Or have you forgotten?She heard his question even though he hadn’t asked it, and the tension in her stomach wound tighter. She hadn’t forgotten their wedding, but it was easier to remember it when she couldn’t see him.
‘The kind of promises that mean something...’
He paused, and she thought he was going to say something else, admit that he had let her down, and then a phone rang close by—his phone, she realised a half-second later, and this time there was no pause. She watched in silence, with a pain like hot wire stabbing at her heart, misery and exhaustion swamping her fury as, without missing a beat, he fished it from his pocket and answered it.
‘Yeah, that’s right... No, send me a transcript and I’ll give you a call back with my thoughts.’ He ended the call. ‘Where was I?’
She gritted her teeth. ‘Here. Talking about promises that mean something. But I’m guessing your head is in some boardroom in San Francisco.’
Omar stood for a moment, just looking at her. His face was unreadable, but she could sense his impatience.
‘I had to leave a very important meeting to come and find you.’ He shook his head. ‘But, unlike you, I honour my commitments. Although, given your recent behaviour, it’s clear that concept might be beyond you.’
‘If you feel that way, I’m surprised you’re here. But please don’t stay on my account. I’m sure you can find your way out.’
‘As usual, you’re choosing to misunderstand my intentions. I’m here to help you honour your commitments. Some things can’t be left behind. Some things matter too much.’
Was he for real? Delphi stared at him, the hypocrisy of his words making her breathing jerk. Throughout their nine-month marriage, Omar had made it devastatingly clear exactly how important she was to him. Even now, here in the hospital, he was still taking business calls. If they were at home now he would be heading towards his office and she would already be forgotten, swallowed up by the ceaseless hunger of his ambition.
Suddenly it was difficult to look at him, much less speak, and she stared past his shoulder into the crowded ER. ‘Yeah, they’re really special. It only took you six whole weeks to rush to my side.’
His expression didn’t alter but his gaze sharpened. ‘You’re a hard person to find.’
‘Apparently not hard enough,’ she said tightly. ‘And apparently, I’m also not very good at making myself understood. So let me make this completely clear. I don’t want anything from you. Except a divorce.’
Silence.
Even the bustle beyond the curtains seemed to still.
Her nerves tightened into a hard knot inside her stomach as he took a step closer.
His fingers cupped her chin. ‘But this isn’t just about what you want, Delphi. The state of matrimony is a partnership. Or it’s supposed to be. Only you’ve spent most of our marriage acting as if you’re being corralled against your will.’
She was suddenly aware of the pounding of her heart. In other words it was her fault, not his, that their marriage had faltered.
‘Then you’ll be glad to be shot of me,’ she snapped, jerking her face free of his hand. ‘Now, if you wouldn’t mind getting out of the way—’
She waited, but he didn’t move.
‘I do mind.’
His spine straightened, lifting his shoulders and expanding his chest so that his body filled the space between them.
‘I just don’t know why you do. I’m simply offering you a lift in an air-conditioned limousine. How could you possibly object to that?’
She glared at him. He made it sound as if she was some diva, turning down a too-small dressing room. But he wasn’t the good guy here.
‘Easily,’ she snapped. Frankly, she’d rather crawl over broken glass than get in a car with Omar. ‘I’m happy to take the bus.’
His gaze didn’t move from hers. ‘They’re running a weekend service today. You could be sitting around waiting for hours.’
She stared at him, her skin prickling. ‘Oh? And I suppose you know that from your other life as a bus driver?’
‘Carole told me.’
His mouth shifted into a shape that made her shiver inside.
‘So why not make things easy for yourself?’ he asked.