Trust Me - Sheryl Browne Page 0,43

She wasn’t, though, was she? Appearances deceived. She was clearly as hard as nails under the surface. Emotionless. Must be.

Desperate for her to offer him something, anything that might sound remotely like a valid reason for crucifying him, Dean took another step into the room.

Zoe backed away from him, into the wall. There was nowhere to go. The room was barely big enough to accommodate the bed. She couldn’t get past him. He wasn’t about to let her, not until she’d offered him some kind of explanation.

‘Why?’ he repeated, his voice choked, his gaze fixed hard on hers.

‘I had to,’ she cried, her eyes filling up. ‘The baby … It wasn’t right. I didn’t want to tell you because of your job. I knew you’d want to take time off and I … I should have said something, but I didn’t know how to. I was—’

‘Bullshit!’ he grated. Jake would have told him if there was something wrong with the baby. He would have. That wouldn’t have broken with whatever protocol crap he’d been spouting. He would have told him. ‘Do not lie to me, Zoe, or I swear—’

‘I’m not!’ she said frantically. ‘I promise you I’m not. He wasn’t growing properly. He—’

‘He? You knew it was a boy? You knew we were having a son and you didn’t even tell me that much?’ Eyeballing her with a combination of heartbreak and insurmountable fury, Dean moved towards her again.

‘Dean, stop this,’ Zoe pleaded shakily. ‘Please. I need to get past. I want to go to my mum’s. Just for a few days,’ she added quickly. ‘I need some time. We both do. Please let me—’

‘Your mother’s?’ He laughed incredulously at that. ‘You do nothing but argue with your bloody mother. You said you’d never go there again after she had a go at you for getting bladdered in the pub with your girlfriends last …’ He trailed off, his world careering completely off-kilter as the penny began to drop. She’d stayed with one of her friends that night. On another long-distance trip, he’d been worried sick when he couldn’t get her on the phone. She’d been too drunk to trust herself getting back, she’d told him. She’d stayed with that same friend a couple of times since. She’d said she’d been lonely.

His gut clenching, Dean narrowed his eyes, searching hers quizzically. Was that why she’d done it? Had she worked out her dates and realised they didn’t add up? ‘Where are you really going?’ he asked her.

‘My mum’s,’ Zoe mumbled. ‘I said. Just for a few days. I need to get away, Dean. I …’

Lies. Dean noted the averted eye contact. ‘It wasn’t mine, was it? The baby …’ His voice cracked. ‘It wasn’t mine.’

Zoe’s eyes came back to his, and what Dean saw there ripped his heart from inside him. Guilt. She’d been cheating on him. While he’d been working away from home, sleeping in his cab, worrying about her being on her own, feeling guilty – always feeling so fucking guilty – she’d been shagging someone else behind his back. Seeing her writhing and groaning with some other bastard in his bed, blind fury rose white-hot inside him.

His knuckles hitting the wall a millimetre from her face jarred him from the murderous thoughts in his head. It was as if time stood still for a second. Frozen with shock, her terrified eyes were locked uncomprehendingly on his. And then, as he realised the enormity of what he’d done, she moved. Pressing both hands against his chest, she shoved him back hard, a muted cry escaping her as she ducked past him to scramble for the door.

Jesus Christ. ‘Zoe!’ Spinning around, he raced after her, catching up with her in the hall. ‘Zoe, don’t,’ he begged, the flat of his hand against the front door as, tears streaming down her face, she wrestled to open it. ‘Please don’t go, Zoe. I’m sorry. I—’

‘Get out of my way.’ Struggling with the door, Zoe sobbed harder.

‘Zoe, please …’ Dean caught hold of her arm. ‘Don’t do this. Please stay. We can—’

‘Let me go.’ She wriggled away from him. ‘Leave me alone!’ she screamed, fleeing to the living room.

‘Zoe, come back. You can go. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean …’ Desperation climbing inside him, Dean followed. Fear gripped his stomach like a vice as he realised she was heading out onto the balcony.

‘Zoe, don’t go out there.’ He moved towards her.

‘Leave me alone, Dean,’ she warned him, stumbling over the washing rack