Unexpected

Chapter 27

JOANNA

"Gabe."

The sound of a woman's voice floats in the air, making me halt by his side.

As his eyes widen, I can see the shock ripple through his body and his muscles tense up. As I glance in her direction, my heart sinks as I take in her icy-blue eyes, brimming with emotion as she gazes at him.

Because I know that look.

She's in love with Gabe. She's very much pregnant and in love with the man who has just told me he loved me for the first time.

My eyes quickly scan her from head to toe.

Damn! She's stunning!

Her glossy black hair cascades down her back in beautiful waves. Her big blue eyes frame her face, creating a stunning effect. She stands tall and slender, her stomach protruding with unmistakable roundness. She is very much pregnant, as the way she tenderly cradles her belly as she stares at Gabe shows.

I glance back and forth between the two of them. They seem to be engaged in a silent conversation as if nobody else was in the room. A chill runs up my spine as the hair on the nape of my neck rises and my muscles tighten.

"Nora," he rasps, as if for a moment he's forgotten I was there.

She takes a step towards him but hesitates as her eyes meet mine. She obviously didn't expect he had someone over. But she quickly composes herself, masking her surprise.

"Jo..." He sounds like he's about to throw up. "This is Nora. Nora, Jo."

She sizes me up; her gaze lingering on me longer than necessary. "Hello," she says, twisting her attention back to Gabe. "I was hoping we could talk."

He flinches, his eyes closing for a moment before meeting my gaze. There's an apology in there and it catches me off guard.

My eyes move to Nora and I take in her swollen belly. No! He wouldn't have the heart to do this to me.

"Come on in," I hear the words leaving my mouth. She's awkwardly standing outside, clearly expecting to be invited in.

"Jo..." Gabe straightens as if coming out of a fog.

"What?" I hold his gaze and when he shakes his head, I look away.

"Make yourself comfortable, Nora," I say, grabbing my purse and keys from the hall console. "Let me just get my phone." I jog to the kitchen, a headache forming in the back of my skull.

I was hoping to make an escape through the back door, but Gabe soon caught up with me in the kitchen.

"You don't have to leave." He grabs my arm, turning me to him.

"Is the baby yours?" I feel my voice shake as I look at him.

The apology in his eyes breaks my heart. "It could be."

My mouth falls open, and my vision gets blurred with tears. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know if I'm the father or not." His eyes search mine. "We slept together some time ago, and she later called me saying she was pregnant, but..."

"She looks like she knows you," I whisper. "Like you had more than just a one-night stand."

He lets go of my arms. "We've known each other for a while, but what we had was not serious."

His words hit me like a bullet in my heart. I heard them not so long ago. "Right. Only now she's carrying your baby."

"Jo, I don't know if it's mine." He cups my cheeks. "We were not exclusive. Hell, we were not even in a relationship."