Cloe stared at him wide-eyed, not remotely appreciating his demand of her. "I..." she began to explain, but having nothing to say in retort, she faltered.
Why indeed had she told Joshua about her, so called, son? Had she really let herself believe that Joshua was the same man whom she had loved? Or possibly that he was now a better man?
Cloe sighed, shifting her gaze from Joshua. It was clear that he was no longer that same man, nor by any means better. Of course, he could have always been this way without her realising so, but she was confused now.
Shaking her head slightly, she placed a hand on her hip. Pondering the rash decisions which she had made up to this point, Cloe came to a conclusion that she should never have trusted a man deemed worthy enough for Death Eaters, to accept the great responsibility of fathering a child, as something far greater than any thoughts or virtual schemes of using the Dark Arts purely for personal gain.
Choosing her words carefully now, she continued where she had fallen off track. "Honestly, I guess I would have hoped you would want to father... our child. But seeing as you seem preoccupied in your own affairs, such a role is out of your league. I cannot pretend that he is not your son. I simply cannot let you walk into his life and later leave him in a hell hole like the last man did. You are, after all, a Death Eater as you so kindly reminded me just then, and yes I have always known. So introducing you to Blake would only make things worse than they already are..."
She took this pause to gather her breath and composure. There was already a lot at stake, including her own relationship with Blake, which was seemingly more fragile than ever, if anything at all.