seemed startled. Give her the chance, and she would turn this into something that it no longer was.
She had to put her mind at ease.
“It wasn’t real. Kane gets it. So we’re going to forget. I—”
“Not sure that you can.”
Lillian turned the page to her with a sad sigh. Angeline blinked around the figures.
“hCG?”Angeline said. “Why is it so—?”
“Last period?” Lillian asked.
Angeline searched her mind, and she suddenly realized that it had been two months, the space between Noel’s assault and this moment. She had given no thought to the lack of blood flowing between her legs. She was tense. It was nothing more than that.
Unless…
“Angeline,” Lillian said as she scrunched her small nose and took the page back. She scanned the document and finally, knowingly, glanced over the edge of the page.
“How long?” Lillian asked again.
“A month,” Angeline whispered. “Maybe two.”
Lillian nodded with utter certainty as she took her hand.
“Makes sense,” she said. “You’re that far along.”
Angeline’s blood ran cold. No. Kane had sworn that Noel would be kept at a distance now that he was back in her arms.
And now…
“What if…?”
Angeline knew that she was grasping at straws, but she still hoped.
“I was with Kane,” she said. “Maybe that’s it. Maybe…”
In her frantic mind, it made sense. Kane was strong enough to plant his seed with one sure stroke.
It had to be his child. It just had—
“Angeline” Lillian started as she sadly shook her head. “You’re too far along. It had to be someone else.”
And she died inside as she touched her stomach.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kane waited with flowers. The girl at the counter had told him to stop while he was ahead, but he wanted to go all out. He had promised her that much and hoped to offer more. It was nice to feel this normal, just a guy waiting to take his girl out. He clung to that as cars pulled from the lot, leaving his lonely bike in a single space. He wondered if she might be inviting him to find her as the lights darkened, and he straightened up the length of his back.
When the door finally creaked open, Kane saw a slight red head passing through the door. As he clutched the bouquet , the woman stepped towards him. He could feel her breath on his neck, and Kane was nearly shocked when she patted his cheek.
“Stay with her,” the woman said. “She’s going to need you now. More than ever, I think.”
As the woman wandered into the twilight, Kane tried to make sense of her words. When he last seen his Angel, she was smiling, happy. If something had changed that…
His mind turned to Noel. The idea that he had hurt her again filled him with rage, and he raced to the door, thinking of nothing but holding her close.
“Oh!”
She was there. Here. Kane dropped the flowers and took her into his arms. Angeline calmed for a single second, but then her hot tears spilled across his chest.
It wasn’t like her.
“Angel? Don’t cry,” he said.
Kane brought her closer and kissed her temples.
“I’m back,” he reminded her. “It’s all good and—”
“No it’s not!”
Angeline pushed him away. As she struggled to catch her breath, she slunk down the brick façade of building. Kane watched her crumple and swiftly fell to her side.
“Come on,” he said. “It’s—”
“It’s no good!”
The force of her cry sent him back, and he watched as she tried to stand.
“Angel?”
She was hardly on her feet, still seeming to slip to the asphalt, when Kane gathered her in his arms. Even as she struggled, Kane held her close and whispered into her ear.
“We’re home,” he said. “So no tears. Okay?”
Angeline lingered in his arms. Kane held her, stroked her arms. As he nodded into her hair, Kane felt sure that he had
She had to put her mind at ease.
“It wasn’t real. Kane gets it. So we’re going to forget. I—”
“Not sure that you can.”
Lillian turned the page to her with a sad sigh. Angeline blinked around the figures.
“hCG?”Angeline said. “Why is it so—?”
“Last period?” Lillian asked.
Angeline searched her mind, and she suddenly realized that it had been two months, the space between Noel’s assault and this moment. She had given no thought to the lack of blood flowing between her legs. She was tense. It was nothing more than that.
Unless…
“Angeline,” Lillian said as she scrunched her small nose and took the page back. She scanned the document and finally, knowingly, glanced over the edge of the page.
“How long?” Lillian asked again.
“A month,” Angeline whispered. “Maybe two.”
Lillian nodded with utter certainty as she took her hand.
“Makes sense,” she said. “You’re that far along.”
Angeline’s blood ran cold. No. Kane had sworn that Noel would be kept at a distance now that he was back in her arms.
And now…
“What if…?”
Angeline knew that she was grasping at straws, but she still hoped.
“I was with Kane,” she said. “Maybe that’s it. Maybe…”
In her frantic mind, it made sense. Kane was strong enough to plant his seed with one sure stroke.
It had to be his child. It just had—
“Angeline” Lillian started as she sadly shook her head. “You’re too far along. It had to be someone else.”
And she died inside as she touched her stomach.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kane waited with flowers. The girl at the counter had told him to stop while he was ahead, but he wanted to go all out. He had promised her that much and hoped to offer more. It was nice to feel this normal, just a guy waiting to take his girl out. He clung to that as cars pulled from the lot, leaving his lonely bike in a single space. He wondered if she might be inviting him to find her as the lights darkened, and he straightened up the length of his back.
When the door finally creaked open, Kane saw a slight red head passing through the door. As he clutched the bouquet , the woman stepped towards him. He could feel her breath on his neck, and Kane was nearly shocked when she patted his cheek.
“Stay with her,” the woman said. “She’s going to need you now. More than ever, I think.”
As the woman wandered into the twilight, Kane tried to make sense of her words. When he last seen his Angel, she was smiling, happy. If something had changed that…
His mind turned to Noel. The idea that he had hurt her again filled him with rage, and he raced to the door, thinking of nothing but holding her close.
“Oh!”
She was there. Here. Kane dropped the flowers and took her into his arms. Angeline calmed for a single second, but then her hot tears spilled across his chest.
It wasn’t like her.
“Angel? Don’t cry,” he said.
Kane brought her closer and kissed her temples.
“I’m back,” he reminded her. “It’s all good and—”
“No it’s not!”
Angeline pushed him away. As she struggled to catch her breath, she slunk down the brick façade of building. Kane watched her crumple and swiftly fell to her side.
“Come on,” he said. “It’s—”
“It’s no good!”
The force of her cry sent him back, and he watched as she tried to stand.
“Angel?”
She was hardly on her feet, still seeming to slip to the asphalt, when Kane gathered her in his arms. Even as she struggled, Kane held her close and whispered into her ear.
“We’re home,” he said. “So no tears. Okay?”
Angeline lingered in his arms. Kane held her, stroked her arms. As he nodded into her hair, Kane felt sure that he had
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