She, and her love and affection, was what he’d really needed all along.
The house was his past, but she was his future. She and their baby.
With unwavering resolve making his heart thump hard in his chest, he started walking swiftly towards the cafe again, prepared to do everything in his power to save their marriage.
He was in love with Soli and he was going to do whatever it took to prove it to her.
* * *
Soli was practically dead on her feet.
She’d not slept properly since leaving Xavier’s house – the place she’d previously begun to consider her home too until she’d been made to feel supremely unwelcome there – and it was really beginning to show.
Even her mother had noticed her lack of energy and positivity in the last few days.
Xavier’s initial, shocked reaction to the pregnancy had been understandable – she recognised that – but to reject her love, then let her leave and not contact her again, was just plain heartless.
To be perfectly honest, it had broken her heart.
But then, she’d not contacted him either, she accepted with a thud of despair. She’d been too afraid to, in case she saw that look of cool reproach on his face again.
Sighing loudly, she picked up a mug from a tray of newly washed crockery and rubbed the tea towel over it. It was all very well holing herself up here, but she was going to have to face him again eventually so they could work this thing out between them. She’d signed a contract to stay married to him for the next few months after all and there was no way she was going to welch on their deal. She wasn’t a quitter.
She was just finishing this thought when a familiar and stomach-twisting scent hit her senses.
Looking up, she found herself staring into the dark intensity of Xavier’s gaze.
‘Hi, Soli,’ he said quietly.
‘What are you doing here?’ she blurted, completely losing any poise she’d coached herself to exude when next confronted with him.
‘I came to talk to you.’
‘Here?’ she said, glancing around her, unable to keep the incredulity out of her voice.
The corner of his mouth twitched up. ‘Yes. I figured it’s as good a place as any.’
‘It’s not exactly private,’ she said, gesturing round at the tables full of customers and at her sister and mother, who were currently drinking coffee at the other end of the bar, celebrating a successful end to Domino’s first term at university. The two women were now watching them, their interest clearly piqued.
‘That’s my sister and mother over there,’ Soli hissed under her breath so they wouldn’t hear her.
‘Have you told them about us?’ he asked.
‘No. Not yet.’
He gave a sharp nod, but didn’t move away from the counter. ‘Well, we could go somewhere a bit quieter if you like.’
Suddenly she didn’t want to move away from behind the counter. She wanted to make him pay for his indifference towards her by forcing him to say whatever he had to say in front of all these people. To hell with his manly pride. She didn’t need to take his feelings into consideration any more, especially when he obviously had no intention of protecting hers.
‘No. Whatever you have to say to me you can do right here. I’m busy doing my job – I don’t have time to leave just so you can reject me again.’ She folded her arms and stared him down, determined not to let him win this time.
She might love him, much more than she was willing to admit right now, but she was damned if she was going to let him hurt her any more than he already had.
She and the baby would be fine without him and his money. She had enough love in her to count for two parents.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her sister was still staring at them both.
‘Soli, did this guy break your heart or something? Is that why you’ve been moping around looking so broken since I got back?’ Domino called out.
