Page 42 of Six Nights in Paradise

“Wait a minute.” I held my hand up. “I wasn’t flaunting anything, and I didn’t know she worked there.”

“How could younotknow? She told you she got the job!”

“She only told me that she got a job as a hostess. I assumed she was working at Exeter.”

“Well, shit.”

“What?”

“She thought you took Gianna there on purpose, to drive the point home that the two of you were back together.”

“We’renotback together,” I declared hotly, my voice harsher than I intended. One eyebrow ticked up in suspicion, but I continued. “We’re having a baby and I’m trying to be supportive. I want to be there for her, for both of them.”

“Yeah, about that…” His voice trailed off and he averted his gaze.

“What? Just spit it out already.” I was growing impatient. He had a message from Taylor, and it sounded important.

Aiden took a deep breath. “Okay, okay. Gianna and her friends came into Francesca’s for lunch today, and Taylor overheard a conversation between two of them in the bathroom,” he began, curling his lip like the thought of Taylor in the bathroom disgusted him. “They were talking about Gianna lying to you.”

My back straightened and I leaned forward. “Lying to me? About what?

“About the baby.”

My hackles rose and I gritted my teeth. This was serious. These accusations were serious. I needed to know the rest. “What about the baby?”

“Man, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this,” he began, genuine remorse flitting across his face, “but the baby isn’t yours.”

I shot up from my seat, knocking over the barstool in my haste. “What?” I shouted. “How could you possibly know that?”

“She had a DNA test. The baby belongs to Antonio, but she doesn’t want anyone to know.”

“Bullshit!” I snapped, even though I’d had my suspicions. I just didn’t believe she could deceive me like that.

“Apparently her parents threatened to cut her off financially when she broke up with you and moved Antonio in. They didn’t like him and didn’t approve of the relationship.” That much I knew was true. “When she found out about the baby and realized it was his, she hatched a plan to get you back so she could be back in her parents’ good graces.”

“I don’t believe this.” My anger boiled over and I kicked another barstool into the floor. I gripped my hair and pulled at it in frustration.

“I have the recording.”

“The recording?”

“When Taylor realized they were talking about you, she started recording on her phone. She was afraid you wouldn’t believe her without proof, and Gianna would get away with lying to you.”

My chest constricted and I nearly cried. How could she think I wouldn’t believe her? Did she really think there was no trust between us? Of course she did.Ibroke that trust when I didn’t trust her enough to work through our newfound relationship after Gianna dropped this bombshell on me. On top of that, she thought I was rubbing Gianna in her face. No wonder she refused to see me or answer my calls. My mind was racing, so the rest of what Aiden said fell on deaf ears.

“What?” I asked when I saw him looking at me expectantly. He was holding his phone up, his finger hovering above the screen.

“I said, ‘do you want to hear the recording?’” There was no way I’d ever want to hear it. It was bad enough getting it second-hand. “Taylor sent it to me, and-”

“Shit. Taylor!” I said in a panic. “I have to talk to her. I have to fix this.” I headed for the door but didn’t get very far. Aiden grabbed me and I spun on him, breaking his hold on my upper arm.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why the hell not?”

“I don’t want you anywhere near her after everything you put her through. You had one chance with her and you blew it.”

“I’m not ready to give up on her.”

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