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“Sorry,” Molly whispered and tiptoed closer. “But what on earth?”
“I was trying to get rid of my parents. It got out of hand. And things with Rafael became impossible. I love him so much and he doesn’t feel the same.” Her eyes began to well with tears of hurt and despair.
Molly, bless her, didn’t judge. In fact, her face crumpled.
“I love Gio, too. I told him last night. This morning we had a fight about it. Then he caught me with Rafael and thought I’d been having an affair with him. Rafael explained this is your baby, too, which was hard enough for Gio to wrap his head around. I couldn’t tell him why I wanted to carry your baby. He thinks it’s only for the money, and there are things in his past that make him look down on me for th-that...”
“Oh, Moll.” Sasha rushed over to hug her friend. They both fell apart.
Molly held on to her really tight and choked through her sobs, “I’m not sorry, though. Okay? I don’t regret anything about doing this. Nothing,” she stressed, then mumbled into Sasha’s hair, “Except the part where we’ve checked into Heartbreak Hotel together.”
“Really?” Sasha drew back a little. “There’s no one else I’d rather be miserable with.”
They both sputtered into teary laughter.
Rafael felt like a guest when he entered the villa a week later.
Molly came from the kitchen with a tray of glasses and a pitcher of lemonade. She wore a simple cotton sundress that draped from a high waist to curtain her bump. Her brown hair was in a ponytail. Her face and feet were bare, making her look about fifteen years old.
“Shall we sit by the pool? Sasha’s on a video call upstairs, but she’ll have heard the helicopter. I’m sure she’ll be down shortly.”
“Who is she chatting with?” He glanced with dismay at the spiral staircase. He was moving better on these sticks, but would break his neck trying to negotiate those see-through steps.
“Dr. Narula suggested we reconnect with our counselor.”
“Is she having trouble bonding with the baby?” he asked with alarm, following her out the doors to the shaded part of the terrace.
“I wouldn’t say that. But I don’t want to speak for her,” she added with an apologetic smile. “Also...” She hesitated, then said plainly, “We talk about a lot of things, but there are things we don’t talk about. You, for instance. We only talk about you in very general terms. She told me that you’ve both had some ups and downs as a result of the fertility troubles, but she doesn’t go into detail. I thought you’d like to know she doesn’t gossip about you.”
“Hmph.” He sat and half drained the icy lemonade she handed him. “How are you? How’s the baby?”
“The nurse was here yesterday. No concerns.” She patted her middle, smiling.
“But you’re also speaking to the counselor? Are you having misgivings?”
“Not at all. But after what happened that day with Gio...” Her brow crinkled. “I knew having this baby would change my life, but I thought I could go back to my old life afterward. Now I know that’s not going to happen. I wanted to talk that out with her. Have you, um—” She peered at him, asking with a cringe of apprehension, “Have you spoken to Gio?”
“No.” Gio had been murderous when he had caught them together. He had leaped to the correct conclusion that his secretary-fiancée was carrying Rafael’s baby. The part where the baby was also Sasha’s had put him into a tailspin.
Sasha. Rafael had begun thinking of his wife by that name, feeling closer to her when he did.
Molly was staring at him like a puppy waiting for a bite of cheese so he pulled his mind back to their conversation.
“My people have reached out, but he’s not answering. I’m sure it will be fine.” He didn’t believe that at all, but he didn’t want to drop a guilt trip on her.
Molly had kept their secret right up until the showdown in the suite. She swore that Gio would keep the fact the baby was theirs confidential, but Rafael wasn’t as certain. He’d seen the dark side of humanity. He knew how useful this type of leverage could be for a man like Gio and was working night and day, ensuring that Gio couldn’t use this to damage him.
“If you need a job after this, tell me. I’ll find you a place,” he assured Molly.
“Thank you, but it’s not about needing a job. I won’t have to work for a long time, thanks to your generosity.” She traced a finger through the dew on her glass, brow crinkling. “It’s more that I’m the type who likes to know what’s coming. Now my future is a big ol’ white space. But after the baby comes, I’ll spend some time with my mom and sister. That will be good. It will all work out.”
He wondered if that practical optimism and quiet confidence was what Sasha liked about her. It was very appealing.
“How are you and Sasha getting along?” he asked.
“Good. Ah, here she is. I knew she would have heard the helicopter. I’ll leave you two to catch up.” Molly rose with undisguised haste. She faltered briefly as she passed Sasha and waited for Sasha to nod before she entered the house and closed the door.
Rafael noted that Sasha held a tissue in her fist and tried to see past the black cat’s eye lenses she wore. “Have you been crying?”
