Page 34 of The Dark Elf's Surprise Baby

When I turn back, she has vanished, and for a second my heart spasms.

Has she disappeared again?

My thoughts are frantic, barely making any sense.

Bile rises in my throat as unwanted images of Harper and a faceless human man rise to the front of my mind.

I almost turn away again, ready to throw up, when I spot her.

She is in a corner of the room, standing with her face turned to the side. As though she is trying to be invisible.

She certainly is not looking at me.

Has she seen me then? Is she trying to avoid my gaze? Does she feel shame upon seeing me?

I know that I had no right to demand that Harper remain faithful to a man that was absent for four years.

Any sane person would have moved on. Any sane person should have moved on.

It is not healthy to remain stagnant, still, in the wake of lost love.

Except, I would have continued loving her if she had left. I would not have been able to move on.

As I stare at her, I cannot help but wonder where her new lover is. Is he waiting for her in the home she has made for them?

Is he waiting for her to return home, to welcome her into their bed?

Did she meet him while we were together? Did she leave me for him? Was she already sleeping with him when we were together?

More nausea threatens to overwhelm me.

She is now looking down at the girl, Adelaide, who is holding her arms up to Harper.

Adelaide in Harper’s arms is a dream I have had a thousand times. A dream where Harper has had my children.

Something in my chest twists painfully. Maybe it is the memory of something I have just lost.

You never had it to start with.My inner voice is as tired as I am.

Just then, Layla, who has been standing at Harper’s side, starts walking towards us.

I turn away from them. I am not ready to face the barrage of questions that I am sure will come from Layla.

“Demethys, my friend? You look ill. Are you okay?” There is real concern in Kerym’s voice.

Do I look so terrible that I am scaring my fellow dark elf?

“I’m fine!” The words come out in snap, in a shout, and Kerym takes a step back.

His forehead creases into a frown and he presses his lips into a straight, thin line.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I have too many things on my mind.”

I am walking away before Kerym can say anything. I am walking away from Layla and Harper and the little girl who is decidedly not my daughter before I do something stupid.

How can this be happening,I think to myself as I walk out of the hall.

I need time to think. I need to confront Harper. I need to ask her why she left me.

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