“No, it’s not that. I just can’t believe someone asked me out.” I assumed I would be undesirable to men everywhere. I was pregnant, and when I wasn’t anymore, I would be a single mom. What kind of guy would be interested in that unless he were a single father himself?
Antonio raised an eyebrow as he looked at me. “I don’t think it’s that surprising…” He straightened in his chair and relaxed now that he knew I wasn’t offended by the proposition. “You’re a beautiful woman, you are kind and funny, and you are dedicated to your hotel. I think you have the whole package.”
It was such a compliment that I didn’t know what to say. My ambition was a turn-off for most men. One person who didn’t care was Hades. He actually seemed aroused by it. “Well, I’m very flattered.”
Antonio waited for an answer.
I was free to do whatever I wanted. I was single, almost legally divorced, and it seemed like Hades hated me. I’d relocated here to move on with my life, so that was what I should be doing. But I was still madly in love with Hades, no matter how angry I was with him. I wasn’t ready to move on. I suspected I wouldn’t be ready for a long time. Even if he were back in the dating scene already, that wouldn’t entice me to do the same. “You know, I just got divorced a couple months ago… I’m not ready to date.”
Antonio took my rejection in stride. “I totally understand. If you ever are ready and are interested, let me know.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But I should be honest and tell you I’m still in love with my ex-husband.” Our marriage didn’t end because we wanted it to; it ended because it had to. And that changed everything.
Antonio rose to his feet and continued to keep the situation lighthearted. “He’s a lucky man.”
After I’d screamed at Hades, I’d expected some kind of retaliation, whether he showed up on my doorstep or called me in the middle of the night. But that never happened. The silence continued for weeks. Those weeks turned into a month, but I refused to call him, refused to apologize. To behave like this was easy for me was a slap in the face. I had to move away, pregnant with his son, and start over.
And he thought that was easy?
I should drop my stubbornness and pride because we had more important things to worry about, but I still wanted him to make the first move. I deserved an apology, and I wouldn’t play nice until I got one.
When he didn’t call in a month, I realized I wasn’t going to get what I wanted.
I was eight months pregnant, and it was time to move on.
The hardest part about making the call was the admission that everything was different. That our relationship wasn’t even close to being the same. We were distant, practically strangers. I was in bed when I dialed.
The phone rang for a long time, so long, I didn’t think he would answer.
He’d never ignored my call before. I hoped this wouldn’t be the first time.
He picked up, clearly in a flustered mood. “What is it?”
“What is it?” I asked incredulously. “That’s how you want to talk to me?”
The sound of him walking and breathing hard was audible. “I’m working.”
Now I understood he was probably doing some illegal shit with Maddox. There were probably guns and dead bodies involved. I refused to apologize for my call. “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow…if you want to come.” We hadn’t spoken at all, so I wasn’t sure how much affection he had for me anymore. We used to be so in love, and now all of that was gone. I never thought it would happen to us.
“Text me the time. I’ll be there.” He hung up without another word.
I kept the phone to my ear in the darkness, the light from the screen brightening when the call ended. I didn’t know what else to do, so I continued to lie there, to let the painful feelings fester like an infected wound. I eventually dropped the phone and turned on my side to stare into the darkness. My hand went over my tummy, and even though I had life underneath my palm, I felt so alone.
I’d never felt so alone.
I glanced at the clock every couple minutes because I knew Hades would be there any moment. He was picking me up at the hotel, so it was the first time he would see my office. I was dressed in a black dress with flats, trying to look as slender as possible. Sometimes I wondered if he was still attracted to me or if I was just a big cow in his eyes. Was he screwing prostitutes and strippers, so I looked like hell in comparison? I wanted to ask, but I had too much pride.