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‘Act like you love me’

She felt a savage squeeze to her heart as his words asp, and her eyes burned hot with tears She bit her lip, forced her chin to steady She kept her face to the floor, desperately clawing back her composure, furious at her oeakness

He was totally oblivious He y rolled off him in waves She crossed her arers on her bare flesh

‘It doesn’t have to be true, Ruby I’ for the world But when you cae the situation You wanted uarantees that I would play my part Well, now I aive you way more than you wanted’

‘I only ever wanted one thing in my life,’ she said, ‘I only ever wanted my career and you need to know that that is still what I want You’re not seeing my needs in all this’

He shook his head and ht in front of her The rest of the rooh the half-closed ro sails, the world beyond—was blocked out It was hard to think, to remember who she was and what she hen he was so close

‘Ruby, you can have everything Everything Don’t you want to marry me?’

‘I’ no, but does it have to be this way?’ she pleaded ‘Do we have to be ht person to take this ether and live apart all the time’

‘He’s very religious—for him there’s no other way to raise a child but in wedlock, under the eyes of God’

‘But ould be living a lie—isn’t that worse?’

‘To give our child the stability it needs is worse? We’ll sign a pre-nup You’ll get a house and a car and an incoer is secure we can decide what happens next Where you live and what you do A nanny My name All of that’

His words were cold, transactional, black and white There was no emotion or love or kindness or care His heart was invested in his bank, in his dead father’s memory, in a future that he didn’t even want for himself