Page 108 of Unravelling: Aria & Crispin
The clinic was elegant and discreet-wood-panelled walls, thick carpets, and windows that looked out over rust-coloured leaves drifting through central London. Everything smelled faintly of lavender and antiseptic.
Aria had been quiet during the ultrasound, holding her breath until the grainy image of their baby appeared on the screen, its little limbs stretching and turning like it had been waiting for an audience.
"All looks excellent," the doctor said kindly. "The placenta's high and posterior. No sign of a retroplacental bleed. Everything is right on track."
Crispin, who had been watching the screen intently, suddenly cleared his throat. "Just one more question," he said.
Instinctively wary, Aria glanced at him.
"Is it...alright," he asked, with a deliberate pause, "to have sex?"
Aria's eyes flew wide. Her entire face turned the colour of overripe tomatoes.
The obstetrician smiled, professional and unfazed. "There's no reason not to, if Aria's comfortable. It's perfectly safe at this stage."
Aria made a strangled sound. Crispin nodded solemnly, like he was taking down key legal evidence.
When they stepped outside into the cool autumn air, Aria rounded on him, pulling her coat tighter. "What the hell was that?"
Crispin shrugged, eyes twinkling as he intertwined their fingers. "That," he said, "was me being an optimist."
Chapter 56
Aria
Aria tried to speedwalk her way to the car. In reality, she lumbered at a gingerly pace, her ankles slightly swollen, her pride slightly dented.
Crispin followed at a more leisurely pace, hands tucked casually in his pockets like a man who had all the time in the world, and completely ignored the verbal grenade he had lobbed in the consulting room.
He unlocked the car with a quiet click, and Aria climbed in with a huff, still not looking at him.
Crispin slipped into the driver's seat and turned the radio on, tuning it to some 80s station as he reversed out of the parking lot. A few seconds later, he began whistling under his breath.
It was "You Are My Sunshine." Completely off-key.
Aria was more stunned than angry.
Was he whistling while she was fuming?
For the next few minutes, the car was filled with nothing but tinny jazz, terrible whistling, and Aria pointedly staring out of the window. The trees were still on fire with October's final glory, the leaves blurring past in bursts of gold, amber, and crimson.
She tried to ignore him.
Tried.
Until...
"You think this is all very funny, do you?" she snapped, rounding on him.
Crispin kept driving, eyes on the road, silent.
That was enough to make her lose it.
"You think you can flash me a ring and that gives you the right to ask about sex in front of a doctor without even discussing it with me first. And then just whistle your way while I am fuming? It's like we live on two different planets. You disappear into meetings, you show up with food and this ridiculous restraint, and I...I don't even know where I stand!"
Crispin kept driving and said nothing. Just kept side-eyeing her.
That set her off again.
