Chapter 35 Elena
E LENA
Christian’s face is blood red, the veins bulging at his temples. He drags Elena up the stairs without a word, turning her fingers blue with his grip. She’s almost airborne as he pushes her into the suite.
‘What the fuck was that about?’ he hisses as soon the door is closed. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you knew them?’ His face is inches away from hers. His breath smells of eggs.
‘I swear I don’t know them, I don’t!’ She has a desperate urge to pee.
‘Stop lying to me.’ The tendons in his neck tighten.
Elena knows she only has seconds left to talk herself out of this. ‘I’m not lying, I promise. Christian, please, you have to believe me! I was a child when Paolo played football.’ Her words trip over each other. ‘How am I supposed to remember some random teammate’s family from twenty years ago? I don’t remember them. I swear to you I don’t.’ She takes a step back from him. ‘There’s something else you should know though.’
‘ What? What else?’ He narrows his eyes.
‘That nausea I had ... it keeps coming back. I feel really sick today. I’m wondering if I’m ...’ She lets the word hang unsaid, resting her hand on her stomach.
His eyes widen. ‘Ellie, oh my God! Do you think you’re pregnant?’
‘Maybe.’ She nods, her heart galloping.
‘This is amazing!’ He holds his hand up to his forehead. ‘After all this time. Fuck!’ His face melts into a smile. ‘Let’s go get a test.’
She shakes her head fast. ‘I’ve already been to the toilet twice today. It won’t be accurate. Let’s do it tomorrow.’
She won’t be pregnant tomorrow, but she’ll make sure she’s gone by then.
‘A baby. I can’t believe it!’ He rests his hand over hers. ‘I knew it would happen eventually, I knew it. I’ve got a really good feeling about this, Ellie.’
For a man intelligent enough to perform intricate brain surgery, it baffles her that he can even contemplate for a second that she might be pregnant. Not just because she’s too malnourished to ever possibly conceive, but even if she was pregnant, how can he think any foetus could survive the kick after kick to her abdomen just days ago? And yet here he is, looking at her with a huge dorky grin on his face. The degree of his delusion is breathtaking.
A few minutes later, when he steps into the shower, she collapses on the bed with relief, ready to fake a serious bout of morning sickness. She’ll say she’s too sick to go out. There’s no way Christian will want to be cooped up in the hotel all day. She’ll encourage him to go sightseeing without her, somewhere far like Padua. And while he’s out, she’ll bolt. Even if Mamma’s not ready, she’ll take her along anyway.
Today is the day Elena escapes.