“Uh-huh,” I said with every bit of sarcasm I could muster as I crossed my arms and sat on the chair beside the small desk. As far away from him as I could get because as much as I hated him right now, I did want to curl up in his lap with his strong arms around me. Comforting me. The fact that he was the reason I needed comforting made it all the more ironic.

I sighed when someone knocked at the door and called, “Room service.” I started to get up, but Axel beat me to it, pulling out his wallet as he stood. Julian seemed surprised to see a man in my room, but he smiled as Ax tipped him generously and took the tray of food, setting it on the desk in front of me.

Axel sat back on the bed again, waiting for me to start eating, but I just stared at him impassively, wanting to see what line he was going to feed me now. He looked down, watching his fingers trace lazily over the pattern of the white bedspread.

“It’s not my baby, Blaire.” A wave of satisfaction washed over me. I told you so. IToldYouSo. IToldYouSo. IToldYouSo. “Go ahead and say it,” Axel said with a sigh as if he were reading my mind.

“No, I’m not going to say it.” My eyes followed the hypnotic movement of his fingers on the bed. “I’m sorry, Axel. I know how much you were looking forward to the baby.”

He leaned forward, his elbows on his bent knees and his eyes penetrating mine. “No, I wasn’t, sweetheart. Not at all. Not with her.”

“But… but you were so excited.”

“I was trying to be. I…” He pressed the heels of his hands against his forehead and groaned, “Fuck, Blaire. I’ve never told anyone this before, not even my brother.” He was pressing so hard, I feared he would dent his skull.

“Told anyone what?”

He hung his head down, and I saw a tear slip down his face. As pissed as I was at him, it hurt me to see him like this.

“My dad didn’t want me, Bear. I overheard him say it to my mom one night when I was a little kid.”

“Oh God, Ax. That’s… maybe he just meant that you were a surprise baby.” My heart broke in two. No child should ever have to hear or feel that they were unwanted.

“No, his exact words were, ‘I never wanted that fucking kid.’ I had tracked some mud on their precious carpet. Never mind that Ollie had done the same thing. I was the only one he was pissed at.”