took a couple of steps back. I refused to let this chasm widen.
With a quick movement, I closed the distance between us, pulling her close against my chest. I cupped her face, demanding that she look at me.
The eyes she turned on me were hurt and wary. I knew I’d only have one chance to make my case, to pull her back from the edge she was teetering on.
“Remember who we are,” I whispered fiercely. “What we’ve worked for together and what we’re building.”
I brushed my thumb across her cheek. She didn’t pull away, but didn’t nestle against my touch either. The lack of response was more telling than any words.
“We love each other, remember? We’re engaged. We want a big wedding and to spend the rest of our lives together.”
She seemed to falter, her expression softening, giving me a fragile thread of hope to cling to. I leaned down and kissed her, pouring every ounce of passion and desperation into it.
I wanted to roar in rage at the unfairness of it all. A mere hour ago, we were discussing our future, planning our night. How had we come to this?
Though Tia’s mind might be tangled with doubt, her body responded to mine with the lust always sparking between us. I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue against hers, reminding her of the passion we shared. She met my intensity, her hands fisting in my shirt and pulling me closer.
“I love you, Tia. Only you,” I whispered against her lips.
