Dancing with a stranger

Chapter|18 ✨

I woke up to Kian nowhere in sight. I get up and rush to the bathroom, slamming the doing, trying not to throw up food from last night. Kian came rushing down the hall, banging on the door.

"Hey, is everything okay in there"? Yeah, everything's fine. I'll be out in a minute. I notice a new toothbrush and open it to taste my mouth. He gave up that I wouldn't let him in.

I discover Kian standing at the stove, flipping over the pancakes. He turns around and hugs me. "What was that for" I give him a weird glance. "I can't just hug you. I sit at the table, and he places a plate in front of me. The smell of the bacon made me nauseous. I run over to the trash and tried throwing up more, but nothing came out. Kian had a worried face.

After being to eat breakfast, I take a shower and get cleaned up. I put on a cardigan over a tank too and some joggers.

I find Kian sitting on the patio. "Can we talk?" I ask him. "Yeah sure what is it"
I sit in the chair next to him and wrap myself up in my cardigan and stare off across the lake and think to myself for a second before I speak.

"I don't know how to tell you, but I think I'm pregnant," I look at him for his answer. "Is it mine?" "Yes," and I pause, "because I never slept with Steele, you're the only person I slept with in a while."

He says nothing, and I walk inside to give him some time. I watched TV keep myself busy, but I couldn't concentrate. My mind kept thinking about his thoughts.

3 episodes of friends later, he comes in and sits next to me. He braces himself before he talks. "I just need to say that I'm willing to help you raise our baby if that's what you wish." He tells and grabs my hand in his. "I have been wanting to tell you, but I love you. I've been in love since before the party when Steele's father introduced you two to be married." "I would rather not rush into things with you just yet, but we can't take it slow since the baby if you are pregnant."

When he told me that, I didn't hesitate any longer and kissed him. He kissed me back. He didn't break the kiss, and he laid me down on the couch, just making on the couch. Then he stopped and after we cuddled watching friends.

Later on, he called a family friend in the next town over from us who was a Dr. and got me an appointment. Ever since I told him, he's been checking up on me and asking if I needed anything.

But that night I could sleep a little better.

The night is quieter than I expected, and the sound of the rain hitting the roof outside is oddly soothing. I curl up under the blankets, trying to find comfort in the stillness of the room, but my mind refuses to settle. Every time I close my eyes, I see Kian's face when I told him. The way his expression softened, his voice unwavering as he told me he loved me.

It feels like I've been holding my breath for so long, but now that it's out there, it's like the world is shifting beneath me. My whole life has been controlled by fear and obligation-by my father's expectations, by Steele's promises-but this? This is different. It's uncertain, unpredictable, but it feels real.

I hear Kian's voice coming from the hallway, low and quiet as he speaks on the phone with his family friend. I don't know what he's saying, but I can tell by the way he pauses between sentences that he's serious, and everything he's doing now is for me.

The truth is, I don't know what comes next. I don't know how this is all going to play out-how the baby, Kian, and my father's empire fit into the puzzle of my life. But one thing is certain: I've never felt more alive, more like myself, than I do right now.

Kian finishes his call, and the door to the room creaks open softly. He walks in quietly, not wanting to disturb me, but I can feel the weight of his presence in the room.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, his voice a quiet murmur in the dark. His concern is still there, like a steady thread running through everything he does. I feel the pull of it, his warmth, his steady hand that's been there for me even when I didn't know I needed it.

"I'm okay," I say, my voice softer than I intended. I shift a little, letting the blanket fall off my shoulders. "I just... I keep thinking about everything, and it's a lot to process."

He doesn't say anything at first, just sits on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on me. I feel him watching me, like he's trying to read my every thought.

"I know," he says finally, his hand brushing against mine. "I don't want to pressure you. I just want you to know that no matter what, I'm here. We'll figure this out together."

I nod, but there's still that knot in my chest. I'm torn between the life I've known and the future that's now unfolding before me. I don't know how to reconcile the two, but with Kian, there's a small part of me that believes we can.

"Thank you," I whisper, my voice shaky. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kian leans forward, kissing me softly on the forehead. "You'll never have to find out."

The warmth of his kiss lingers, and for the first time in a long while, I feel like maybe, just maybe, things will be okay. Even if I'm carrying a secret that could change everything. Even if the world around me is still unpredictable and chaotic, there's something in Kian's arms, in his presence, that feels like home.