With the icy calm he hadn’t inherited, but had learned from his father, he carefully replaced the sonograms in the envelope and set them on the table. “It’s the best decision for the three of us.”
She averted her dark brown eyes to the scenery outside the window, but not before he saw the despair in them. He gritted his teeth as anger filled him. Did she have to act like a lamb being led to the slaughter? She wasn’t the only one making a sacrifice.
“I know this isn’t what either of us planned for our future, but we’ll have to make adjustments,” he said, his tone harsh. “It’s not an ideal situation, but we’re stuck with each other.”
Her eyes held surprise at his tone as she landed her gaze back on his side of the table. “I guess so,” she said carefully. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“Are you?”
A wry twist lifted the corner of her lips. “I don’t have a choice.”
“Actually, I gave you a couple of options.”
“Your generosity is unparalleled.” She plucked at the cloth napkin on the table. “What now?”
Moving quickly was the only option. “I’ll get my lawyers to draw up a prenup.” Including a clause that if he found out after the child was born she wasn’t his, he could divorce Eva without concern she would have rights to his millions. “It’s a precautionary measure.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Her caustic tone wasn’t lost on Derrick, but he chose to ignore it. He scrolled through his phone. “Let’s plan to do this two weeks from today.”
Eva fixed her eyes on his bent head. “T-Two weeks? So soon? I can’t leave Kallie in the lurch without a roommate. And we can’t possibly plan a wedding on such short notice. After all, I’d like to have my family and friends there.”
“Two weeks is plenty of time,” he said, still not looking at her. “I’ll cover your portion of the lease until Kallie can find someone else to move in, and we’ll get a couple of wedding coordinators to help you.” He started typing into the phone.
It was all happening so fast, and she felt like someone being submerged underwater. “Can we please slow down? What’s the rush? I’m only a few weeks into my second trimester. We have plenty of time.”
“Time is relative.” He set the phone on the table in a decisive manner. “I have a lot of responsibilities. The sooner we get this over with, the better.”
The sting of his words inflamed her temper. “Let’s do this. Let’s get this over with. You’re so romantic.”
Pausing, he narrowed his eyes on her. “Okay, out with it. What’s really bothering you? Because it’s obvious something is bothering you. The sooner we get it out in the open, the better, because I don’t have time to entertain your dramatic outbursts. I’m a busy man.”
“Nothing’s bothering me.”
“Something’s bothering you.” He tapped his forefinger on the tabletop. “Let me guess, this is one of those games women like to play, where I have to figure it out?”
Eva crossed her arms and stared out at the roaring waves.
“Even better,” he said, a mocking pitch to his voice. “The silent treatment. I love the silent treatment.”
She glared at him. “You want to know what’s bothering me? We’re getting married. It’s a big deal, and you’re acting as if it’s nothing. A wedding ceremony shouldn’t be an event you squeeze in between a meeting and a presentation on your calendar.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She didn’t want him to think she placed any more importance on their future marriage than he did.
“This isn’t any easier for me than it is for you. I didn’t plan to get married anytime soon, if ever. I’m trying to make the best of a bad situation.”
She flinched.
“I didn’t mean that the way it came out . . . but neither one of us planned this. Right?”
The undertone in the question caught her attention. “Are you suggesting I planned to get pregnant?”
His eyes surveyed her thoughtfully. “You told me you couldn’t get pregnant.”