Behind the Secrets (Behind the Lives #4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

doorway. Dante remained looking at the floor.
    “I’m sorry,” Beth said.
    He looked up with a confused expression.
“For what?”
    “I caused you to have an episode.”
    “No, that’s all on me.” He walked past
her, heading out the front door.
    Beth followed him out of the building.
He stopped for a moment, probably looking for her car. “It’s over there,” she
said, placing a hand on his back, feeling intensely uncomfortable. The way he
was acting was making her stomach turn—and it had nothing to do with her morning-sickness.
    He headed for her Volkswagen, opening
the front passenger door as Beth got into the driver’s side. He turned to face
the window as she backed out of the parking space, his silence not helping her
nervousness. She waited for the traffic to clear, then turned into the road
that led to the city, the tall, grey spiky building of the Auckland Sky Tower
standing out amongst the CBD’s buildings.
    “I fucked Kara,” Dante said.
    His words made Beth jump in her seat, startling
her. Then their meaning sank in, sending Beth’s heart plummeting.
    Still looking out the window, he
continued, “I fucked her minutes before you told me you were pregnant. You both
kept pressuring me to choose between you, so I chose Kara. I wuz gonna tell
you, but you dropped the pregnancy bombshell before I could.”
    Beth stared straight ahead, tears now
prickling her eyes, not believing the words coming from his mouth.
    He turned to her. “Aren’t you gonna say sumpthin’?”
    She pulled over to the side of the road,
her hands shaking too much to drive. “Why her?” she said in a whisper, barely keeping
it together. “Why not me?”
    “You deserve better.”
    She turned to him. “But I want you! I
love you!”
    He jolted. “Calm down.”
    “No! I will not calm down. I’m
pregnant with your baby; you can’t do this to me.”
    He grimaced, guilt colouring his dark
eyes. “I’m know, and I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have chosen Kara.”
    “Why?” she said, now confused, not
understanding where he was going with this. Did he want her or not?
    “I should’ve gone to my grandfather’s instead
of choosing, because no matter what decision I made, it would’ve been wrong.
When I’m with one of you, I want that person, then when I’m with the other I
change my mind. It’s fuckin’ with my head, I can’t handle it anymore.”
    “But I’m pregnant with your child!”
    Lowering his gaze, he started picking at
his shirt. “Don’t worry, I’ll provide for you and the child.”
    “You can barely provide for yourself.”
    His eyes snapped up, his expression hurt.
“Jade’s payin’ me.”
    “To do what exactly?”
    He frowned. “What do ya mean by that?”
    “First you have sex with Kara, then—”
    His face dropped. “I’m not fucking Jade,
that wuz purely a one time thing. I wuz desperate to save my car, I told ja
that. And he’s payin’ me to sing, nuthin’ more.”
    “Then why can’t you be with me?”
    “Cos you won’t want me after I cheated.”
    “You didn’t cheat; you were dating both
me and Kara at the same time, and we both agreed to the arrangement.”
    He opened his mouth, then closed it,
looking surprised.
    Beth knew why. The last time she’d
thrown a fit when she’d thought he’d slept with Kara while they were exclusive.
But he hadn’t then, and although he had this time, she’d learnt her lesson, because
there was no way she was letting her temper lose him again.
    She took hold of his hands, relieved he
didn’t pull away, although he looked uncertain. Plus, his eyes weren’t right. Drugs. The doctor probably had him hopped up on a cocktail of them. It made sense,
because he’d normally be yelling and swearing at this point.
    “I want you, Dante,” she said, looking
into his eyes. “I also want our baby to have a father and for the three of us
to be a family.”
    “I’ll be a shit dad like I’m a shit
boyfriend. I’m not good enough for you. Never have