doorbell being rung,
ngers. Her hands were sweaty, and her heart was beating too wildly. She had be
a called sharply f
d. "Be strong," she told hers
e staircase was a step into obscurity, as though she we
nding in the
s hands thrust into his pockets, but he was tense in his face. His eyes
asked, his voice tight. "Yo
r arms. "You two n
d snapped
"I'll be in the kitchen." She tur
the door between the livin
nsued was heavy an
"Okay," he said slow
Her throat felt dr
id quickly. "
She put her arms around hers
gnant,"
s hung i
once. Then
t out into a sharp laugh of d
not j
his face. "No. No,
d down at
"Ava, I haven't seen yo
kno
the dawn of knowing came to his eyes
no
tamped his feet on the floor. "This doesn't ma
ed," Ava sa
sharply. "I'm finding out l
know how t
d pacing. "
ame to her
The prevarication she had already given he
ours,"
tared
cheeks were pale, his gaze roaming on her, an
e repeate
es
together, he said
"But it happened before th
d. "Why didn't you
time," she
thout humour. "Time? Ava, this is
he said, breaking her voi
front of her.
was beating in
her face. "
he lifted
said. Not about anyt
herself, and the idea of i
n the couch with a heavy sigh. He st
d. I did not even know that
anybody to know
Your mom called me alread
ched. "She... she
n underst
r hands near. "Mark, please
at you are pregnant, and only dec
rt you, said Ava. "I just
anger was clear now. Do y
pered. "That's w
. "And you're tel
i
hed her fa
look like yo
filled her eyes. "I'm scared. I do
jaw tig
t to have don
d at her
st now I want y
Mark rep
kind o
a shaky
this. Not in public. Not
ared at
t me to
e said q
stand by me. At
w?" he
tatement that will ruin
ssed his
asking
her voice was hardly
and my life w
k said, but there was a
ot," Av
t know my
out a lon
is too
pped cl
ase. I'm b
here was a change in his face. Not an
again,"
y w
e baby i
nly a fractio
not
es nar
id you
," Ava sa
you
ok her
just
closer to her. Hi
look a
ding, and she look
me that ba
ned her
big and threatening
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