Page 138 of Mistaken Impression

“Did I say you could touch?”

He pulls his hand away, hurt filling his eyes. “Do I need permission? He’s mine, Ella.”

“Yes, he is. But I’m not.” He recoils, shrinking back, but I move closer, needing him to understand. “You can’t just walk back into my life like nothing happened, Mac. You hurt me.”

He bends his head, his mouth beside my ear. “I know, and I’m sorry. But I’m not walking away, either. If you think I’mgonna fly back to London, or let you leave me a second time, you’re wrong. You’re very wrong.”

“Is everything okay?” I look up to see Drew staring down at me, concern etched on his face.

“Yes, it’s fine,” I say.

“No, it’s not.” I glance at Mac, surprised by his words, although he’s looking at Drew. “Ella says she’s feeling tired. I think she needs to go home.”

Drew frowns at me, then turns to Mac. “Oh… okay.”

“Can I come and see you?” Mac’s talking to me now, but I don’t know what to say. “At least let me call,” he says, when I don’t respond. “We need to talk.”

He’s not wrong, and I nod my head, although I’m not sure what we’re going to say to each other.

I take Drew’s arm, and after a moment’s hesitation, he leads me out through the main doors and into the dusky evening. I suck in a lungful of air, my heart beating fast, my head spinning.

“I’ll take you back to my place,” he says. “You can drive yourself back to Newport tomorrow.” I’m in no position to argue, and I hand him the keys, letting him escort me to my car, and help me into the passenger seat.

We’ve been on the road for about ten minutes, when he coughs rather obviously and I look over at him.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing.”

“Yes, there is. You want to say something. I can tell.”

He sighs. “Okay. I’m just wondering why you didn’t agree to meet up with Mac. I thought you still loved him.”

“I do.”

“So… you’re playing hard to get?”

“No. I’m not playing at anything. This isn’t a game. I’d love to be able to fall into his arms and pretend everything is okay.Except it’s not, is it? Not when I know how easily he could hurt me.”

“You’re assuming he’s gonna take that risk again? You’re thinking the worst of him, without giving the guy a chance?”

“He assumed the worst of me.”

“And? That gives you the right to do it back to him? To play with his feelings and hurt him? You’re not twelve, Ella,” he says, raising his voice. “You’ve got a chance to be with the man you love… to be a family. Don’t blow it because you’re too damn proud.”

“I’m not!”

“Yeah, you are. Nobody’s perfect, but you’re punishing him for making a mistake.”

“It was a damn big mistake.”

“I get that… but are you gonna hold it against him for the rest of his life? Are you gonna punish yourself into the bargain?” I sit in silence, staring through the windshield, listening to Drew breathing hard, calming down. “Does he know the baby’s his?”

“Yes.”

“You told him?”

“He guessed.”

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