This is it; his dark side was coming out again, the one that showed up weeks ago at her home. Her mind and heart raced as she prayed for the right words to say to keep him from exploding. Fidgeting with her hands in her lap her voice quivered, “It was May I’m sure.”
“You go from thinking to being sure. How is that?” His tone reeked annoyance.
Breathing deeply, trying to steady her voice, “Because I had my last period the beginning of May.
This was too much pressure being in his domain with nowhere to go for cover. I should have stayed home and just suffered the consequences.
Last May they were an item, which meant the baby was his. That is if she wasn’t sleeping with anyone else. Filing the information in the back of his mind, he decided not to hold a full inquisition. Nick muttered a curse as he watched Summer eyes begin to fill with tears. He leaned his elbows on his knees, bringing him so close she could smell the wine he had earlier for dinner.
“Are you involved with anyone?”
Summer shot up off the sofa as if she’d been struck by lightning, her voice came out in a high-pitched squeal. “No! Nick!” Involved with whom? Didn’t he know she’d been crying her
eyes out over him for the last eight months? She never even thought about another man. Didn’t he know he was the only man she wanted? The man she loved with all her heart and still loved
despite the fact he treated her like crap.
Nick didn’t know what came over him as he charged to his feet and challenged Summer’s stance. Summer gasped in disbelief, “Niiick!”, as she felt herself being lifted off the floor staring directly into dark cold eyes.
Nick ignored her answer. Through clenched teeth, he gritted out, “Are you seeing anyone and are you planning on having him raise my baby?” He hadn’t meant to say my baby. “No.”
“No what!” he barked at her.
In spite of being suspended in air by Nick’s firm hold, Summer struggled to pull back from his grip as she told him between sobs, “No, I’m not seeing anyone.”
She’s lying. “Then who were you talking to earlier on the phone?” Nick knew he had no right, no business to ask her such a question, after all they weren’t together.
“Ava. I…I wanted to let her know I was okay.” Summer said still trying to get loose from his grip.
It wasn’t that he was hurting her; she just wanted to put some distance between them before things escalated any further. Summer could not count the times she worked in the emergency room and women came in battered because an argument had gotten out of control.
Nick had never been violent in the past with her. She didn’t think he would hurt her, but he was rapidly becoming out of control. She’d seen warning signs all evening that’s why she attempted to stay clear of him. What if he did hurt her, or worse the baby? Sudden panic set in.
Staring at him through red, swollen, puffy eyes, Summer pleaded, her voice barely a trembling whisper, “Nick, you’re scaring me, please put me down.”
Damn, what the hell am I doing? Nick snapped back to reality as Summer made an effort to free herself by pleading with him. Her facial expression was contorted in a fusion of shock, hurt, and fear.
As he placed her down, Summer’s legs quaked as her feet touched the hardwood floor. Nick stepped back and closed his eyes vigorously rubbing his face with the palms of his hands. He prayed that when he opened them all of this would have been a bad dream. Damn! It wasn’t a dream. She was still visibly shaken, apparently traumatized. Nick reached out and took a small step forward, “Summer, I’m…”
His attempt to apologize was halted when she yanked away from his outstretched hand. For once that night Nick used the good sense God gave him and backed off.
As she watched his retreat she wondered, Why is he treating me like this?
Summer stumbled a few steps to the sofa, laid down and curled up into a fetal position. Protectively she hugged her belly as tears effortlessly seeped out as she fought to calm down frayed nerves. Where was all this coming from? Why was he questioning the timing of her conception? Hadn’t he remembered that last week of May they spent together at his cabin in upstate New York? Did he forget that was the only time he asked her to trust him?
And what was this nonsense about her seeing someone? He should have known better. Summer had too much integrity to date one man while carrying another’s seed. Nick was the first man she really dated. Sure she went on dates in high school and in college. Those dates usually ended before anything could jump off when the guy discovered she was not about to drop her panties after a couple of dates. Even with Nick, she had waited months to consummate their relationship.