Kira was unnerved by the stony look on his face.
He was still smolding.
As he came closer, he blew a smoke ring onto her face.
Kira inhaled nicotine.
She coughed and spluttered, staggering backwards.
I thought you quit smoking!' she complained, "Why are you still puffing away at those cancer sticks?
'I quit?' Austyn raised an eyebrow.
"Uh-huh." Kira's eyes watered 'Smoking is bad for your health. You promised to quit for..forme.
Austyn pursed his lips.
"Miss Hewitt, as I've explained to you when we first mot, Thave no recollection of my past, including this so-called promise I made to you, How do I know you an not just making this up?" Kira endured the sharp pang in her heart when she heard this
She tried to put herself into his shoes,
Would she trust a stranger she'd just met twice?
'I understand,' she said. 'Younted time. It's okay. I can wait."
She would wait for him to rememberber
If not, she could always re-introduce herself and they could start over,
Austyn fell silent
He stubbed out the cigarette in an ashtray.
You must be curious to know more about your past," Kira forced a smile. Ask away. What do you want to know?"
If she suffered from amnesia, she would want to hear everything about her past.
What was her name?
Did she have any family left? Friends?
Did she have ab?
Was she loved?
She was sure Austyn must be burning with curiosity at the moment.
e sat down on the sofa, Inoking up at him expectantly.
Austyn's faces
was inscrutable. I don't have any questions."
What?
Kirastared at him stupidly exclusive content.
have a new life now. I'm engaged, soon to be married. I have a job and a family. Whatever happened in my past belongs to the past. There's no point dredg up again! Kira struggled to process what she heard.
This was not the reaction she expected.
What kind of person wouldn't be curious about their own past?
Austyn was such a smart, capable man with an intensely inquisitive mind.
How could he tolerate being kept in the dark?
Panic stole Into Kira's heart as she paped at Austyn in silence.
His expression was unreadable.
Was he serious?
She had been prepared to accept his indifferent attitude towards her,
She was even prepared to accept that it might take weeks, months or even years for him to know her again.
But she wasn't prepared for him to completely renounce his past!
Tears gathered in Kira's eyes
She had forced herself to stop crying after Austyn's disappearance.
She had to pull herself together.
There were so many things to do-begging Loca to re-open the investigation, hiring a private Investigator to look for Austyn, handing out flyers on the stre taking care of her pregnant body... Tears only slowed her down
But now, she found him again
The huge burden weighing on her shoulders had been lifted.
She could once again allow herself a brief moment of weakness
Kira let her tears fall.
Austyn shot to his feet when he saw her tears.
"What. what's wrong?"
That familiar feeling of guilt returned.
Austyn was discomfited by that feeling
What he just said was perfectly reasonable, right?
She was a stranger to him.
There was no reason for him to believe her and therefore no point for him to hear her story.
He'd already engaged a private investigator.
He gave Duncan the name of Austyn McCarthy and pointed him to the city of Stamford,
He should hear from the Plin a couple of days
Only then would he know if it was telling the truth
Austyn kept his hands by his sides.
His brows were deeply furrowed.
"Miss Hewitt, I apologise it what I said upart you, but it's the truth."
He pursed his lips when she wouldn't stop crying
Austyn marched over to the coffee table, grabbed a box of tissue and held it out.
Kita wiped her tears with a tissue,