One Foolish Night
Page 59
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Paul narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, about that. How many weeks along are you?”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“We had sex less than ten weeks ago.”
“It’s not yours!” she answered a little too fast.
“Isn’t it?”
“We used condoms!” she countered.
“As we both know, that method is less than a hundred percent reliable. So, I’m asking again: How far along are you?”
Holly pressed her lips together.
“Paul!” his sister’s voice came from behind him. He didn’t even turn his head. “Not now!”
“You’ve got no choice,” Olivia continued. “Mother and Dad are starting their speech. We have to stand next to them, or we’ll never hear the end of it.”
He turned his head. “Fine.” Then he looked back at Holly. “This conversation is not over.”
Paul whirled and followed his sister as she sidestepped a man in his fifties who had clearly had more than a few glasses of champagne, even though the party had started less than an hour earlier.
Paul couldn’t wait for this event to be over, because one thing was clear: Holly was lying to him.
26
Holly watched as Paul, flanked by his sister, walked to where their parents were standing at the other end of the large terrace, and faced the crowd.
She hadn’t expected this. Since when were men so perceptive? Weren’t they the ones who didn’t even notice when a woman had had her hair cut? So how on earth had he figured out that she was pregnant?
She hadn’t been prepared to answer him. But she knew Paul wouldn’t stop until he had an answer. What would she do now?
Holly glanced to where Paul’s parents stood, Paul and Olivia next to them. Expectantly, the crowd gathered around them and those below in the garden and the pool looked up. Finally, Paul’s father began to speak.
Holly didn’t listen to the words. Instead, her eyes roamed. It took only moments to spot the one she needed to talk to. Sabrina stood near the pool, Daniel next to her.
Quickly and quietly, Holly made her way through the people on the terrace to reach the steps leading down to the pool. “Excuse me,” she whispered, and squeezed past a man who seemed to stagger a little as he took a step aside to let her pass. The smell of alcohol came from him and Holly quickly continued her way toward her friend.
Sabrina waved silently when she spotted her, and smiled.
“Hey, Holly,” Daniel greeted her, his voice low so as not to disturb the speech.
“Hey,” she said then hugged Sabrina and whispered into her ear, “I need to talk to you. Now.”
Sabrina’s forehead wrinkled. “Is something wrong?”
Holly nodded.
“Sorry, baby,” Sabrina said, leaning toward Daniel. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
Holly took her friend by the hand and led her away from the crowd. Her gaze fell on the pool house where she had spent the night with Paul, and she headed for it.
“In there,” she instructed and ushered Sabrina inside, then closed the door behind them.
“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is it the baby?” Sabrina immediately asked.
Had the situation not been so dire, Holly would have laughed. Sabrina was seven months pregnant, yet she was the one being concerned about Holly’s pregnancy.
“Paul knows that I’m pregnant. He guessed it.”
For a moment Sabrina remained silent, as if trying to figure out what this news meant. “So? What’s the problem? It’s not like you’re showing. Nobody’s going to know. It’s none of his business anyway.”
Holly sighed. “He suspects it’s his.”
“Paul? By why would Paul—” Sabrina stopped herself. “But you said it was some guy you barely knew.”
Holly closed her eyes. “It’s true. I barely knew him.”
Sabrina shook her head. “Just because you two are having sex now . . . ”
“How do you—”
“Come on, Holly, I don’t need to be a brain surgeon to figure out that the two of you are sleeping with each other. I noticed how he looks at you. But even Paul must know that it takes a little longer than a week for a pregnancy to . . . ” Sabrina paused, realization suddenly spreading over her face. “You slept with him when you were visiting for my wedding, didn’t you?”
Holly nodded.
“Oh my God! He is the father!”
“You can’t tell him!” Holly immediately shot back. “Please! You have to promise me that.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“We had sex less than ten weeks ago.”
“It’s not yours!” she answered a little too fast.
“Isn’t it?”
“We used condoms!” she countered.
“As we both know, that method is less than a hundred percent reliable. So, I’m asking again: How far along are you?”
Holly pressed her lips together.
“Paul!” his sister’s voice came from behind him. He didn’t even turn his head. “Not now!”
“You’ve got no choice,” Olivia continued. “Mother and Dad are starting their speech. We have to stand next to them, or we’ll never hear the end of it.”
He turned his head. “Fine.” Then he looked back at Holly. “This conversation is not over.”
Paul whirled and followed his sister as she sidestepped a man in his fifties who had clearly had more than a few glasses of champagne, even though the party had started less than an hour earlier.
Paul couldn’t wait for this event to be over, because one thing was clear: Holly was lying to him.
26
Holly watched as Paul, flanked by his sister, walked to where their parents were standing at the other end of the large terrace, and faced the crowd.
She hadn’t expected this. Since when were men so perceptive? Weren’t they the ones who didn’t even notice when a woman had had her hair cut? So how on earth had he figured out that she was pregnant?
She hadn’t been prepared to answer him. But she knew Paul wouldn’t stop until he had an answer. What would she do now?
Holly glanced to where Paul’s parents stood, Paul and Olivia next to them. Expectantly, the crowd gathered around them and those below in the garden and the pool looked up. Finally, Paul’s father began to speak.
Holly didn’t listen to the words. Instead, her eyes roamed. It took only moments to spot the one she needed to talk to. Sabrina stood near the pool, Daniel next to her.
Quickly and quietly, Holly made her way through the people on the terrace to reach the steps leading down to the pool. “Excuse me,” she whispered, and squeezed past a man who seemed to stagger a little as he took a step aside to let her pass. The smell of alcohol came from him and Holly quickly continued her way toward her friend.
Sabrina waved silently when she spotted her, and smiled.
“Hey, Holly,” Daniel greeted her, his voice low so as not to disturb the speech.
“Hey,” she said then hugged Sabrina and whispered into her ear, “I need to talk to you. Now.”
Sabrina’s forehead wrinkled. “Is something wrong?”
Holly nodded.
“Sorry, baby,” Sabrina said, leaning toward Daniel. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
Holly took her friend by the hand and led her away from the crowd. Her gaze fell on the pool house where she had spent the night with Paul, and she headed for it.
“In there,” she instructed and ushered Sabrina inside, then closed the door behind them.
“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is it the baby?” Sabrina immediately asked.
Had the situation not been so dire, Holly would have laughed. Sabrina was seven months pregnant, yet she was the one being concerned about Holly’s pregnancy.
“Paul knows that I’m pregnant. He guessed it.”
For a moment Sabrina remained silent, as if trying to figure out what this news meant. “So? What’s the problem? It’s not like you’re showing. Nobody’s going to know. It’s none of his business anyway.”
Holly sighed. “He suspects it’s his.”
“Paul? By why would Paul—” Sabrina stopped herself. “But you said it was some guy you barely knew.”
Holly closed her eyes. “It’s true. I barely knew him.”
Sabrina shook her head. “Just because you two are having sex now . . . ”
“How do you—”
“Come on, Holly, I don’t need to be a brain surgeon to figure out that the two of you are sleeping with each other. I noticed how he looks at you. But even Paul must know that it takes a little longer than a week for a pregnancy to . . . ” Sabrina paused, realization suddenly spreading over her face. “You slept with him when you were visiting for my wedding, didn’t you?”
Holly nodded.
“Oh my God! He is the father!”
“You can’t tell him!” Holly immediately shot back. “Please! You have to promise me that.”
