Christopher spent the whole night with Amanda. They made love several times. In the morning, the young woman woke up with her body aching, the muscles of her femininity reminding her of the torrid night she had just spent. She looked for him but he was nowhere to be seen. Doubt crept into her mind. Could he have left without telling her? Amanda's fear of abandonment resurfaced.
"You're an idiot", she said aloud to herself.
Then she heard a baby cry. She went into the children's room where she found Christopher rocking Noah.
"I thought you'd gone," she said.
Chirstopher looked up at her with a look that made her melt. He was shirtless and rocking Noah, who refused to calm down.
"I woke up and heard him crying, I didn't want to disturb you so I took care of him" he said.
"Give him to me," Amanda replied simply, reaching out to take her son. "He must surely be hungry".
"How do you tell them apart?" asked Chistopher.
Amanda burst out laughing, then replied: "I made them, so it's normal for me to recognize them. And if you look closely, you'll see that Noah's calmer than Liam's, and his eyes are slightly darker than his brother's".
"I can't tell them apart because I've only just met them, but I will in time. Besides, of the two of us, I think Liam likes me best," said Christopher with a hint of mischief in his voice.
Amanda stuck out her tongue at him and moved to the refrigerator, where she took out a bottle and warmed it up. Noah had calmed down and was looking at her with admiring eyes. She was always moved when one of her sons looked at her. She felt like the most important person in the world.
When the bottle was ready, she sat down and began to give it to her son, who grasped it with his small hands as if his life depended on it.
Christopher moved closer to them, "You can tell he was hungry," he said, watching the baby take his bottle.
Before Amanda could answer, the phone rang. Christopher retrieved his phone from his jacket pocket. He headed back to the bedroom, so Amanda couldn't hear his conversation. When he returned, he was fully dressed and his expression had changed.
"Did you get some bad news?" asked Amanda.
"Yes," he replied with a frown. "I've got to go," he added, heading for the door.
She didn't have time to reply before he had already left.
Anxiety twisted Amanda's stomach as she sat still, half-empty bottle in one hand, the other holding her baby. Noah's gaze, calm now, wasn't enough to soothe her tormented mind. She had sensed the tension in Christopher's voice, something serious had happened, and not knowing what it was, was driving her mad.
Determined not to let fear and anxiety overwhelm her, Amanda took a deep breath and stood up, the baby in her arms. "Come on, Noah," she whispered. "Let's go get your brother and then we'll go to the park."
She headed for the park, hoping the sunshine and fresh air might clear her mind a little, but something was blocking her heart. Noah and Liam were babbling happily in their stroller. Every little sound they made reminded her of the immense responsibility she had towards her children. Christopher had quickly become an essential part of their lives, and now his absence provoked a void that distressed her.
As she walked, memories of the previous night flooded back, moments of tenderness and passion that now seemed so distant. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She received a message from Emily. "Amanda, we need to talk. It's urgent."
Her heart beating, Amanda answered quickly, asking her what it was about. Emily's reply came almost immediately. "It's about Christopher. There are things you need to know. I am home, you can come."
A shiver of fright ran down her spine. She immediately turned back to her house, put the children in the car and headed for Emily's. The drive seemed interminable.
When she entered, Emily greeted her with a grave face, holding her tablet in her hands. "Amanda, I've got to show you this," she said, her voice trembling.
Intrigued and worried, Amanda approached her friend. Emily swiped across the tablet screen and showed her the page of "Celebrities Scandal" a tabloid site. It showed photos of Christopher and another woman. The headline announced, "Golden boy, Seattle's most coveted bachelor aka the CEO of Kole Empire is no longer a heart to be taken."
"What's that?" Amanda stammered, her heart clenching with every word she uttered. The picture was clear: Christopher, smiling, holding hands with a dark-haired woman. She looked stunning in her red dress and had a model's figure.
Amanda slumped onto the couch and continued reading the article. "Cora Lane, the international model announced yesterday that she had become engaged to the CEO of Kole Empire. The engagement reportedly took place last week."
"How can that be?" whispered Amanda, choked with pain. Her thoughts raced, torn between the betrayal that was flooding in and the love she had for Christopher. "He spent last night at my house. He left in a hurry this morning after receiving a call. I understand now.
Emily looked at Amanda with compassion. "Maybe there's an explanation," she said.
Amanda shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I trusted him. How could I have been so stupid?"
She choked back a sob and continued in a hoarse voice. "He asked me to marry him when he was already engaged to someone else..."
"You've got to talk to him," Emily advised, taking Amanda's hand to comfort her.
Amanda nodded with a lump in her throat.
Amanda spent the rest of the day with Emily, who did her best to comfort her. She wanted to call Christopher to ask for an explanation, but Emily stopped her, saying he should be the first to get back to her. She didn't want to appear desperate, so she agreed.