Loves A Thief

81

Lando

"I mean it, Lando. As your mother, I'm telling you, go to her now! You don't leave your girlfriend after you find out she's pregnant!" My mom's voice rang out in frustration, louder than she probably meant it to be. I could practically see her pacing on the other end of the line. I had told her everything—about Evie, about the possibility of her being pregnant, and how I completely bailed like an idiot. None of it felt real, but her words made it impossible to escape.

"I know, Mom. I was going to go see her anyway. I was a full-on dickhead for walking away," I mumble, pushing open the door to the hotel. The air was heavy and cold, a perfect match for the pit of guilt sitting in my stomach. I was still in the Netherlands, refusing to leave the country until I fixed this. Max had told me Evie was still here, staying with him and Pietra. They were good enough to offer their place, giving Evie the space to breathe—space that she needed after what I had done.

"Remember, Lando," my mom's voice softened just a bit, but the urgency was still there. "Don't let her blame herself for this. I know how women think. They always end up blaming themselves for things that aren't their fault. She's probably terrified right now. You need to be the man in this situation, okay?"

Her words struck a nerve, making me realize how much I had already failed. I didn't even give her a chance to talk before I ran away. How selfish could I be?

"I know, Mom. I know," I sigh, gripping the phone tightly. "I'll fix this. I promise."

"I hope so. Don't make the same mistake as many other people do" she mutters, and before I can say anything else, she ends the call. The thought of that comparison hurts more than anything. The last thing I ever wanted was to be like those guys, who leave there pregnant loved ones, but here I was, on the verge of becoming exactly that—a coward who ran away when things got tough.

The walk to Max and Pietra's room wasn't long, but every step felt like a mile. My heart was pounding in my chest, my mind racing with all the things I needed to say to Evie, but didn't know how. I knocked on the door, hoping Max had kept his word and given us space.

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, and there she was. Evie stood in front of me, still in her pajamas, her hair a mess, and her eyes swollen and red from crying. It broke me. I had done that to her. The girl I loved more than anything, and I had made her feel like this.

"Are you here to yell at me again?" Her voice was small, cracked. "To tell me you want to break up?" Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and she stared at me with this raw vulnerability that made me want to crawl into a hole. She was expecting me to hurt her again.

I shook my head immediately, stepping inside without a second thought. "No, of course not. That's not why I'm here."

She closed the door behind me, but I could feel the tension in the air. The room felt too small, too claustrophobic. Her silence hung heavy between us, and I knew she had more to say. Then, she whispered, barely audible, "It's positive. I'm pregnant, Lando."

Time seemed to stop for a moment, her words sinking in slowly. My entire body froze as if everything around me had gone completely still. She was pregnant. We were going to have a baby. I wasn't ready for this—not at all. I was still young, still figuring out my career, and now... now I had to think about being a father? Could I even do that?

"That's, uh, good," I mutter, but my voice sounds foreign to me. It's not good. It's terrifying. I don't know the first thing about being a dad, and the last thing I want is to mess this up.

"Good?" Her voice trembled, her eyes widening as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

I run a hand through my hair, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I mean... look, I'm sorry I walked away, Evie. I panicked. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't want to say something I'd regret, so I left. I know it was a shitty thing to do. I just—I wasn't prepared to hear it. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm not leaving you, and I'm not leaving the baby. We're in this together. You and me."

Her shoulders sag with relief, but her eyes are still glossy with unshed tears. I can see the weight of everything bearing down on her, and it makes me feel even worse for not being there when she needed me the most.

I step closer to her, my hands finding her face, cupping her cheeks as I gently tilt her head up so she's looking at me. "Please forgive me," I whisper, my forehead resting against hers. "I'm so sorry, Evie. I'll never walk away like that again. I promise."

For a moment, she's quiet, and I wonder if she's going to push me away. But then, she leans into me, her lips brushing against mine in the softest, slowest kiss. It's tender, filled with all the things we haven't said to each other. When she pulls away, her eyes search mine, and I can see the doubt creeping back in.

"I know you don't really want this," she whispers, her voice trembling. "I don't expect you to stay with me forever just because of the baby. I know it's a lot, and I don't want you to feel trapped."

I shake my head immediately, placing my hands on her shoulders. "No, don't say that. I'm not leaving, Evie. I might be scared—I won't lie about that—but I'm not going anywhere. As much as this wasn't planned, it's my responsibility too. I didn't think about protection, so this isn't on you. Don't blame yourself. We'll figure this out together. I promise."

She lets out a shaky breath, her fingers wiping at her tear-streaked cheeks. "I'm just... I'm terrified, Lando. What if I'm not ready? What if we mess this up? I don't know if I can be a mom."

I take her hand, squeezing it gently. "You're going to be an amazing mom, Evie. You're strong, and you have the biggest heart. And I'll be right there with you every step of the way. We'll mess up sometimes, sure, but that's part of it, right? We'll learn together. Just don't push me away, okay?"

She looks at me, her lips quivering, and nods slowly. "Okay. Just promise me you won't leave."

"I promise," I say, wrapping my arms around her tightly, pulling her into me. "I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together. Always."

She clings to me, burying her face in my chest, and I can feel the tension slowly leaving her body, it feels like we're finally on the same page, and though the road ahead is uncertain, one thing is clear—we'll face it together.

|~~~~~|

A.N- This is the last post for the next 4 days, I'm going camping, and there is no service there at all, I'm sorry yall, but when I come back I'll try post a lot.

Love yall!