Page 52 of Prognosis Baby Daddy

Ben glanced at the bag at her feet and the tears shining in her eyes. He frowned. ‘What’s all this?’

Katya dashed the tears away and searched for the hard woman who had arrived here some months ago. She’d thought this through enough times in the last two days. Now was the time for action.

‘I’m l-leaving.’

Ben stared at her vacantly for a few moments, letting her announcement sink in. He felt as if he’d taken a punch to the solar plexus from a world boxing champion - short of breath, his stomach dropping, his mind reeling.

What the hell did she mean?

‘I’m sorry? What do you mean, you’re leaving?’

‘I thought I could do this...I really did, Ben. But the other day, when I was bleeding and I thought I was losing the baby, I realised I couldn’t. Couldn’t walk away from him.’

Ben looked at her earnest face. She didn’t want to give the baby up? But that was...perfect. ‘So don’t.’ He could tell she was just holding herself together, that one wrong word could see her walking out the door. ‘Stay here with me and we’ll raise the baby together. My offer of marriage still stands.’

Katya bit her lip to stop the sob that rose in her throat at the casual offer. ‘We don’t love each other, Ben.’ The lie hurt so much she had to gulp in a big breath to ease the pain.

‘No, but we love this baby, and that’s a good start.’

She stared at him, eyes blurry with tears. What had she expected? That he go down on one knee and admit his undying love? She took some deep breaths.

How, how could she marry him?

She’d never be able to trust his motives. She’d question every aspect of their life together, everything he did, everything he said, not knowing if it was her or the baby motivating him. She couldn’t — wouldn’t — marry someone who didn’t love her.

She shook her head. ‘I can’t give him up and I can’t marry you either.’

Ben’s heart beat like thunder in his chest and a slow steady burn rise in his chest. ‘So, what? You’re just going to leave?’ His voice was low. Angry. ‘Cut me out of my own child’s life? Because you’d better know — I won’t take that lying down.’

Katya swiped at a tear that had finally escaped to splash down her cheek. She heard the threat in his voice and knew it wasn’t an empty one. She knew he had the power and the means to follow through.

Knew that he’d move heaven and earth for his child.

‘No. I won’t cut you out but I need some time away to think about how we can handle this.’

‘Where do you propose to go?’

‘London,’ she said. It was a good distance but not too far.

Ben could see all his hopes and dreams for the three of them crashing down around him. Katya had been adamant that she wasn’t ever going to be part of their lives, but he had built up that fantasy anyway, convinced she would change her mind.

And she had, but she’d also completely changed the rules.

He felt like he had that day with Mario and Bianca. Like the rug had been pulled from under him. ‘Like hell you’re going to London. You’ve just had a bleed, it’s not safe for you to travel.’

She flinched. Again, his concern for their baby was total. ‘Rocco assured me it would be OK to travel.’ She had enlisted Gabriella’s help as an interpreter after Ben had left.

‘No.’ Ben shook his head, his command final.

Katya raised her chin. ‘Are you telling me that you plan to physically restrain me?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he snapped.

‘Then I am going to London.’ Katya’s heart banged loudly against her ribs. Her hands trembled slightly but she was pleased to see the old strong-as-steel Katya was still there when she needed her.

Ben regarded her seriously, his mind frantically thinking of a legal way to keep her in Italy. Anything he could organise through a court would take a few days. He looked at her stomach full with his child. There had to be a way to keep her here. To convince her to stay.

‘I have rights to this baby, too,’ he said, injecting steel into his voice.

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