“I have talked to Trey since that weekend, but not in the manner you’re implying.”
“Since the weekend you became pregnant with my baby, you mean?”
She gave him a stubborn look. “Yes, the weekend of the reunion.”
“And Mandy? Have you talked to her?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“We’ve made our peace. You know that. You were at the hospital that afternoon, with her and Trey.”
“Yes, I was,” he snarled.
She stared at him. “What is wrong with you? Trey and Mandy are dating again. I’m happy for them. Their being together is how it should have been all along.” She frowned. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”
“Good thing you do know better.”
“Yes, it is.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to argue with you, but I am going to sell my half of the clinic. If you want to buy me out, fine. If not, I’d love to say I’ll just walk away, but I’ll need the funds to start my life in Alabama.”
Funds? She really had no idea as to his wealth, did she? Wealth any child of Blake’s would be entitled to. Darby would never have to work another day if she chose not to.
“You’re really going to leave me? On the day you discover you’re pregnant with my baby, you’re announcing you want me to buy your half of our life together so you can move six hours away?”
She didn’t wince, didn’t show the slightest remorse, just held his gaze. “I am.”
“You believe that’s fair to me?”
“I have to think about what’s best for me and for our baby. My going home to Armadillo Lake is what’s best.”
“Why?”
“Because my family is there, and it’s where I was meant to be. I’d forgotten that for a while, but a memory lapse doesn’t make the truth any less true.”
“You were meant to be with me.”
At her surprised look, he added, “In Knoxville, at our clinic. We have a good thing, Darby. A good practice.”
“It hasn’t been good since we slept together, and you know it. You can barely tolerate looking at me.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is,” she accused, standing up from her chair and pacing across her living room. She spun toward him, her eyes as accusing as her tone. “You’ve been avoiding me ever since we slept together, and I can’t stand it.”
“That’s why you want to move? To punish me for sleeping with you?”
“That’s not what I said, Blake. I don’t want to punish you. I just can’t deal with the way things are between us now.”
“Because we ruined everything when we had sex?”
“Apparently so.” She folded her arms across her chest. “It certainly hasn’t made things better between us.”
No, that weekend had caused the foundation of their relationship to crumble, and now his world was crashing around him.
“What is it you want between us, Darby? What is it you expected after that weekend?”
“I told you, Blake, I don’t expect anything from you.”