Page 136 of Checkmate
She wondered if he could sense it? Or if there was anything different about her. Did she have a pregnancy glow yet? Was she looking more like a mum?
Get a grip, Sophie. Test first, speculation later.
And if it turned out she wasn’t pregnant?
Well, now she realised what a good idea it was to have a child with Alex, what would be the harm in actively trying to make that a reality?
Chapter 39
Alex
FOUR MONTHS AGO
With each passing minute, Alex was positive that Erica wouldn’t turn up. Sat in their favourite restaurant and tucked away in their favourite booth, he watched the door like a hawk.
Each time the bell above the door tinkled, his heart would leap with anticipation, only for some nobody to walk through and send it plummeting into his stomach like a rock. The more time passed, the more anxious he became. But leaving his seat meant admitting defeat, and that was unacceptable.
Sophie didn’t know he was there, of course. Even mentioning Erica’s name sent her spiralling into a jealous rage. As far as Sophie was concerned, Erica was holding them back by refusing to divorce him. She didn’t need to know that the divorce papers were still in his desk drawer and he had absolutely no intention of signing them.
Erica would come to her senses soon enough.
They had been through too much together to let an irrelevant woman come between them. He truly believed that if she gave him a chance to explain himself, she’d understand that this was just a blip in their marriage.
This time when the bell tinkled, his heart stayed lodged in his throat. Erica was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her, a fact that made his stomach bubble uncomfortably. She wasn’t just doing okay without him; she was doing better.
She walked towards him purposefully, no ounce of friendliness on her pretty face as she sank gracefully into the booth chair.
“Do you have the papers?”
The question hung between them, barely heard by Alex as his eyes drank in her beauty. He had missed looking at her, being next to her. Even when hatred radiated from her every pore, sitting in this booth with her was the happiest he’d been since she walked out on him.
“No. They’re in my desk,” he said, clearing his throat and straightening up. “That’s not why I brought you here today.”
“That’s the only reason I’m here.”
“Eri—”
“Alex, I’m not interested in anything you have to say. I don’t want to hear any excuses. All I want from you is to sign the divorce papers so I can leave you in the past where you belong.”
“Honey, please,” he said, reaching his hand across the table. She snatched hers away as though he carried some fatally contagious disease, her lip curling in disgust.
“Don’t you fucking touch me,” she warned. Alex recoiled from the venom in her tone. He had never heard her speak like that before.
Not once.
She wasn’t just angry; she fucking hated him.
The woman in front of him wasn’t his loving wife of eight years, but a stranger who wanted nothing to do with him. He could feel himself deflating with the realisation, a lump forming in his throat.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, pulling his hand back. “Message received.”
“If you don’t have the papers, there’s no point in me being here,” she said, standing to leave.
“Wait,” he said, unable to stop himself from speaking. To his surprise, she stopped, looking at him expectantly. “Can I please just have ten minutes of your time? Please.” Erica sighed, pushing her hand through her hair. He chewed his lip and tried again. “Erica? I haven’t seen you since you came by to get your things. And even then, you were with him.”
“He has a name, Alex.”
Surprising him, Erica took her seat once again, leaning towards him. His heart leapt, imagining kissing her like he would have in any other circumstances. “His name is Marcus, and he is more of a man than you’ll ever be.”
