Page 93 of Tangled Trust

Ella stirs, and I suppress the urge to slap her awake. But I’ll never get my answers if she’s out cold again, so I control myself.

She whimpers.

"Wake up!" I say in a stern voice, not willing to wait another second.

Ella opens her eyes, and I can tell that she’s trying to focus. She looks around the room and then at me.

"Sebastian," she says groggily, "where…where am I?"

"It doesn’t matter."

"Oww, my head," she groans.

Ella touches the side of her head where she connected with the table. The blood is dry and caked now.

"Forget about your head. You’ll live. You’d better start talking, Ella. What’s going on here?"

"Can I have a glass of water?"

"Who have I been texting with?"

"Please, Sebastian. I need some water."

I get up, pour a glass of water, and hand it to her. I’m nothing if not a reasonable guy. Ella takes a few sips.

"You’d better tell me why you’re trying to make a fool out of me, Ella."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sebastian."

"Bullshit! Why would you ask me to come here and then act like a lunatic when you see me?"

"I didn’t ask you to come here," she says very softly.

I feel like I’m going around in circles here. I’m growing angrier with each minute that passes.

"Then who did?"

"I don’t know."

"Gah, come on! You must have some idea. You’re not a fool, Ella. And neither am I."

She closes her eyes and touches her head again.

"I don’t suppose it has anything to do with that baby you’re carrying?"

Ella’s eyes shoot open. She’s staring at me in panic.

"What? You didn’t think I would miss something so glaringly obvious, did you? I’m not an idiot, Ella, no matter how much you’d like to believe it."

"I’ve never thought that."

"Whatever. Who’s the father?"

"I don’t want to talk to you about this, Sebastian. We’re no longer together. This doesn’t concern you."

"The hell it doesn’t! You owe me an explanation. And I’m not just talking about the baby. How dare you leave like that after all I’ve done for you? After I invested so much in our relationship! And, to add insult to injury, you leave me a pathetic little note by way of explanation. As if that’s supposed to fix everything."

I’m beyond angry now. I can feel it bubbling up inside of me like hot, sticky lava. This woman better be careful, or today will be her last before she shuffles off this mortal coil.

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