An ache lifted to my throat. I was kidding myself if I thought Edward would be happy about this. He didn’t want my love. He didn’t want my child. He wanted convenient sex, and to leave if it got complicated.
I covered my mouth with my hand. Please let him be happy about my news. Give me the chance to show him how to love again....
My legs shook as I walked down the dark hallway. I stopped at our bedroom door.
“You’ve kept me waiting.” Edward’s voice was accusing from the shadows. “Come to bed, Diana.”
Come to bed. I swallowed. Clenching my trembling hands at my sides, I went forward.
As my eyes adjusted to the dim light of the bedroom, I saw the large shape of him, lying on the bed. His long legs were crossed, his arms folded beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He was still fully clothed in his tuxedo, with only his tie loosened.
“How is Jason?” he said coldly, still staring up at the ceiling.
I stopped. The two men were not exactly close friends. More like rivals, really, though I had no idea what they might be rivals about. I said haltingly, “He’s all right.”
“I bet.” With a low laugh, Edward sat up on the bed. He turned to face me. The hard lines of his body and face were in shadow, but I saw the glitter of his eyes. “So he made a big mistake, did he?”
“He felt bad about cheating on me,” my voice stumbled awkwardly, “so he called me to offer me a role. It’s nothing big, just a web series. But I can have the role without having to audition, as long as I’m there in two days.”
“How perfect. For both of you.” He rose to his feet, slowly, like a giant rising in front of me. “Do you want me to help you pack?”
My lips parted at the coldness of his tone. “I don’t want to leave you—”
“It’s exactly what you want,” he said acidly. “Go back to California, with all your industry connections. Jason Black is dying to have you back, so much he’s obligingly dug up an acting job for you. Everything you want has fallen into your lap. There’s nothing left to do but give you a goodbye kiss.”
Every woman Edward had trusted had abandoned him, lied to him. But I would not. “I don’t want to go. Because—”
He lifted a dark eyebrow and said mockingly, “Because?”
My spine straightened, and I forced myself to say it, simply, clearly, with every syllable full of equal parts anguish and hope. “Because I’m in love with you, Edward.”
The effect was immediate.
Dropping his hands, he staggered back. His eyes looked wild in the shadowy light. He took a step toward me. Then stopped.
“I want to stay,” I whispered, almost begging. “Please give me a reason to stay. Tell me I have a chance with you.”
I heard his intake of breath. “Diana...” He caught himself. His jaw grew tight. “No.”
“You don’t want me,” I said miserably.
“Of course I want you,” he said fiercely. Then he looked away. “I just know how this will end.” With a low curse, he yanked off his loosened tuxedo tie. “I should have broken this off weeks ago. Before we left Cornwall. But I couldn’t.” He looked at me, and I thought I saw a sheen of bewilderment in his eyes, even grief. “And this is the result. Pain for us both.”
“Don’t you have any feelings for me at all?” I choked out.
He stepped back. The short distance between us suddenly became wide. “I care about you.” I saw the smudges of shadows beneath his eyes. He took a breath. “In fact I’m afraid, if I let myself, I could fall in love with you, Diana.”
Joy leapt in my heart. “Edward—”
“But I won’t let it happen,” he said flatly. “I won’t let myself love you.”