‘OK. Can I take you out to dinner when I’m back?’
Given how sick she’d felt in the cafeteria earlier that day, going somewhere that involved cooking smells might not be a good idea. But she could hardly say that without explaining why—and she needed to discuss this face to face, not over the phone. ‘That’d be lovely,’ she fibbed.
‘Good. My flight gets in at four. Give me time to collect my luggage, get through customs and catch the train back from the airport…I’ll call for you at seven.’
‘OK.’ And by then she would’ve worked out how to tell him the news. ‘I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.’
‘The day after tomorrow,’ he repeated. ‘And, Maddie?’
‘Yes?’
‘I…’ He stopped, and said, ‘Sleep well.’
‘You, too.’ Though she didn’t think she would somehow.
Lord, he missed her so much, Theo thought. But now he had everything sorted out in his head. He trusted Madison. So tonight he’d talk to her and explain why he’d kept her at a distance. He just had to hope she’d understand why he hadn’t been able to bring himself to discuss it before—and then he’d produce the small velvet-covered box currently sitting in his pocket. He’d ask her to marry him. And then, with her by his side, maybe the fear would go away and he could get on doing what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
Loving her.
He rang the doorbell to the flat and waited; rather than buzzing him up, Madison appeared at the doorway. And she didn’t look herself. She looked tired, pale and worried.
What on earth had happened in his absence? He hadn’t been away long. Three and a bit days. That wasn’t enough time for life to go pear-shaped.
Was it?
‘Hello, Maddie.’ He leaned forward and stole a kiss. ‘Are you all right, kardia mou?’
‘Just had a bit of a rough day.’
It sounded like rather more than that to him, but he didn’t push it. ‘Come on. We’ll go somewhere quiet where the food’s good.’
She bit her lip. ‘Actually, Theo, I’m not sure I want anything to eat.’
He frowned. ‘Are you coming down with a bug or something?’
‘No-o.’
But she didn’t sound too sure. ‘Maddie, what’s wrong?’ he asked.
She took a deep breath. ‘There isn’t an easy way to say this. And my doorstep isn’t the right place either. Look, can we go and sit in the park across the road?’
‘Sure.’ Unease prickled down his spine. She definitely didn’t sound herself—or look that pleased about seeing him again. Had she had time to think about it and decided that being with him would be a mistake?
He shook himself. Speculating on the situation wasn’t going to help at all. So he did as she’d asked: he walked with her across to the park and sat next to her on a bench.
‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ he said as gently as he could, forcing the panic back.
She bit her lip. ‘Theo…I’m pregnant.’
He stared at her, unable to believe he’d heard her correctly. ‘Run that by me again.’
‘I’m pregnant. Expecting our baby.’
Pregnant.
No, no, no.
This couldn’t be happening.
Please, let him be dreaming.
But when he pinched his own arm surreptitiously, it hurt—so he knew that he was definitely awake. This was real. ‘You’re pregnant?’ he echoed, hoping he’d misheard or misunderstood yet knowing at the same time that his English was flawless and there was no way he could have misunderstood her.
She nodded, looking anxious.
This was the last thing he’d expected. And it knocked him sideways. He raked a hand through his hair. ‘We were careful. So there must have been a problem with the condom.’
‘Don’t hate me, Theo.’
‘Of course I don’t hate you!’ He loved her. Though now didn’t feel like the right time to say so.
He didn’t want her thinking it was a knee-jerk reaction to the news.
‘I know how you feel about babies.’ Her face looked pinched. ‘I didn’t do it on purpose, Theo.’
‘I know.’ He tried to smile reassuringly at her. But inside he was panicking. Madison was pregnant. With his baby.
His worst nightmare.
This wasn’t how it was meant to happen.
He’d intended to come home, tell her he loved her and ask her to marry him.
Now…Well, he was just going to have to face this one on his own and be brave, for Madison’s sake—to borrow a phrase from his sister, he had to take his courage in both hands. ‘OK. We need to deal with this.’