Page 65 of Reunited By the Greek's Baby

‘Apparently not,’ he huffed finally. ‘We talked in her apartment then she told me to leave because she had things to do.’

Isla took a slow breath. ‘Perhaps you should trust Toula to know what’s best for her.’

‘What would you know about it? You’ve only known her a short time and suddenly you’re an expert?’ His chest rose on a mighty breath. ‘Howdareyou get her worked up with some sob story about me suffering? And about old man Stavroulis? Were you trying to push her to the edge all over again?’

Isla retreated a step, her hand to her throat, stunned he could say such a thing. He couldn’t mean that. It was stress talking. Theo worried about his stepsister, with reason. But Toula’s behaviour after their discussion had convinced Isla she’d done the right thing.

‘I only—’

‘There’s noonlyabout it. You hadno right! You don’t know what you’re stirring up. I don’t want you going near Toula or interfering with my family. Keep out of it.’

Her breath was a shocked hiss as his words sank into silence. Ice settled around her heart.

‘Yet you want me to marry you and be part of that family.’

‘That’s not the same thing. That’s different.’ Theo raked his hand through his hair and turned to pace.

Of course it’s different. It was all about the baby.

Isla felt herself crumble inside. All those hopes, all her confidence. A single instant had revealed a truth she’d deliberately avoided facing.

Yet still Isla waited for Theo to apologise, say he didn’t mean it.

And waited.

Slowly, reluctantly, she absorbed the truth. Their relationship wasn’t real. It was a farce. There was just Theo and his almighty sense of duty, sweetened by physical desire. She’d kidded herself thinking he wantedher, spinning fantasies all over again. He wanted their child but she, Isla, was additional baggage.

She’d neverreallybelong in that intimate circle he truly cared for. Even if they married she wouldn’t belong. She was an outsider and always would be. Second-best. Not worthy of love. Not an equal in his eyes.

Pain lanced her chest and stole her breath.

Isla took a step back and sank onto the bed, knees trembling. How could she have believed there was anything else between them?

Theo stopped pacing near the door as if he couldn’t bear to be close to her. ‘You’ve got no idea what you’ve done. How could you?’ His jaw set in a grim line. ‘But I can’t let you meddle.’

She swallowed a knot of despair and dammed tears. She couldn’t get her voice to work so nodded instead.

Theo frowned then stepped forward but she couldn’t bear any more. With a sudden, desperate surge of energy she shot to her feet and into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Her breaths sounded like sobs as she leaned against the door, scared he’d try to follow. The one thing she had left was pride and she didn’t want him to see her undone.

She needn’t have worried. Theo didn’t follow. Instead she heard a phone ring, then his deep voice, then silence.

How long she stayed there, frozen with distress and misery, she didn’t know, but suddenly she felt claustrophobic. She needed air and space to think. Not on the roof terrace where Theo might see her, but out. She had to get out.

Isla didn’t remember leaving the apartment or taking the lift. She marched across the marble foyer of the apartment block, catching a flurry of movement from the corner of her eye. Her bodyguard, hurrying to follow.

Isla didn’t want company. She needed to be alone.

She picked up her long skirt and hurried onto the street. She’d get a taxi, find somewhere to be alone. In a couple of strides she crossed the pavement, wishing she was wearing flats instead of spindly high heels. Searching the traffic, she stepped onto the street when her heel caught something and out of nowhere the ground came up to meet her.

There was a surge of pain and everything went blank.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ISLA’SMOUTHWASdry and tasted strange. She didn’t want to open her eyes. She had a terrible sense of foreboding.

Where was she? Something told her she wasn’t in her own bed. She opened her eyes then closed them against the light. Gingerly she reached an arm across the sheet. Her shoulder felt stiff...

---