Page 56 of Tempt Me
Snickering, I shake my head even thought the hurt is fierce. “I know.”
She looks up at me, afraid. “Do you think my parents know?”
“Probably, but maybe it’s not as bad as you think. Vik respects him, and I can see Fran has a soft spot for him.”
“I’m sorry. I know it’s not what you want to hear.”
“Hey, it’s okay. You can’t choose who you love.”
“I need some time to figure things out.”
“Take all the time you need,” I reply, reaching out to gently take her hand in mine. “I’ll be here for you no matter what.”
Rue offers me a small smile, and I can see the gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you, Luca. You’re a good friend.”
I swallow hard at the word ‘friend’, trying to push aside my feelings and focus on being there for her. “Always.”
Something inside me shifts then. Despite everything that’s going on, despite the fact that she has confessed her love for Isaac, I feel different. Like something fundamental has changed in our relationship. It’s grown deeper in the few minutes I’ve been sitting with her, comforting her, listening to her.
I know one thing for sure.
I’m not giving up on her. Not now, and not ever.
Chapter30
Rue
I'm laying in bed, feeling completely drained. Tears have been streaming down my face all night, and my eyes are swollen and red. Finding out I'm pregnant with Isaac's baby feels like my whole world is crumbling around me. Struggling with a maelstrom of emotions, I'm uncertain where I land. Am I happy? Am I unhappy? I can't tell. Every second that passes, I change my mind about what this means and what it means in the long run. One thing that remains completely clear is that I have to tell Isaac. At some point. And my parents.
Not necessarily in that order.
I don't think my parents would be upset about me giving them a grandchild, but I do believe that Isaac being the father is going to be a massive problem. He is supposed to protect me, and instead, he knocks me up.
Biting my lip, I know that's unfair.
We knocked me up. I was all on board with having sex with him. What I don't understand is how my contraceptive failed so spectacularly.
Closing my eyes and willing myself to sleep, I hear him knock softly on the interconnecting door.
I ignore him.
There is no way I want to see or face him anytime soon. He'll know I'm hiding something, and I just can't right now.
Eventually, he stops trying, and I fall into a fitful sleep.
* * *
A loud crash wakes me sometime later. My eyes shoot open, and my heart races.
The interconnecting door has been kicked open, and Isaac strides in, glaring down at me, still curled up in my bed, probably with puffy eyes.
He looks just as alarmed as I feel, but his face softens when he sees me. He scans me up and down, checking on my well-being.
"Everything okay?" he asks gruffly.
"Fine. Go away."
"You weren't answering me."
