Page 52 of Craving Dahlia

Giving up on breakfast, I head downstairs. Evelyn hasn’t appeared yet, and I glance at my phone. We still have fifteen minutes or so before we need to leave, but I want to get on the road.

“Where are you going?”

Alek’s voice comes from behind me, making me jump. I spin around to face him, and I see his gaze drift over me in that assessing, possessive way that he always looks at me when he appears. It pisses me off—and it also makes my skin heat, my stomach twisting in a not entirely unpleasant way.

“I have a doctor’s appointment.”

He frowns. “For the…baby?”

“No, for fun.” I glare at him. “Yes. It’s my eight-week appointment.”

“And you’re going alone?” He sounds surprised, even angry at the idea, and I blink at him.

“No. Evelyn’s going with me.”

“You didn’t think to tell me about this?” He crosses his arms over his chest, and I try not to notice the way the sleeves of his shirt tighten across his muscles as he does. It’s unfair that a man who is so entirely infuriating is also so gorgeous.

“Why would I?” I snap. “You’ve had no real interest in this. In fact, the only real opinion you’ve had is to repeatedly tell me that you think I’m lying about the baby being yours, and that I’m so much of a slut that I can’t possibly know who my child’s father is. So no, I didn’t think to ask if you wanted to go to the fucking appointment,” I spit.

Alek looks taken aback by the vitriol in my tone. “Well, I do. Want to go.” He narrows his eyes at me. “If I am the father, then I should be there.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

“I don’t care.”

We stare at each other, both of us tense and ready to snap, when I hear the click of Evelyn’s footsteps.

“What’s going on here?” she asks hesitantly, her gaze flicking back and forth between the two of us.

“Dahlia didn’t think I needed to know that she had a doctor’s appointment today,” Alek says crisply. “Or that I might want to go.”

“I wouldn’t have thought so, either.” There’s a touch of frost in Evelyn’s voice. “And you don’t need to. I’m going to go with her. There’s no need for you to bother yourself with it.”

“She’s still claiming I’m the father, right?”

“I’m standing right here,” I snap. “And yes. Youare.”

“Then I’m going.” The finality in Alek’s voice makes me flinch, and I look helplessly at Evelyn. She jerks her head to one side, motioning for me to follow her.

“You’re going to be late if we stand here arguing,” Evelyn says quietly.

“Then let’s go.” I look at her impatiently. “Ignore him.”

Evelyn hesitates. “He has a point, Dahlia. If he’s your baby’s father, then he should be there if he wants to be. You’ll have an ultrasound today. You should have him there for it?—”

“Why? He doesn’t give a shit about any of this.”

“It seems like he does,” Evelyn says gently. “I know he’s been difficult, but maybe he’s trying.” She pauses, glancing back at Alek. “Let him try.”

I can’t believe she’s standing up for him. But I look at Alek as well, at the stubborn set of his jaw and the irritated look in his eyes, and I wonder if this really does matter to him. If something changed after our conversation last night.

For better or worse, heismy baby’s father. And for now, he’s also my husband.Maybe Evelyn’s right.Maybe I should give in, just this once.

I want Evelyn with me today. But maybe I should give Alek a chance.

“Fine,” I grind out between my teeth. “But we need to go.”

Alek shrugs. “Lead the way.”

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