Page 111 of High Stakes

I scoff, “Don’t be ridiculous. My ex, Bella? She’s not pregnant.”

“Aiden, I sat next to her in the restaurant, she’s pregnant. She had a perfectly round bump.” She laughs, “How didn’t you notice?”

I grip the arms on the chair, trying to focus on Jen’s words.There’s no fucking way Bella could be pregnant.Aria would have jumped at the chance to rub my face in it,unless. . . I stand abruptly and Jen raises a brow. “Are you okay?”

Questions race through my mind as I pull on my jacket. Is that why she ran? Did she know all along she was having my child again?

I grab my car keys. “I have to see for myself,” I mutter, heading for the door.

Bella

I stare at my reflection in Arias long mirror. I don’t look like a girl with no parents. Tears prickle my eyes again and I’m unsure if they’re for dad, or for myself. Maybe a little of both.

I got the call right after I left the restaurant after seeing Aiden. And I’ve spent the last two weeks making calls and sorting out the funeral. So today feels bittersweet becauseI’m sad to say goodbye to my dad, but I also can’t wait to leave London and go home.

I open my clutch to check my train ticket is there. I plan on leaving right from the church. I take a deep breath before heading downstairs. The sooner this is over with, the sooner I can head back and put London behind me.

I stand beside Claire outside the same church my mum is buried at. It was dad’s wishes to rest here too.

The car slows outside, and Claire takes my hand. “Are you ready?” she asks, with a sad smile. I give a nod, and we slide from the vehicle together.

We move along the line of guests, each of them offering well wishes, and then we stand by the door, waiting for dad to be taken from the back of the car. The guests begin to filter into the church, and we follow the coffin down the aisle.

We sit through the service together, both sniffling into tissues as the vicar talks about my dad’s early life, his marriage to my mum, and brief stories of happier times. I didn’t want to say any words, mainly because I didn’t have any to say. Our happy memories were few and far between and I couldn’t bring myself to lie. But when Claire standsto speak, my heart swells with happiness. Her tales of their short time together gives me peace that at least when he passed, he was happy.

We hold on to one another as they lower him into the ground. It’s the final goodbye and somehow this hurts more than the service.

We lie roses on top of the coffin, and once everyone has slowly wandered off, we stand in silence. Both lost in our own thoughts.

I eventually say my goodbyes to Claire, promising to keep in touch. I owe her for making my dad’s final months, happy. And she’s been a fantastic support to me, I like her.

Aria and Cal are waiting by the church. “Are you sure you have to go back?” asks Aria, pulling me into a hug.

“I know you can’t believe it,” I say with a laugh, “But there are way better places than London.”

I hug Cal. “Call the second you get back. Have a safe journey.”

“And we want news the second this baby arrives,” adds Aria, rubbing her hand over my stomach.

My taxi pulls in and I feel relieved. Cal puts my bags in the boot, and I get another hug. “Take care,” I say, rubbing a hand over my swollen stomach. It feels so heavy today after being on my feet forso long.

I turn to slide in the taxi, my eyes catching sight of a figure by the trees. Aiden. I gasp, immediately dropping my hand from my bump. But it’s too late, I can tell by his shocked expression that he’s seen me in all my pregnant glory. I get into the car, slamming the door. “Quick,” I mutter, “My train is due.”

The cab drives past Aiden, and our eyes lock for the briefest second before he calls out my name, running towards me. His hand catches the window, and I jump in fright. “Don’t stop,” I tell the driver. “Keep going.”

I lean my head back, slowly releasing a nervous breath. “Can you drop me at the tube,” I tell the driver. I’ll need to head to a different station further away, so Aiden doesn’t turn up and make a scene.

It’s not until I’m on the train pulling out of the station that I begin to relax. I pull out my mobile, cancelling the tenth call from Aiden. After today, we’ll never see each other again. I open the text messages he’s sent and read them again.

Aiden: Please don’t run, Bella. Talk to me.

Aiden: I just need to knowif it’s mine.

I delete them both and sigh when my phone alerts me to a new voicemail. I reluctantly press play. “Please, I get why you ran. But just talk to me, Bella.”

I press delete and drop the phone in my bag. It was hard enough when Aiden rejected me, I can’t stand the thought of him rejecting our child. It’s the only family I have and I’ll protect it no matter what.

Aiden