Page 77 of Whispered Sins

She looked me up and down curiously before picking up the phone and punching in a few numbers. She turned her back to me so I couldn’t hear what she was saying. After a moment, she hung up the phone and turned her chair to face me.

“You may go up, Ms. Heartly. My apologies.”

I gave her a smile and a nod before walking toward the elevators. I watched as the floors ticked by, clutching my purse with the ultrasounds tucked inside. The doors opened and I stepped out into the lobby.

Margaret was there to greet me. “Hello, Ms. Heartly. Follow me.”

I followed her down the long hallway to Daniel’s office, still not over how big his floor was. She stopped outside his door and knocked softly.

“Come in,” I heard him say, a bit of gruffness to his voice.

I looked at Margaret unsure, but she opened the door and nodded for me to go inside. I stumbled into his office, the door closing behind me.

Daniel was hunched over his desk with a pile of paperwork surrounding him. His hands were in his hair as his eyes scanned the documents in front of him.

“Hi,” I said, hating how meek I sounded.

He looked up surprised, as if he hadn’t just given the front desk the okay to send me up.

“Heart. Hi,” he said, standing up. He strode toward me and gave me a kiss on the cheek before sitting back down at his desk.

“Sit,” he said, getting back to his papers.

I did as he said and pulled the ultrasound photos from my purse.

“Look what I have.” I placed the pictures on the papers in front of him.

“Oh, wow,” he breathed, his eyes barely grazing over the pictures.

I jerked my head back as I looked at him, my heart starting to break right there in his office. He couldn’t seem more uninterested.

“Yeah, I went to that new doctor Freddy recommended…” I started, trying again.

“Oh? How was it?” he asked. His eyes found mine for just a moment before going back to his papers. He pushed the ultrasound pictures gently aside to read one of the documents.

“It would have been better if you were there,” I said pointedly. My patience was growing thin, and my excitement in coming all the way over here had left the building completely.

“Well, you didn’t invite me,” he pointed out, looking at me and raising an eyebrow.

“And why do you think that is?” I asked, my voice raising.

“You tell me.”

“Maybe it’s because you don’t actually give a damn about the baby. Or me, for that matter.”

“That’s not true…” he started.

“Maybe you’re just trying to get on my good side, so I stay quiet. God forbid the press finds out thattheDaniel Jacobs is going to be a father with some stupid girl from Brooklyn.”

“Heart…”

“Don’t,” I said, putting up my hand. “You don’t think I’ve noticed how you keep me hidden? We had to go out the back alley of the restaurant Friday night. I’m going to be an expert at fire exits by the end of this because you’re embarrassed to be seen with me.”

The words were rolling out of me, and there was no stopping them.

“I’m sorry that I’m not a supermodel. OrKiera. I’m sorry that I’m not someone you’d proudly have on your arm.”

Daniel’s eyes watched me intently.

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