An Inconvenient Friend Read Online Free Page B

ever wanted and planned because of what happened.”
    â€œWell, maybe what happened has changed what I want. ”He paused. His eyes bore into hers, and she was sure he could see her heart ripping in two, but it didn’t stop him. “Look, I’m running late. I’ve got to get out of here. Can you get a shirt for me?”
    Angelina didn’t move. He had never said that before. Never said they shouldn’ t try. Greg walked around her frozen frame and reached into the closet for a dress shirt. He stared into her eyes when he removed it from the hanger, continued to stare as he did the final buttons, and after he pulled on his slacks and fastened his tie. Angelina had not moved. She was frozen in time by his words. He couldn’t put his heart back out there. What child had he carried for nine months and nursed for six?
    Greg’s phone began to hum a familiar beep. He swiped it from his night table and shoved it into his pocket without looking at the screen. “Lena, don’t freak on me. I just think we should talk about it.”
    â€œI’m trying to talk about it .” Her lips trembled as she spoke.
    â€œWhen both of us have time.”
    He came to stand in front of her, smelling like a mix of warm musk and mango shampoo. He looked like every black woman’s dream with his Adonis features, chiseled body, and perfect height. Who picks up a ringing phone without looking at? She wanted to rip the BlackBerry from his slacks and smash it into his face. “You’re beeping,” she said.
    He looked confused, like he couldn’t hear the insistent chirp in the quiet of the room.
    â€œYour phone is beeping.” She pointed at his jacket pocket. “Don’t you need to see who it is?”
    â€œI know who it is.”
    That much is true , she thought.
    â€œIt’s the hospital. My patient is probably there.”
    Angelina nodded and took the kiss he placed on her cheek. He really thought she was stupid. That particular beep was not the hospital.
    â€œDon’t hold dinner. I’ve got a long day.” He threw the words over his shoulder as he left the room. He’d been tossing them way too much.
    A long day—there were too many of those lately. Late evenings, strange phone calls, special beeps on his pager. She sat on the side of the bed and let the tears she’d been holding cascade down her cheeks. Her life was a mess. Her husband was probably cheating, and now as the final act of betrayal, he wanted to take her babies.
    Greg’s going to break my heart. Angelina didn’t know when the other shoe would drop, but she knew it was falling. She closed her eyes and shut out the voice in her head that said leave him now because he wasn’ t going to do it. She needed to get something out of the thirteen years she’d sacrificed in the marriage. She wouldn’t let him steal her dream of being a mother. She had lost Danielle right before she was to turn six months, and she’d accepted that. She had no choice. That had been God’ s will. Her choices were to accept it or lose her mind. But to give up what she wanted to a man who walked around in a flesh and blood suit. No way. She was going to get pregnant and Gregory Preston was not going to stop her.

Chapter 5
    I pulled my BMW Z4 convertible into traffic on Hammond Drive. The perfume counter at Saks had been pretty crowded for a Thursday morning, but I’d gotten what I wanted, or at least what I needed. I hadn’t expected to run into a one day sale. All the happy little, stay-at-home moms were out today spending their husband’ s money like I would be doing one day soon. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. I was going to be a few minutes late for my lunch with Greg, but that was a good thing. He needed to wait for me for a change, especially since I had to wait so long for him to get up the nerve to actually take me to lunch. It hadn’t come without