Chapter 23 #2
“If you’re not pregnant yet, then we can take our time,” he continued. “Maybe wait a year or two. That way you have time to finish school before the all-night feedings kick in.”
There was a teasing note to his words, like he thought saying all of this was helping.
A tear slipped down my cheek. I swiped it away hastily.
Years. I’d spent years getting right with this and now?
“You don’t understand,” I said thickly. I really was going to be sick again.
“It’s not just that I’m not pregnant, Weston. It’s that I never will be.”
His eyebrow arched. “I don’t…understand.”
I played with a loose thread on his jeans. “Remember that car accident I told you about?” I glanced up. “The one that happened my senior year of high school?”
He nodded.
“The internal injuries were…severe. The doctors told me then that I’ll never be able to carry a pregnancy to term.
It’s not just a difficult thing, it’s impossible.
I can never have a baby.” And that was the sole reason I knew this would never have worked between us long term.
Because I couldn’t give him the one thing I knew he wanted.
The one thing that was important to him and Pete.
Legacy through family. I couldn’t give him the next generation of Kincaids.
Physically, I just couldn’t do it. “I know how important passing all this on one day is to you—”
“Wait,” he interrupted, shaking his head, pulling back from me completely. “You’ve known this all along. So you lied to me?”
It wasn’t just the words that stung but his accusing tone.
I fought to keep the tremble out of my voice.
“Of course I didn’t lie to you,” I said.
“You asked me to marry you. We talked terms and came to an agreement. Six months. Divorce. Remember?” His jaw ticked, and frustration inched up my spine.
“There was nothing in this deal about children or me needing to provide you an heir or, you know, me providing details on my medical history. Let’s not get this twisted. ”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he said. “I didn’t go into this expecting us to have children. But you told me you wanted kids. That you’ve always wanted a big family.”
“Which is true,” I said. That desire had never changed.
I’d always wanted a family. What the accident took from me was the chance to bear children of my own.
My exes had both dumped me over it, and I’d been on enough first dates to know it was important to the majority of guys I’d met.
But I still loved children and even dreamed of an alternate reality where that hadn’t been taken away from me.
“Yes, but you never clarified that you couldn’t have them.”
Frustration started to burn through my sadness. “Because that wasn’t something you needed to know at the time. So if you thought me wanting kids equated to me being able to pop out five or six of them, that was an assumption you made.”
“Well, of course it was a fucking assumption I made,” he said, his voice rising. “Because you never said otherwise!” He jumped to his feet, startling me. “Not even when we were in bed and I asked you about the scar.”
I was on my feet in an instant, arms crossed. I wasn’t about to let him talk down to me. “Excuse me if it’s not the easiest thing to talk about, especially with someone like you.”
His eyes narrowed as his voice dropped. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, please, Weston. You can barely admit how much you miss Pete. Talking about emotions practically makes you break out in hives. And don’t even get me started on your lack of tact. Or have you already forgotten your disastrous proposal?”
He huffed, his nostrils flaring. “What, so I’m some kind of clod who can’t handle having a deep conversation?
That’s your argument? You clearly didn’t have any issue telling me about the car accident,” he pointed out, his tone harsh.
“How hard would it have been to mention the fact it took away your ability to have kids?”
“It was none of your business!”
“I’m your husband! How the hell is that not my business?”
“You’re my temporary husband,” I pointed out, and my fertility issue was forever.
“So we don’t mean anything to each other?” he demanded. “Is that what you’re saying? You should have told me.”
I shook my head. “So you could toss me aside or upgrade me for a better model once you realized that being with me might come with complications?”
“Toss you aside?” He scowled. “Jesus, Lena. It’s like you don’t know me at all.”
“I’m saying that because I know you so damn well,” I shot back. “I’ve had a front-row seat to your dating history these past seven years. The second things become a little complicated, you bail.”
“That’s not true.”
He couldn’t be this obtuse. I lifted my hand, grasping for answers in the air.
“The second Narissa started showing that she wasn’t some emotionless robot, that she was an actual human who might have real feelings for you instead of being a perfect-on-paper cut-out of a fiancée, you couldn’t get out of your engagement fast enough. ”
“You know why that was,” he growled.
“Because she was hard to love,” I said.
“Because she lied.”
“And she had feelings you weren’t prepared to reciprocate.” He glared at me.
“You’re just as bad as Narissa,” Weston said, his words striking me hard, making me gasp. “Hiding the truth from me. Pretending to be something you’re not.”
My chest ached hearing the words said out loud.
The shock and grief at finding out my ability to have children was gone in the crash of two vehicles slammed into me again, and I flashed on Derek making his excuses to break up with me.
He’d been surprisingly nicer than when Beckett broke it off in college telling me I was damaged goods and not marriage material.
He’d even laughed when I’d mentioned adoption, stating he didn’t want ownership of someone else’s problems. Ownership!
Any hope I’d had that Weston might see me and the situation differently went up in flames.
I bit down on my tongue to keep from sobbing. Anger and pain and grief swirled through me, but it was sharper now. Because with Weston, I’d really…Well, it didn’t matter what I’d felt. Not anymore.
“I thought you were someone I could trust,” Weston said, his words hard, clipped. Mean. “But it turns out you’re just a liar and a fraud. What the hell was I thinking, marrying you?”
“I don’t know, saving your grandfather’s legacy?” I snapped, clinging onto the anger to keep from crying. I never wanted to marry him in the first place. I never wanted to care about him this much. “But thankfully, it’s easily remedied!”
He snorted.
“I’ve more than fulfilled the terms of our arrangement,” I said, matter-of-fact.
“I married you. I came to Braeburn. Put on a good show for everyone. Helped you pull together this festival. Pete’s affairs are in order, and the committee is handling the rest of the festival.
You have Lochbrae and a path to your precious business deal. ”
His lips twisted. “And?”
“And I’m going home.” I turned and walked away from him, heading for the stairs to pack my things, not even flinching when the massive front doors slammed behind me.