20. Santo
Tia stiffened, but my focus remained on Katalina. She was playing her role perfectly, with her subtle trembling and glassy eyes. A performance worthy of an Oscar, if only the audience wasn’t familiar with the actress.
Her father towered with rage beside her, his face turning red. I imagined if we weren’t surrounded by my family, he’d have tried to take a swing at me. “I demand accountability!” he roared, spittle flying from his mouth.
The man had consumed way too many greasy platters of lamb in his lifetime. His lavish lifestyle had rendered him obese and slow. He wouldn’t get the chance to land a blow even if he tried. I remained unfazed, deliberately giving Katalina enough rope to hang herself with her own web of lies.
“How far along are you?” Tia asked, her voice surprisingly serene despite the tremble of her hands.
“It happened the night after Santo’s crash.” Katalina’s eyes slid to Tia. “I showed you the hickeys, remember? Told you I was with him.”
Tia said nothing, but her face turned ashen. The sight of her pain angered me.
I stared at Katalina like she’d grown a second head. Was she seriously doing this? The audacity wasn’t all that surprising, though.
After the crash, she’d shown up here unexpectedly, begging to resume our relationship. When she dropped to her knees in the backyard, I let her, not because I wanted her, but because some petty part of me wanted to see how desperate she was.
I had deliberately held my release back for almost an hour, watching her struggle, punishment for her betrayal. And when I finally finished, I made sure it was on her face.
We hadn’t kissed. I had touched no part of her body except her head, guiding her movements. We definitely did nothing that could create a baby. Afterward, I’d told her to leave, not even caring about the evidence of our encounter still on her face .
But Tia didn’t know these sordid details, and she shifted beside me, her body language geared to flee. I could almost see the thoughts tumbling behind her eyes, the terrible conclusions forming. The signs of her internal turmoil were crystal clear, and it fueled my rage toward Katalina.
“That’s impossible and you know it,” I said, my voice tight. “What the hell are you trying to pull here?”
“Chrysanthos, this matter is serious,” my father interjected.
“I know it is,” I shot back. “But if she’s pregnant, it isn’t mine.”
Her father exploded, his face now fully purple. “What do you mean? You’re challenging her statement? If she says it’s so, it’s so!”
Across the room, my father assessed rather than react, and it was a relief. At least my own father was allowing me the chance to defend myself rather than leaping down my throat without hearing me out.
“Are you sure? Absolutely sure?” My father asked.
I opened my mouth to give a detail accounting of our backyard encounter, but Yiayia cut me off. “My grandson is smart enough to know if he’s impregnated a woman,” she declared.
Dimitrios chuckled at that, giving his mother a fond look. Trust her to always be forthright, even in the most delicate situations .
Katalina’s father wasn’t amused. It clearly irritated him that my family was closing ranks around me. He snorted, face turning an even deeper shade of puce. “Are you calling my daughter a liar?”
I ignored him completely, deciding the surest way to end this farce would be to address Katalina directly.
In the most neutral voice I could muster—though my blood was boiling—I said, “If you are truly pregnant, I can refer you to our family doctor. He will arrange a prenatal paternity test. Today, if necessary.”
The challenge in my voice was unmistakable, and I saw the first flicker of uncertainty cross Katalina’s perfectly made-up face.
“How dare you treat my daughter like one of your casual conquests? Like one of your whores?”
At those words, her father glanced pointedly at Tia, and only my iron self-control prevented me from launching myself across the room and slugging him.
“Desperation can lead to lies,” I pointed out. “And you may not believe this, but if you open a dictionary now, a picture of your daughter’s face would be next to deceit.” I gave her a cold, warning look and added, “I will not be manipulated. The sooner you come to grips with that, the better.”
As expected, Katalina threw herself into the role of victim, wailing at her father to do something, to make me stop saying those awful things about her. The tears came on cue, streaming down her cheeks. “He’s mean and cruel, baba. He doesn’t want our baby. The one he put inside me.”
I narrowed my eyes at Katalina, feeling the heat of my anger radiating from my skin. “I don’t want to be with you, Katalina,” I said. “Nothing you do or say will ever make me get back with you! We’re over. Tia will be my wife and the mother of my children, not you!”
She doubled down on her claim, clutching her belly—which didn’t seem any larger than its usual toned flatness—and moaned dramatically. The sound grated against my nerves.
“This is our baby, Santo. Ours! And you need to put our family first.”
“I need to walk Zeus,” Tia said suddenly. “Excuse me.”
She walked away with the pace of someone trying very hard not to run. I immediately rushed after her, grabbing her hand as we exited. The feel of her fingers in mine calmed me. Behind us, I could hear Katalina continuing her performance, but the sound faded as we moved down the hallway.
We walked together in loaded silence until Tia opened the door to the gym. As soon as it closed behind us, she snatched her hand from mine.
“I can’t do this, Santo,” she said, her voice breaking .
My confusion turned to ice in my veins. “Santo?” I repeated, stepping closer to her. “Not Chrys anymore?”
Tia finally looked up. “Does it matter what I call you? You have a pregnant ex to deal with.”
“It matters,” I said. “It matters because Chrys is who I am with you. And what do you mean, you can’t do this?”
“Deal with Kat. Your baby. All of it.” Each word was a knife twisting in my gut.
