She leaned back in her chair. Already he was barking orders at her and he’d only reappeared in her life barely ten minutes ago. What would it be like if she took him back? Not that that was on the cards once he heard her news.
‘We don’t need a restaurant. We can talk here. What I have to say isn’t going to be any more palatable when accompanied with fine food and wine.’
He came back around the desk and reached for her hands. ‘Aww. Come on, Philly. Can’t you let bygones be bygones? I made a mistake, pure and simple. Everyone does. But I’ll make it up to you.’
She shook her head slowly. ‘Bryce, I honestly don’t think…’
‘Listen, I would never have left you if Muriel hadn’t told me she was pregnant. And she lied to me. It was never my baby! She tricked me into moving in with her. It’s all her fault.’
‘You were having an affair with her for at least a year before that happened. Or am I supposed to conveniently forget about that?’
Bryce shook his head, looking wounded. ‘But this is what you wanted. When you rang and told me you’d do anything to get me back, you weren’t worried about a meaningless little fling then.’
She bowed her head. It was true. In those first few days after Bryce had left she had wanted nothing more than for him to come back to her. She’d even been willing to overlook his straying ways if only he’d soothe the huge sense of rejection he’d left her with. And, after a great deal of hand-wringing, she’d swallowed what little pride she had left and called him on his mobile phone, pleading with him to come back to her.
Funny, but she couldn’t remember him saying that he’d see how it went with Muriel and get back to her if it didn’t work out. As far as she could recall, his parting words had been, ‘Get a life’.
She smiled inwardly at the words. How was Bryce going to feel when he found out she’d done just that?
‘That was a long time ago. I don’t think I could forget about it so easily now.’
‘It’s all in the past. Can’t we move on?’
She looked at him for a moment. Muriel must have put him through the wringer. Now that she was over the shock of seeing him again, close up she could see the tell-tale signs of strain around his eyes. His face had a more pinched look than she remembered.
He was obviously hurting and he’d come to her. Once she might have fallen for his hangdog expression. But no longer.
‘I have moved on. I don’t want to go back.’
He looked up. ‘You’re seeing someone else then?’
Philly laughed. The way he’d so confidently just waltzed in and assumed she was available and waiting for him to come back into her life—and now he looked almost worried.
‘Well, not exactly—’
Relief took over his features.
‘So why can’t you just give me one more chance?’
‘Even if I did, what’s to stop you having another affair?’
‘No, not a chance. I’ve learnt my lesson. I’ll stick with the tried and true.’
Raising her eyebrows, she could barely manage a response to that back-handed compliment. ‘Gee, thanks, that makes me sound special.’
‘You are special, Philly. I shouldn’t need to tell you. You’re sweet, you’re clever and you love me. What more could I ask?’
Philly knew full well that whatever her supposed attributes he’d wandered before while he had her love. What would stop him now that he didn’t?
‘Look, it just won’t work—not now.’
‘Because you won’t forgive me?’
For a moment the temptation to tell him she was pregnant was overwhelming. After all, this guy had featured large for over two years of her life. She was used to sharing secrets and life stories with him. Though that was before…
Now he was merely part of her history. There was really no reason to tell him about the baby at all. Sure he wouldn’t want her once he found out about the baby, but she needed him to understand she didn’t want him anyway.
‘No. Because you were wrong. I don’t love you any more. I’m not convinced I ever did. It’s taken me a while, but I’m getting my life together. I want it to stay that way. There’s no place in my life for you now.’
His face stilled momentarily before a slight tic started up under his right eye.
‘You’re joking, right?’ He tried to smile, but the tic got in the way, jerking up the side of his lip.
‘I’m joking, wrong.’
Putting his head down, he paced a few steps around the office. Suddenly he stopped and looked up at her. ‘Then what am I expected to do? I gave up my flat when I moved in with Muriel. I’ve got nowhere to go.’
Philly almost laughed, until she realised he was serious. ‘Excuse me, but I don’t think that’s my problem.’
His face took a bitter twist as his tic worked overtime.
‘Then think again, sweetheart. I’m moving in with you tonight.’
Suddenly she needed to get out of there—and fast. For someone who’d up until today had an enviable absence of morning sickness she felt pretty close to losing everything she’d managed to keep down in the last six weeks and more.
‘Excuse me—’ She rushed for the door and pulled it open, only to almost trip over the huddled form of Enid, who was trying to look inconspicuous watering the pot-plants just outside the door. Damien stopped his pacing in the waiting area beyond and looked up at her, the storm in his eyes giving way fractionally to concern. For a moment as their eyes met in the confusion she forgot her nausea completely. But only for a moment. Then she felt the surge inside her once more and she rushed past Enid into the rest-rooms beyond.
‘What the hell’s going on out there?’ Bryce called. ‘Philly, where are you?’
‘I’ll go see how she is,’ Enid volunteered, following.
‘The hell you will. I’ll go!’ asserted Bryce, pushing his way into the bathroom.
Almost immediately he wavered, turning back at the sounds of her distress, his face taking on a noticeably green tinge. ‘Aah, I don’t think she’s very well.’
Enid scowled at him. ‘A lot you seem to care.’
Damien joined them outside the door. ‘You idiot. She’s probably feeling sick enough with the baby coming without you upsetting her.’
‘I’ve explained that,’ Bryce stated. ‘It wasn’t my…’
There was silence for a few seconds until Philly wobbled to the door, looking washed out and holding a damp paper towel to her face. ‘Phew, that was too close. Panic over.’
Damien held out his arm, questions in his eyes. ‘Lean on me. Come and sit down.’
She took his arm, avoiding the questions and letting herself sink her weight gratefully against him as he led her down to the more comfortable chairs in the waiting room.
‘You need a nice cup of tea,’ suggested Enid, disappearing into the small kitchenette to put the kettle on.
Bryce trailed them down the hall, all the time his eyes dashing between Philly and Damien and back again before finally settling around the region of Philly’s still