One Night with Morelli(82)

                But Eve didn’t want duty; she wanted love.

                ‘I really believed that if I could give Mum an option, get her away from him, that she would take it,’ Eve admitted sorrowfully. ‘It seemed simple then; totally black and white.’ She gave a sniff, inviting his incredulity, anticipating his contempt. Unable to meet his eyes, she continued in husky-throated self-disgust. ‘I was such a kid.’

                ‘No, you were and are a daughter who loves her mother very much. Just what is the point in beating yourself up like this, Eve? There comes a point when guilt simply becomes self-indulgent. You are not responsible for what has happened,’ he said firmly.

                Head down, she gnawed at her full lower lip as she listened. ‘Don’t make excuses for me; I’m a horrible person.’ She lifted her head and scowled at him. ‘Why are you smiling?’

                ‘Because you are not a horrible person and even if you were I’d—’ He shook his head and stopped, the words still love you staying unspoken because if ever there was a wrong time to say I love you, this was it.

                ‘Well, I am. Do you know how many times I’ve made an excuse not to see her? And when I knew about the baby…’ her tortured, self-recriminatory gaze went to the incubator where her brother fought for his life ‘…I couldn’t be happy for her.’

                ‘Well, you’re here for her now, and you’re here for Charlie and the baby.’

                She nodded. ‘Yes.’

                ‘And it might be a long haul, so why don’t we follow the nice nurse’s advice—?’

                ‘She’s a midwife.’

                ‘The nice midwife’s advice and take a break?’

                ‘I couldn’t.’

                ‘Come on, I’m not taking no for an answer. You need a break.’

                ‘Since when did you ever take no for an answer?’ Except when she had told him to go and he had gone, she thought bleakly.

                ‘Then why bother arguing if I’m going to ride roughshod over your wishes anyway?’ he teased gently.

                She shook her head mutely and looked at the baby. ‘He can’t even breathe for himself.’

                ‘He doesn’t have to. You can’t do anything here and they’ll let us know if there is any change. Charlie is with your mother. She’s doing well.’

                ‘They said that?’

                Draco couldn’t bear to see the hope in her emerald eyes die. ‘I spoke to one of the doctors when I arrived.’ However he spun it, what he said would have no bearing on the outcome, and if it made it easier for Eve to bear right now, then as far as he was concerned a white lie was a no-brainer.

                ‘All those tubes and he’s so tiny…’ Her voice husked with emotion as she compressed her lips and looked away. ‘Charlie couldn’t even bear to look at him.’ The confession came in a rush as she expelled a shaky breath, gulping as she remembered the expression on her stepfather’s face when they had asked him if he wanted to see his son. ‘And if anything happens to Mum, the baby will be all alone.’

                ‘You can’t think that way, Eve.’ Emotion roughened his voice.

                Her shadowed green eyes lifted; he made it sound so easy! ‘I can’t not.’