Sixteen
Eric stared down in confusion at Sofia, who was clutching Addy to her chest as if the toddler was a shield. “No what?”
Because it seemed like there should be an additional thought there. No, she didn’t like the Gold Coast. No, she didn’t want to wait to get married.
Not no thank you. She couldn’t mean that. He forged ahead. “We don’t have to live on the Gold Coast. We can look around. I want you to be happy with whatever place we choose.”
Her eyes bugged out of her head and she stepped away from him. Eric had no choice but to let his hand fall away. “Eric, no,” she repeated with more force. “I can’t marry you. What the hell—heck,” she quickly corrected, glancing at her children, “are you even thinking, talking like this?”
He could understand that she was upset. It had been an upsetting couple of days. But this was different.
“I was thinking I care for you. And your children. I was thinking...” He swallowed nervously as her eyes opened even wider. “I was thinking we could be a family.”
All the blood drained out of her face and he wasn’t sure she was breathing. She took another jerky step away from him before he could wrap his free arm around her.
“I can’t do this, Eric,” she said, her voice breaking. “What happened this weekend... I can’t. When they needed me I wasn’t here. I was with you and it was fine when we were alone but I don’t know how to live in your world and I don’t want to damage your business and...”
“What are you talking about?”
She swallowed hard a couple of times, squeezing her eyes shut. That didn’t stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks. “I can’t be with you. I have to put my children first. Always.”
He opened his mouth, closed it and then tried again. How did that make any sense? It didn’t. He wasn’t trying to get rid of her kids. He loved these babies. He wanted to give her children a father. He wanted to be her husband. “Babe, you’re tired. You’re upset. You’re not thinking clearly right—”
He knew the moment the words left his mouth that they were wrong. Her eyes flashed with anger and she reached out and plucked Eddy from his chest. Even though he’d known the babies such a short time, Eric felt almost lost without a twin in his arms. “I am thinking clearly, Eric. What happened this weekend risked everything. I shouldn’t have left my kids. I shouldn’t have been with you. I shouldn’t have been so stupid, so damned selfish.”
“Sofia,” he managed to get out. “Slow down. Kids get sick, don’t they? And you didn’t cost me a deal. I promise you—even if it falls through, it’s not going to bankrupt me.”
She stared at him and then barked out a bitter laugh. “No, of course not. Of course you could afford to lose a deal this huge. Don’t you see, Eric? I don’t fit in your world. How could I? I’m just the office manager. The maid’s daughter. A widowed single mom. I’ll never belong and every time you try to make me fit, something bad will happen.” She choked out a rough sob. “And I can’t let anything else bad happen. I couldn’t take it if something bad happened to you.”
Both babies began to cry and her parents appeared in the doorway behind her, looking frantic.
“Sofia,” he said softly, holding up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “You do fit. I thought this weekend proved that.”
“Oh, please,” she said and he honestly couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or if she was begging him.
Timing was everything, however, and there was no mistaking that his timing sucked. She was still in her cocktail dress and she probably hadn’t slept and she’d been in a state of constant panic for the last day. “We can talk about this after you’ve gotten some—”
But she cut him off. “No, Eric—we can’t. I...” She swallowed, apparently realizing they had an audience. She turned and handed the fussing babies over to her folks. “Can you give us a minute?” When her parents didn’t move except to exchange worried glances, Sofia added “Please?” with more force.
“We’ll be in the kitchen if you need us,” her father said. Then he shot a look that Eric hoped was encouraging over Sofia’s head.
Sofia glared at Eric until her parents were gone. And all he could do was stare back at her in surprise. “Babe,” he began again, but she cut him off.
“No, Eric. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but no.”
“I care for you,” he got out before she could launch into another denial. “That’s what I’m thinking. And I thought that, after what we shared this weekend, you cared for me, too.”
Her throat worked and he got the feeling she was trying not to cry. “Damn you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Of course I do. Of course I care for you.”
“Then why won’t you let me take care of you?”
“You really think it’s that easy? That you just snap your fingers and the world falls all over itself to meet your high expectations?” She snapped for emphasis. “That I meet your high expectations? For God’s sake, Eric—look at me! I live with my parents because I can barely function on my own! I’m struggling to put one foot in front of the other!” She choked on the words again, curling into herself.
It about broke his heart because she wouldn’t see reason. How was he supposed to comfort her if she wouldn’t even let him touch her?
“Sofia,” he said quietly. “What did Wyatt say to you?” Because yeah, she’d been worried about his deal before he’d left her at the hospital—but she hadn’t been this frantic. And Eddy was doing so much better—so where was the disconnect?
It had to be Wyatt. Damn that man.
“He didn’t say anything, Eric—except to tell me that Eddy would be fine.” Her eyes were shiny and her voice wobbled as she spoke. “But don’t you see? You’re a man who can fly me home at a moment’s notice and call in favors from the heads of pharmaceutical companies and—”
“To make sure you’re okay? And your kids are okay? You’re damn right I’m going to do that—that and more,” he cut in, trying not to yell. The maddening woman wasn’t making any sense!
Which only made her look sadder. “But that’s not my world, Eric.”
“I don’t care.” Yeah, he was yelling. “I wouldn’t care if you lived in a box! You’re beautiful and intelligent and the bravest woman I’ve ever met! And I...” His throat caught but he pushed on. “You were my best friend when we were kids and that hasn’t changed. I still love you—but now I love you more. And for the life of me, I can’t figure out why that makes me the bad guy here!”
She began to shake and he tried to pull her into his arms and make sure she was all right. But she moved—away from him. “I think you need to leave.”
“Babe,” he said, his voice gruff. “It never mattered to me. How different our lives have been.”
But
