Page 58 of His Wedding Day Revenge

The truth had still not bedded in her mind. She woke in the morning and then remembered. Despite the signs, if one of Marco’s daily visits to check in on Mattie had not coincided with one of her really bad, ‘can’t pretend it’s not happening’ nausea events—not pretty—she still wouldn’t have suspected.

When Marco had suggested that she might like to do a pregnancy test it had made her laugh—it beat crying. After she had reminded him of her medical history, to her amazement he had still thought it a good idea and produced one from his medical bag.

Jane was still reeling between joy and disbelief, but she had not changed her travel plans. Leaving was the only option open to her. While she felt guilty for not telling Draco the truth of Mattie’s parentage, that guilt was outweighed by the hurt she felt that Draco had believed that she had had an abortion.

As she sat down to call him to tell him what he had a right to know, that he was going to be a father, she still had no idea what she would say. This time, though, she planned to be open and upfront. There had already been too many secrets.

Draco had always believed he knew what and who he was.

As he walked into the room that inner certainty had vanished. The truth was his confidence had never come from knowing who he was. It had always been about proving to the world and himself who he wasn’t.

His father! His weak, selfish, pathetic father, and he’d become that man because of a toxic love.

The equation was simple: avoid love. See it coming and cross the street. He’d never needed to cross the street and then Jane had appeared.

His confidence had come from the conviction that he couldn’t be in love with anyone. Love was selfish and destructive, an indulgence for people who believed in fairy tales past childhood. He had made the argument until he was word perfect, using cold, hard logic and reason.

Now that conviction had been proved a lie. He loved Jane. The foundations he’d built his life on had crumbled and, instead of feeling lost and adrift, he felt liberated.

‘Can I come in?’

‘You are already in,’ Jane pointed out, getting to her feet and walking away from her open laptop. ‘And I’m the guest.’ Had she overstayed her welcome? Was that why he was here? ‘I was just about to ring you, Draco.’

‘And now I am here.’

‘I have booked our flights home, but first I wanted to apologise.’ She swallowed and took a deep breath. ‘Apologise for deceiving you. I should not have left you standing at the altar. I just wasn’t brave enough to tell you why I had to. I took the easy route and ran.’ She huffed out a sigh and squeezed her eyes closed. ‘So many lies. I let you think I was Mattie’s mother.’

Draco’s eyes followed the direction of her glance to the baby.

‘You are his mother in every way that counts. Is Mattie fit to travel?’

She gestured to the baby, who was lying on a vivid play mat, a toy stuffed in his mouth as he happily kicked. ‘As you see.’

‘Has Marco been calling in?’

‘Every day. I’m assuming you asked him to?’ Distancing himself. As far as she was concerned there was no other way to interpret the situation.

Draco nodded and dragged a hand through his dark hair. ‘He won’t tell me anything?’ he ground out, his voice cracking with frustration. ‘Just tells me he can’t disclose medical details and if I want to know I should ask for myself.’

‘And you came. That was good of you, but, as you see, Mattie is fine.’

‘I expect you will tell me to go to hell, but actually I think I am already there! I know I let you down,’ he said heavily. ‘Believing the lies of that poisonous woman was unforgivable!’

‘I was hurt,’ she admitted with a catch in her voice. ‘And hearing you say that means a lot to me.’ Maybe more than you can ever know, she thought. ‘But, Draco...there is something I need to tell you. Something that changes everything, but nothing,’ she added bleakly.

Draco would never love her.

He took an impetuous step forward and as the light shone on his face Jane was shocked to see how drawn he looked as he caught her hands in his.

‘No, let me speak. Ask you if you...’ He released her and grabbed his head in both hands. ‘Oh, Jane, I have been such a fool!’ he cried out in an anguished voice she barely recognised. ‘I love you. I have been the world’s worst fool, a coward,’ he bit out, his voice aching with self-contempt.

Nailed to the spot with shock, she just stared at him. Was this a dream?

‘Please, Jane, tell me it is not too late... We have Mattie. We don’t need a baby.’ He stepped forward and took her hands, lacing his long fingers in hers and bringing them up to his lips. ‘All I need is you. All I ever needed was you, but I was afraid to admit my dreams, that you were my secret dream made warm, beautiful, brave flesh.

‘This is no excuse, but I saw my father destroyed by a woman, but being without you—mywoman—would destroy me. I am not a full person without you. Can you ever forgive me? Will you marry me? And this time it will be different because I am different. I am not afraid to tell you that I love you.’

Tears pricked her eyes as she read the anguish on his face, the blaze of hope and fear in his eyes.

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