Page 219 of Lovers' Dance: Vol. 2

“Because you chucked me,” She turned to Dante. “That’s the correct word?”

Dante nodded once and Madison turned her attention back to Matt.

“You chucked me for something I didn’t do!” she half-shouted before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, the virulent blaze was gone, replaced by a cool neutral mask.

Matt knew she was faking the calm visage, he knew she was trying to keep things from escalating. He knew all this yet her pretence at having a collected head pissed him right off. She was the only person who could push him to the limit of his patience, the only person he could want to strangle yet smother with kisses at the same time.

“That’s no bloody excuse.” he hissed. “You deliberately lied to me aboutmyunborn children! That’s unforgivable-”

“Unforgivable?” she shrieked, then took another deep breath. “What you did was unforgivable but I forgave you. You chose to believe crazy-ass Medusa and her dodgy pictures, you thought the worst of me instead of trusting me. I was your wife,” her voice shook. “I was your wife and you couldn’t wait to get rid of me, like…like garbage.”

Matt unclenched his jaw as guilt temporarily engulfed his anger. He spared a glance at Dante who maintained a quiet observation of his pregnant ex-wife. God. Twins. She was pregnant with his babies, not Dante’s. The guilt vanished as he thought of the past few months, of the secret despair he had suffered. All for nothing. If she had been honest – fucking hell. Would they have even gone through with their divorce? His anger returned with vengeance.

“I made a mistake,” he ground out in a low, cold voice. “I’ll admit it was a damned idiotic mistake on my part, but you,” Matt tookanother step towards her. “Your decision to hide this from me is despicable. I never thought you of all people could be so treacherous-”

“Bollocks.” She stomped halfway across the room, nearing where he stood and wearing a sneer on her face. “You were quick to believe I was sleeping around on you, quick to think I was a slut, slag, whatever-”

“I made a fucking mistake.” Matt bellowed. “And I’m sorry. Christ, I am so fucking sorry, but youlied. You could’ve told me months ago, you should’ve told me the moment you found out you were carrying my babies.”

“When?” She fumed, still clutching her stomach. “You didn’t want anything to do with me.”

“We spoke when you barged into my boardroom-”

“I didn’t know I was pregnant then.” she retorted belligerently.

Matt levelled a fearsome scowl in her direction. “When I sent Collins to-”

“I tried to tell you,” Madi now placed her hands on her hips, matching his scowl with her own. “But you wouldn’t listen, you never listened to me.”

Matt blinked a few times, replaying their heated conversation that day in his mind. She’d been babbling nonsense and he’d been shocked with the new knowledge of her pregnancy.

“You should have tried harder.” he spat out. “You should have made me listen. You should have…I want a paternity test done.”

The flash of pain across her strained features was fleeting, Matt would have missed it if he hadn’t been staring right at her.

“Surprise, surprise,” she muttered, casting Dante a sideways glance.

Dante shifted in discomfort, clearing his throat with an awkward cough before finally speaking. “I’ve read the ears are fully formed by now, they can probably hear you.”

Matt stared in sudden awe at Madison’s expertly hidden tummy. The loose folds of her top and the covering cardigan masked it well. He wondered why she wasn’t much bigger. What if this was some sort of – he stole a glimpse at the forgotten ultrasound picture in his hand and the air caught in his throat as Dante continued speaking.

“You don’t want their first introduction to your voice being a shouting match,” Dante said.

Taking a calming breath, Matt gave Madi the weight of his gaze. In as composed a tone he could manage, considering the circumstances, he stated his warning. “You’re having a paternity test done. Once it’s confirmed they’re mine,” He stared at her tummy. “We’ll be discussing the next steps forward, legally speaking that is.”

Her lower lip quivered for a second before she caught it between her pearly white teeth. Dante looked at him, then he looked at Madi. A strange, unspoken communication occurred between them, it put Matt’s guard up almost immediately. Was this some attempt of extorting money from him? She had refused any form of settlement in their divorce. Did she now regret that decision? A paternity test was a must. He would not be made into a fool again.

“It’s late,” Madi said. “And I’m tired. Can we continue this discussion tomorrow?”

Matt opened his mouth, preparing to tell her off; but she rubbed her left temple and passed her right hand over her side. His eyes were once again drawn to her stomach before they travelled up and down her frame. She did appear tired, the obvious circles around her eyes making them more prominent. Her curls were piled atop her head in an untidy bun with some stray strands falling past her shoulders. Why wasn’t her stomach bigger? If she was carrying twins, she should be bigger. Matt recalled Hannah’s pregnancy with his nieces. She was much bigger than Madison, in fact, Matt remembered him and Adam teasing his sister into such a state she banned them from her sight for a month during her pregnancy.

He noticed the desperate shine to her sad brown eyes as she tried to hide her face from him, turning sideways to peer unhappily at her best friend. Even now, with his anger simmering, even now the sight of her made his heart twist with hidden desire. Her shoulders slumped with weary defeat, she did look exhausted.

“I’ll return at 7am.” Matt conceded, terse and unrelenting. “Not a minute later.”

Madi nodded once. “Ok.”

Reverently slipping the ultrasound photo into the pocket of his coat, he glared suspiciously at Dante then shook his head in her direction to convey his disappointment.

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