“Angel, the baby isn’t mine.” I moved closer, desperate to make her understand. “There’s no other woman except you who can be pregnant with my child.”
“Then why would she say something like this?” Her voice wavered. “A baby is serious. She knew you’d want proof.”
I felt my patience begin to fray, my control unraveling. Tia doubted me and chose Katalina’s words over mine. My chest hurt. Her uncertainty cut deeper than I could have imagined possible.
In growing frustration, I raked my fingers through my hair.
“You can’t possibly believe her. You know her.
You know all she’s done to us.” I wanted to touch Tia, to pull her close and feel her softness against me, but she wasn’t looking at me.
The distance between us seemed to stretch.
“You have to trust me,” I urged. “I haven’t had sex with Katalina in years. ”
“What happened when she showed up here after the crash, then?”
I explained what had happened that night. I spat out the shameful details, determined to be honest.
“Are you sure that’s all that happened?” Tia’s eyes searched mine, looking for any hint of deception.
I moved closer, and she took a couple of steps back. I refused to let this chasm widen.
With a quick movement, I closed the distance between us, pulling her close against my chest. I cupped her face, demanding that she look at me.
The eyes she turned on me were hurt and wary. I knew I’d only have one chance to make my case, to pull her back from the edge she was teetering on.
“Remember who we are,” I whispered fiercely. “What we’ve worked for together and what we’re building.”
I brushed my thumb across her cheek. She didn’t pull away, but didn’t nestle against my touch either. The lack of response was more telling than any words.
“We love each other, remember? We’re engaged. We want a big wedding and to spend the rest of our lives together. ”
She seemed to falter, her expression softening, giving me a fragile thread of hope to cling to. I leaned down and kissed her, pouring every ounce of passion and desperation into it.
I wanted to roar in rage at the unfairness of it all. A mere hour ago, we were discussing our future, planning our night. How had we come to this?
Though Tia’s mind might be tangled with doubt, her body responded to mine with the lust always sparking between us. I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue against hers, reminding her of the passion we shared. She met my intensity, her hands fisting in my shirt and pulling me closer.
“I love you, Tia. Only you,” I whispered against her lips.
I could see the turmoil in her eyes, the war between her heart and her mind. I was determined to show her that my love was real, that my heart belonged to her alone.
“Then show me,” she demanded.
Without hesitation, I spun her around, pressing her against the wall. My hands slid down her body, lifting the hem of her short dress. I traced the lace of her thong underwear while kissing her neck and breathing in her sugary scent.
Dropping to my knees, I gripped her hips firmly, pulling her back to kiss her plump cheeks. She spread her legs, an invitation I couldn’t resist. I pulled her underwear aside and buried my face in her peach until my tongue found her wetness.
She let out a soft moan as I licked her pussy from behind. I feasted on her, my tongue delving deeper, tasting her intimate sweetness.
I licked and sucked, exploring every inch of her. She whimpered, her body trembling as I increased my pace.
“Chrys,” she panted, her body tensing. Moments later, she came with a muffled scream.
I stood up, unbuckling my belt and freeing my erection. My chest pressed against her back as I whispered in her ear, “I love you, aggelé mou. I’m yours.” The words were a prayer, a promise, a plea.
With a single thrust, I entered her, feeling her warmth envelop me completely. She moaned, flattening her hands against the wall.
I drove into her, each stroke a declaration of my love, each movement a claim. She met my pace, her body matching my tempo.
“I love you, aggelé mou,” I repeated. “Only you.”
Tia didn’t respond with words, but her body clenched around mine and she cried out, her orgasm crashing over. I followed, my release pulsing into her as I whispered her name.
We stayed like that for a moment, our bodies connected, our breaths slowly returning to normal. Then she turned to face me, fixing her dress with hands that weren’t quite steady .
She opened the door and stepped into the hallway, and I followed her.
“I love you, too,” she began, and I didn’t like the way she said it. “But it isn’t worth my peace.”
Something inside me snapped. “What the hell are you saying?” My voice hardened. “The first sign of trouble and you’re ready to run? After everything?”
“I’m tired, Chrys. Of waiting for the next disaster. Of Kat always finding a way between us. I just... I’m tired.” She opened the door, stepping into the hallway.
“Bullshit!” I grabbed her arm. “You haven’t even told your mother about our engagement, and now you’re using Katalina’s obvious lie as an excuse to bail on us!”
Her eyes widened at my tone, but I was beyond caring.
“That’s not fair—”
“No, what’s not fair is you doubting me!” I slammed my palm against the wall. “You claim to love me, but the moment someone challenges that, you fold. Where’s your fight, Tia? Where’s your trust?”
“Chrys—” She reached for me, but I stepped back.
“You want to be tired? Fine. Be tired. But don’t pretend it’s about Katalina. This is about you not being all in.”
“Give Tia some time,” Irida’s voice interrupted, her hand landing on my shoulder.
I released Tia’s arm. “Take all the time you need. Maybe figure out what you actually want.”
Without waiting for her response, I spun on my heel and stalked away. My fury carried me down the corridor and past curious staff who quickly averted their eyes.
I took the stairs two at a time and when I reached my bedroom, I slammed the door behind me. With a roar of frustration, I drove my fist into the nearest wall.