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“Rory, but in her defense, she isn’t thrilled with me. She threatened me.”
Lucian raises his eyebrows, and I see a slight smile play on his lips. “She threatened you?”
“She told me not to hurt you again. Oh, Lucian, I know what a fool I’ve been. I can’t begin to ask for your forgiveness.”
“You can’t, so don’t. I can’t give it to you. Not right now.”
He tends to the water for the tea as I sense a glimmer of hope from his words. Maybe there is a chance for us in the future. We talk for several hours, and he refills my teacup a few times while we chat. He avoids answering any questions about our relationship, instead segueing to plans for our child.
He’s guarded, and that’s understandable. The more I apologize, the more he closes off, so I stop. By the time we finish, the sun has sunk so low in the sky; it barely skims over the horizon.
“Do you have a place to stay?”
“I didn’t make plans, but I’m sure I can find a hotel.”
I rise and thank him for the tea and conversation before I take my coat off the back of the chair to slip it on.
“You can stay here,” he pipes up. “I’ll sleep on the couch. Take my bed.”
“It’s your bed. You take it. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
He puts his hand on my belly, which is the first contact we’ve had since he picked me up off the floor of the dock.
“I want my child to be comfortable, and since you’re carrying them, you need to be comfortable. Take the bed.”
After a dinner of homemade chicken soup that Lucian previously made, and some quiet conversation about his plans to return to the city, I end up in the bedroom. While I’m changing, I feel the tears that have threatened to fall all day start to. I stare at the bed that we spent hours making the child that I now carry.
Slipping under the cool sheets, I try to muffle my moans, but I can’t fully disguise them. I hear the door creak behind me as I turn on my side.
“Olivia, don’t cry. Please. Everything will be alright.”
That only makes me cry harder, and I start to cough. I feel the bed dip as Lucian’s big body stretches out the length of the mattress. He wraps his muscled arms around me as I continue to sob. I’m comforted by him, but it’s only temporary. I’ve lost the one man that I truly love, and I see no pathway to get him back.
I must have fallen asleep because when I wake up, the sun is peeking around the sides of the shade. Lucian is no longer holding me, and I feel the emptiness of his loss. The smell of bacon wafts in from the kitchen, and for the first time in a few days, I feel hungry. I get out of bed and realize that Lucian must have brought my bag in for me while I was asleep. I quickly dress in jeans and a sweater then pull my hair into a ponytail before I open the door.
He’s at the stove humming, and he turns at the sound of my footsteps. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. I feel okay, a little tired, but it comes with the territory.”
“I made pancakes and bacon. Would you like some?”
“Thank you. I’m hungry today.”
Lucian purses his lips. “You need to eat and take care of our baby. Have you been to the doctor yet?”
“Just to make sure it wasn’t a reoccurrence. That’s how I found out I was pregnant.”
“What do you mean a reoccurrence? Did you think you had cancer again?”
“I had all the symptoms. I was feeling horrible for the past few weeks.”
“I know. I told you to go to the doctor because I wanted you to get checked.”
There is more that he wants to say, but he holds back as he serves me breakfast. Even with his frustration, he’s still kind to me. After I finish eating, I offer to clean the dishes, but he declines and does it himself. It’s time for me to leave. I don’t want to overstay my limited welcome, and I want to get on the road, so I don’t have to drive in the dark.
I head to the bedroom to pack the clothing that I wore the day before and the t-shirt I slept in. I place the bag on the floor by the door, my hand on the black velvet box in my coat pocket. It’s not mine to keep and maybe never will be.
“Luc, I’m leaving. Thank you for hearing me out and letting me sleep in your bed. I hope I didn’t put you out too much.”
