The Unwanted Wife (Unwanted #1)(38)
“Absolutely nothing,” he murmured. “But what do you stand to gain by keeping me out of the loop?”
Absolutely nothing, and he knew it; she had no reason other than pure bitchiness to refuse his request.
“Fine,” she said begrudgingly. “I’ll keep you updated but I want your word that you won’t interfere in any part of my pregnancy and that you’ll remain a casual observer.”
“How can you expect me to make a promise like that?” he asked hoarsely. “I am not a casual observer, Theresa! I have a vested interest in both you and the baby.”
“You signed away your rights to us before you ever had us,” she reminded bitterly, and he flinched slightly at her words. “And you seem to expect me to not only forget that little fact but forgive it too? Sandro…I will never forgive you.”
“I thought you understood what an untenable situation I was in.” He shook his head angrily.
“I understand and I sympathize, but that does not change the fact that the person I thought I loved, the man I married in good faith, never existed. I just don’t think I’ll ever be able to get past that, Sandro.”
He sighed heavily.
“Fair enough,” he conceded. “But we need to make the best of this situation in the meantime and living like strangers in the same house isn’t the best solution.”
“Fine,” she whispered reluctantly. “What do you suggest?”
“I would like to be present at your doctor’s appointments,” he said after a long pause, and she hesitated, slanting a helpless glance at her cousin, who shrugged slightly.
“Why?”
“Peace of mind,” he responded succinctly, and she frowned, trying to think about it from all angles before sighing quietly.
“Fine, but your opinions and input are not encouraged or desired. So you’ll be there as just an observer, a silent observer. I will manage my own health and pregnancy.”
His jaw clenched in displeasure, but he kept his mouth shut and nodded reluctantly. “I also think…” His voice was slightly hoarse and he paused to clear his throat before continuing. “I also think that living in the same house and never seeing each other is, well…ridiculous, actually. Please stop disappearing when you know I’m home. It makes me feel like a monster, knowing that you’re cowering away in some corner of the house because you’re afraid to face me.” He couldn’t have chosen better words to get her back up, and she bristled furiously.
“I do not cower,” she seethed, barely aware of the amused look he exchanged with her cousin.
“It certainly feels that way to me,” he responded. “I know that you find it difficult to be around me because of the feelings you once had for me…”
She gasped in outrage.
“…And I also know that with the attraction between us, you’re probably afraid the chemistry will flare up and we’ll wind up in bed again. I mean it’s fairly obvious how much you want me but…”
“I…you…” She was absolutely furious with him for bringing up their sex life in front of her cousin and appalled to discover that he thought she was hiding from him. Like some timid little rabbit. Okay, so maybe she had been hiding, but she had been doing it to keep both of them comfortable with the awkwardness of the situation. “Oh my God, the colossal ego on you! I’m not cowering or hiding or anything like that. I just can’t stand to be around you.”
“Of course you’d say that now.” He shrugged dismissively and she gasped again, furiously rocking little Rhys back and forth as she desperately tried to find a suitably scathing response to his words.
“Anyway,” Sandro murmured, “I was going to suggest we start having breakfast and dinner together again. No point in having separate meals.”
“Fine,” she snapped grudgingly.
“And can we try to be civil?” he asked pseudo-meekly. “Have a decent conversation while we’re having our meals?”
Her eyes snapped but she merely nodded, silently telling herself that it would be for just six more months.
“Anything else?” she asked sarcastically, her tone of voice definitely not inviting any more of his “suggestions,” but he chose to take her question at face value.
“Yes…” He nodded. “The Friday night gang was wondering where you’d disappeared to. The ladies were disappointed when you didn’t come again.” She said nothing, she couldn’t do it…she quite simply wouldn’t do it.
“I-I can’t,” she admitted softly. “They’re your friends, and when we divorce…well, they’ll still be your friends. I don’t want to form ties with people when I know exactly how temporary the relationships will be. I can’t keep saying good-bye to people I care about.”
He swallowed before nodding slightly.
“Then one last request,” he murmured, leaning toward her intently.
“What?”
“Two hours.” His voice had dropped to a husky whisper.
“What does that…?”
“In the evenings.”
“Two hours for what?”
“Just to…” His face clenched in frustration and he shrugged helplessly. “Spend together. Talk, watch a movie, read, sit…anything, as long as we spend it together.”