Page 53 of Prognosis Baby Daddy

‘I’m not denying you your rights, Ben. Please...I just need some time.’ Everything was so mixed up in her head and she couldn’t sort it out living here.

Ben could see her torment. Could see this conversation wasn’t easy for her either and he took some calming breaths. Maybe some time away would help her see the wisdom of his suggestion? ‘How much time?’ he demanded.

‘A few weeks.’ She shrugged.

‘You can have two.’

Two?She felt like she would do nothing but cry for at least the first two weeks. ‘Four.’

Ben did a quick calculation in his head. She’d be thirty-six weeks. Still a good month until the baby was born. ‘You promise you’ll get help if anything else goes wrong with the baby?’

Katya ground her teeth. ‘Hell, Ben, of course. Don’t worry, your baby will be well looked after.’ Its mother, on the other hand, will be a mess. But don’t concern yourself about that.

‘Four weeks, then,’ he said, pulling his wallet out of his bedside table drawer, pulling out a credit card and scribbling on a piece of paper. He handed them both to her.

‘My card and its PIN number,’ he said.

Katya looked at them blankly and then threw them on the bed, rage and disgust as stormy brew in her gut. ‘I don’t want your money, Ben.’ She picked up her bag. ‘I’ve never wanted your money.’

She opened the door, hardly able to believe they were parting like this.

‘I’ll be keeping in touch.’

Katya stilled with her hand on the doorknob – she had no doubt. ‘Goodbye,’ she said, her heart breaking as she walked out of the room without a backward glance.

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