Page 6 of Million Dollar High

She glanced at the sliding doors. Her minute had come and gone. Bizarrely, a part of her hoped Noah would storm in just so she could see him one last time. Shaking her head at the pure madness behind that thought, she rushed up the stairs to the bedroom. At the sight of the rumpled bed and the clothes strewn on the floor, she stumbled.

She’d gone on the Indigo Lounge trip to wash away the memories of what her stepfather had done to her, to regain some of the power he’d taken from her. Little did she know she’d be walking away with so much more. An experience of a lifetime. An experience that had been destined to last less than a week.

With an unforgettable man.

Leia trembled as she gathered her things. The top she’dworn all day yesterday was creased and smelled bad. On a selfish whim, she decided to keep Noah’s Vassar College T-shirt. Stuffing her top into her purse, she pushed her feet into her heels, grabbed the rest of her belongings and rushed back downstairs.

Warren waited by the front door. Unable to resist, she glanced out to the terrace. Noah was pacing, his phone clamped to his ear.

He started to turn toward her, froze with his glance downward, and turned back to the view.

Knowing the move had been a deliberate effort on his part not to look into the living room clawed at her heart. She inhaled shakily.

What the fuck was she doing? She’d chosen to walk away. Dithering like an idiot only prolonged the pain.

Resolutely, she strode to the front door, her hand clamped around her purse. When Warren sent her one of his calm, barely there smiles, she ignored him. If that was his version of pity, he could stuff it. She didn’t need anyone’s pity.

Who the fuck’s business was it that her insides had turned into a barren wasteland?

3

“You heard me correctly. Four—no, make that five pregnancy testing kits. I want them within the hour…” Noah gripped the phone through his PA’s confused stuttering. “And Maddie? Thank you. I’ll make sure you’re paid an extra month’s salary for doing this… No, it’s more than you should have to do for me, especially on a Saturday.” He would’ve gotten the kits himself, except he had no intention of leaving Ashley alone in his condo, and he liked the thought of going to the drug store with her in tow even less.

He hung up and turned toward the sliding doors. His breath punched through his lungs. Realizing his whole body shook with the effort it took just to face the doors, he cursed under his breath. He had to go in there. Had to face the fact that Leia had walked away.

Had to face the fact that if Ashley wasn’t totally delusional, he was about to become a father. Through no choice of his own. Bewildering anger flashed through him. He battled through it to think rationally.

He’d think about Leia later. Or maybe not. Maybe he’dpretend the whole goddamn thing had been a fever dream. Yeah, right. A dream was the reason his insides were eviscerated and why his feet refused to move.

But he had to move. His ex-fiancée was spinning dreams he had to nuke before they got even crazier. He took a step and heard his front door slam. The finality of it shook him to the core.

Leia was gone.

God.

He forced himself to walk back into the living room.

Ashley rose with a fluid grace he’d once thought sexy as hell. Now he could see clearly that it was all a studied performance with more polish than allure. For a brief moment, Noah wondered whether it was that allure that had swayed Snyder into staging this morning’s confrontation with Ashley. But no, Snyder was just as fixated with Leia as Noah had allowed himself to be.

And now she was gone…

“Noah, darling, I really am sorry I had to break it to you this way,” Ashley said.

“No, you’re not.” He threw his phone on the nearest sofa and circumvented her approach by stalking to the kitchen. Seeing the remnants of the breakfast he’d planned for Leia made his insides congeal. “You had an audience lapping up your performance. An audience you engineered so I couldn’t throw you out on your ass. That’s exactly how you wanted it. If you want me to entertain any hope of hearing you out, let’s cut the bullshit and get to the heart of the matter.”

He grabbed the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. Shame it was too early for something stronger. He gulped the first mouthful, winced at the scalding heat, and turned. Ashley lingered near the bar, her wary eyes on him.

“This is your last chance, Ashley. My PA is on her way with a pregnancy kit; several, in fact.” He reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. With a grim smile, he slammed it on the counter. “Drink up. You’ll be doing a hell of a lot of peeing in the next hour. Unless you’re going to come clean and tell me this has been a huge misunderstanding?”

He couldn’t stop his gaze from dropping to her stomach. The thought that his child could be growing in there was too much to wrap his head around. Again, that earth-shaking bewilderment threatened to engulf him.

With a look of challenge in her eyes, she took the bottle. She wrenched the top open but didn’t drink.

“I know that’s what you want to hear, but I wouldn’t lie to you. Not about this.”

“So we’re agreed that you do lie more than frequently?”

Her mouth pursed in annoyance. “Our situation has forced you to dump your little bit on the side, so you’re feeling a little annoyed. But I am carrying your child, Noah. Treat me with some respect.”

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