He waited silently. “Say something!” Christie burst out.
Blake shrugged. “What do you want me to say?” he said, still in that neutral tone.
“What you’re thinking!” she responded. “Did you think I wouldn’t tell you, if I knew? Or…” She stopped, her heart sinking at Blake’s apparent disinterest. Again, he waited, not prompting her, simply watching her silently, his dark eyes still guarded, unreadable. Desperately, Christie thought back to the raw emotion Blake had displayed when she had told him about her pregnancy, the anger, the wounded pride. Now by contrast, Blake was cold, distant, almost formal. Christie realised with a shock that the complete absence of emotion in Blake now was infinitely more unnerving. She tried again.
“Finding out was a shock for me,” she started.
“So that’s why you didn’t tell me?” he asked.
“No!” Christie exclaimed, desperate to make him understand.
“I don’t believe you,” he said coldly. “You must have known. If you are almost three months pregnant.”
“Blake,” she said, sudden anger welling up in her, “I have told you that I didn’t know. You were…”
She stopped as he turned abruptly, looked away, obviously preparing to leave. “Christie, does all this really matter? We hardly knew each other anyway. If you want to keep secrets, that has to be your call.” His words, his use of the past tense devastated her.
“I have been honest with you, Blake,” she emphasised. “But it seems like keeping secrets is the way to go, if this is how you’ll be.”
Christie closed her eyes as Blake walked away without saying anything more. At least he doesn’t realise he was the first person I told… Already shell-shocked about the pregnancy Christie found his lack of understanding, his abrupt exit, almost unendurable. I barely knew him, she acknowledged to herself. But I… Tears seeped from her eyes as her emotions overflowed. Gradually, she brought herself back under control as she walked back to the crib, starting to think about the baby again, continuing to plan.
— # —
Knowing she could not afford to get sidetracked thinking about Blake, about what might have been, Christie tentatively started making enquiries about specific rental properties in Auckland, unable to muster any real enthusiasm for a return to the city that held such painful memories. The vastness of Mason Bay had stirred something in her; now she faced a purely pragmatic decision. Lisa raised the subject of her pregnancy from time to time over the next few weeks, clearly still thinking about Christie’s situation.
Now, Christie relaxed on the sofa of the crib, staring unseeing at the night sky, the bright stars. I’ve got to figure this out , she thought, sudden doubt assailing her as the reality of the pregnancy hit her. Mechanically, she reached for her phone as it rang, suddenly focusing on the blackness of the bay below her, belatedly noticing the stars glittering in the sky.
Christie forced animation into her voice as she realised it was Lisa, politely agreed as Lisa insisted on calling in to see her, wondering what could be so urgent. Ten minutes later Lisa was sitting opposite Christie on the sofa, asking how she was, clearly bursting with news. Christie waited expectantly.
“Have you found somewhere to stay yet?” Lisa asked. Christie shook her head, explaining she was still weighing up what to do. “I have a possibility,” Lisa interrupted. “Something to think about anyway. It might not be exactly what you want, but hear me out.” Christie nodded, willing to consider anything at this point. “House sitting in Queenstown,” Lisa announced.
Christie gave her a sceptical look. “The rents in Queenstown must be—” she said, stopping as Lisa interrupted firmly.
“I asked you to hear me out! It’s not renting, it’s house sitting. And it’s actually an apartment. My friend’s husband has a job transfer to Dubai.”
Blake shrugged. “What do you want me to say?” he said, still in that neutral tone.
“What you’re thinking!” she responded. “Did you think I wouldn’t tell you, if I knew? Or…” She stopped, her heart sinking at Blake’s apparent disinterest. Again, he waited, not prompting her, simply watching her silently, his dark eyes still guarded, unreadable. Desperately, Christie thought back to the raw emotion Blake had displayed when she had told him about her pregnancy, the anger, the wounded pride. Now by contrast, Blake was cold, distant, almost formal. Christie realised with a shock that the complete absence of emotion in Blake now was infinitely more unnerving. She tried again.
“Finding out was a shock for me,” she started.
“So that’s why you didn’t tell me?” he asked.
“No!” Christie exclaimed, desperate to make him understand.
“I don’t believe you,” he said coldly. “You must have known. If you are almost three months pregnant.”
“Blake,” she said, sudden anger welling up in her, “I have told you that I didn’t know. You were…”
She stopped as he turned abruptly, looked away, obviously preparing to leave. “Christie, does all this really matter? We hardly knew each other anyway. If you want to keep secrets, that has to be your call.” His words, his use of the past tense devastated her.
“I have been honest with you, Blake,” she emphasised. “But it seems like keeping secrets is the way to go, if this is how you’ll be.”
Christie closed her eyes as Blake walked away without saying anything more. At least he doesn’t realise he was the first person I told… Already shell-shocked about the pregnancy Christie found his lack of understanding, his abrupt exit, almost unendurable. I barely knew him, she acknowledged to herself. But I… Tears seeped from her eyes as her emotions overflowed. Gradually, she brought herself back under control as she walked back to the crib, starting to think about the baby again, continuing to plan.
— # —
Knowing she could not afford to get sidetracked thinking about Blake, about what might have been, Christie tentatively started making enquiries about specific rental properties in Auckland, unable to muster any real enthusiasm for a return to the city that held such painful memories. The vastness of Mason Bay had stirred something in her; now she faced a purely pragmatic decision. Lisa raised the subject of her pregnancy from time to time over the next few weeks, clearly still thinking about Christie’s situation.
Now, Christie relaxed on the sofa of the crib, staring unseeing at the night sky, the bright stars. I’ve got to figure this out , she thought, sudden doubt assailing her as the reality of the pregnancy hit her. Mechanically, she reached for her phone as it rang, suddenly focusing on the blackness of the bay below her, belatedly noticing the stars glittering in the sky.
Christie forced animation into her voice as she realised it was Lisa, politely agreed as Lisa insisted on calling in to see her, wondering what could be so urgent. Ten minutes later Lisa was sitting opposite Christie on the sofa, asking how she was, clearly bursting with news. Christie waited expectantly.
“Have you found somewhere to stay yet?” Lisa asked. Christie shook her head, explaining she was still weighing up what to do. “I have a possibility,” Lisa interrupted. “Something to think about anyway. It might not be exactly what you want, but hear me out.” Christie nodded, willing to consider anything at this point. “House sitting in Queenstown,” Lisa announced.
Christie gave her a sceptical look. “The rents in Queenstown must be—” she said, stopping as Lisa interrupted firmly.
“I asked you to hear me out! It’s not renting, it’s house sitting. And it’s actually an apartment. My friend’s husband has a job transfer to Dubai.”
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