He sighed and dragged his hands down his face. ‘You know enough about my parents. Why is this further questioning necessary?’
‘Because we agreed to discuss things before we jump to conclusions, remember? Of course you’d have to actually be here for any discussion to happen.’
Tension tightened his body. ‘You have a palace and every luxury at your disposal. Surely you can’t feel that neglected?’
Anger and pain rearing up like two coiled snakes, she stalked to where he stood. ‘How about you stop second-guessing my feelings and have a frank discussion with me? Or is this something else you want to shelve?’
‘I won’t have a discussion with you about what happened to my mother. What would that achieve?’
Something inside her broke right then. ‘I can’t believe you’d ask me that,’ she whispered raggedly.
A flash of something close to pain tightened his features. Then he looked away.
She was staring at him, wondering what to say, when her team of doctors returned. The nurse sent to help her took over when Allegra’s hands shook too badly to don the clinic gown. On wooden legs, she returned to the ultrasound room and lay on the bed while the gel was spread over her stomach. Over her shoulder, Rahim’s tense presence bore down on her.
‘Since Her Highness was due to come in tomorrow anyway, we’ll make sure everything’s fine first, then take some measurements, Your Highness. It shouldn’t be too long.’
The process took less than ten minutes, but it felt like forever. ‘Everything’s fine with the baby, and with you too, Your Highness.’ The doctor smiled at her.
Allegra heard Rahim’s shaky exhalation and she swallowed the painful lump in her throat, unable to suppress the wish that his relief was for her too, and not just their baby.
Averting her gaze from him, she blinked back threatening tears as another doctor stepped forward. ‘I don’t believe you’ve seen a 3D image of the royal baby yet. Since you’re both here, we thought it would be the perfect time?’
Her breath caught, but before she could agree, Rahim rasped, ‘Will it hurt the baby or my wife?’
‘No, Your Highness. It’s not harmful.’
Rahim must have nodded, because the equipment was swiftly set up and Allegra positioned in place. She felt rather than saw Rahim step closer.
At the first picture of their son, he inhaled sharply. A second later, his hand gripped her shoulder. Her heart flipping up from where it’d fallen to her stomach, she reached up. He meshed his fingers with hers and they watched as the image was rotated to show their healthy, thriving baby.
‘He’s beautiful,’ Rahim murmured.
‘Yes,’ she agreed.
She looked up and his gaze connected with her, the emotion in his eyes naked and raw. They stared at each other until a throat cleared—the medical team was stepping outside.
Rahim’s withdrawal was swift and complete, like a sheet of bracing cold water thrown over her. The roar of pain filled her ears as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and watched Rahim heading for the door.
Allegra jumped up before she could talk herself out of it.
‘Don’t go. Rahim, please don’t go.’
He balled his fists and turned from the door. ‘What the hell do you want from me, Allegra?’
‘For starters, I’d like to feel like I’m not in this alone.’ She laced her fingers together, desperately fighting for the words to make him stay. ‘I told you my parents died. But I didn’t tell you how they died or what my life was like when they were alive.’
He remained silent, and she forced herself to continue.
‘My father was a chronic drug abuser and a mean drunk. He was constantly in and out of rehab. Each time he vowed to my mother it would be the last time, but he’d relapse within days, sometimes within hours. And they fought, all the time. Living with them was like living in a constant war zone.’
Rahim frowned. ‘You’re close to your g
randfather. Where was he when this was happening?’
She shrugged, the weight of her childhood drowning her. ‘He was around, and he did everything he could, but even at five I knew there was only so much anyone could do. I was six when I watched my mother get into my father’s car to stop him leaving after he’d been drinking. They were screaming at each other when he drove away. That was the last time I saw either of them alive.’
The teardrop that landed on her hand was the first indication that she was crying. Scrunching her features to stem the torrent, she jerked as Rahim loomed in front of her. He stared at her for several seconds, the hard look on his face not dissipating.