Free Tainted Love: contemporary womens fiction love story and family saga (Behind Closed Doors Book 1) by Erin Cawood

ourselves."
    "He? You found out? But we agreed not to, just like the others."
    Those were the days when he was happy. The day I'd seen the sparkle in his eye that he'd gotten something he truly wanted. I thought things had changed. They hadn't. "Yes, Cal. Again, if you'd have been there, you'd know why."
    "Don't take that tone with me, Fay. I had a problem with a patient which couldn't wait."
    "But a problem with your wife and unborn child could?" He flinched. "You know what? Forget it. It's not life threatening and we're both going to be fine. But it would have been nice of you to tell me you didn't want any more children before we got this far, because to be honest, I can't keep up anymore. This time, it was your idea."
    He stepped closer. "I'm a doctor, Faith." His height and width advantage blocked the light in the small room. "Just because I don't work at a hospital it doesn't mean I don't have medical emergencies." The edge in his voice stroked a warning along my spine. "Look at me."
    I couldn't. I was terrified of what I would see there.
    "I said," a hand grabbed a fistful of my hair at the back of my neck and yanked my head backwards, "look at me!" His hawk-like eyes bore into mine. "I won't apologize for doing my job."
    "Cal?" I gasped. "You're hurting me!"
    "Hurting you? I'll do more than hurt you if you speak to me like this again."
    What? This didn't make any sense. How had we gotten here? "Cal, I'm sorry." Tears filled my eyes. "It's not your fault. Yes, I'm angry at you, but it's not really you, Cal, it's the situation. You've never been to an appointment; of course you'd think this one was no different. You weren't to know they'd tell me I've got gestational diabetes. And you promised you'd be there, but you weren't. Now there's so much more to think about... and possible risks... and complications... and... I'm so sorry."
    "Shush." His arms wrapped around me, and he soothed away my worries as though nothing had happened. "It's all right, Fay. Everything is going to be all right."
    But I had a sinking feeling. There was something giving me a sick little warning and raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Like maybe a sixth sense, deep in my gut. Something telling me don’t be so sure .
    Of course, I ignored it.
    Cal always had bursts of temper. They were infrequent, only occurred two or three times a year, but they were usually because I did something to trigger them. Like when I put up the Christmas decorations on the anniversary of his wife's death, or when I called him a liar and sided with you over financing your college education, and when I didn't take the unused pills back to the pharmacist. This time, I was in trouble because I didn't tell him about the pregnancy-related diabetes when he came home from work.
    I had to admit, over the years his flares of temper became more frequent. But if I managed to keep on top of everything, avoided the things I'd learned would upset him, it wouldn't need to happen again.
    The further the pregnancy progressed, the more these outbursts occurred. I tried to be patient and understanding. The risks involved must have triggered some memories from bad times. I certainly hadn’t helped by throwing it in his face the way I did when I knew how delicate these things were for Cal. But eight weeks later, he scared me. He was doing all the shouting in this particular argument. You were at your girlfriend's house, Caleb was at soccer practice, and Georgia was in her room getting ready for a hockey match.
    He really scared me, D. I don’t remember why. They tell me I may never regain those few moments but all I remember is the feeling of fear, the sound of his villainous laugh, and a vague sensation of...how do I explain it…
    Do you ever have that dream? The one when you’re running but not gaining any ground? That’s the sensation… maybe it’s because I was thirty- four weeks pregnant and getting anywhere was slow.
    The next thing I knew I was in the hospital, and I