Forbidden Desires: The Neighbour Next Door

The Waiting Game

Ethan paced the length of the small flat, his hands clenched into fists as he tried to contain his frustration. The ultrasound had been everything he had hoped for—their baby was real, growing, with a heartbeat that had filled the room with the promise of the future they had both dreamed of. And yet, Isabelle still wanted to wait.

"Why are we waiting?" he asked, his voice strained with impatience. "We've seen the baby, Isabelle. We know everything's fine. What's the point in delaying any longer?"

Isabelle sat on the edge of the bed, her hands resting protectively over her abdomen, her eyes calm but resolute. She had known this conversation was coming. Ethan's excitement had been building since the moment they left the clinic, and she had felt the tension rising between them ever since. But she couldn't let him rush into it—not yet.

"I just think we should wait until the 12th week," Isabelle said softly, trying to keep her voice steady, even though she could feel the tension radiating from him. "It's only a few more weeks, Ethan. We'll be past the first trimester then. It's safer."

Ethan stopped pacing and turned to face her, his jaw clenched. "Safer?" he repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Isabelle, we've seen the baby. Everything's fine. What are we waiting for? Do you think Sarah's going to take it any better in a few weeks than she would now?"

Isabelle bit her lip, choosing her words carefully. "It's not about Sarah. It's about us... and the baby. I just want to be sure everything's going as it should. The first trimester can be... fragile."

He let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I understand that you're cautious, but this is driving me mad, Isabelle. We're keeping this secret when we don't need to. Every day we wait feels like we're lying to Sarah."

"I know," Isabelle whispered, lowering her eyes. "I know it's hard, but I'm asking you to trust me on this. Please. Just a little longer."

Ethan's frustration simmered beneath the surface, but the look in her eyes softened him, as it always did. He walked over to her, kneeling in front of her, his hands reaching out to cup her face gently. "I do trust you," he murmured. "But I don't want to hide anymore. I want this baby, Isabelle. I want you. I want all of it out in the open."

She placed her hand over his, leaning into his touch. "And you'll have it, Ethan. I promise. But we need to be smart about this. Once we tell Sarah, there's no going back. Everything will change, and... I want to make sure we're ready for that."

Ethan looked at her, searching her face for some sign of reassurance. His heart was torn between the overwhelming joy he felt about their baby and the unbearable weight of keeping it all hidden. He hated the secrecy, the sneaking around, the stolen moments that felt like they could be taken away at any time. But Isabelle... Isabelle had been the one thing that had brought him hope, and now, with the baby, that hope had become a reality.

"You want to wait until the 12th week?" he asked quietly, his voice softening. "Is that what you need?"

She nodded, her eyes meeting his. "Yes. Just until then. And after that, we'll tell her everything."

Ethan exhaled slowly, standing up and pulling her into his arms. "Alright," he said, his voice low with resignation. "We'll wait. But after the 12th week, Isabelle, we're telling her. I don't want to hide any longer than that."

"I promise," Isabelle whispered, resting her head against his chest. "After the 12th week, we'll tell her."

The next few weeks passed in a strange limbo. Ethan was still attentive to Sarah, playing the part of the perfect husband, but inside, he was counting down the days. Every morning, he woke with the same gnawing impatience, wanting to speak the truth, to stop pretending. The weight of the secret was becoming harder to bear, especially when Sarah seemed so blissfully unaware.

Chloe, too, continued to be a fixture in their lives, her 18th birthday approaching with a quiet intensity. She had grown bolder in her interactions with Ethan, her smiles lingering too long, her conversations laced with flirtation. Ethan brushed it off as teenage infatuation, but Isabelle wasn't so sure. She saw the way Chloe looked at him, the way she watched every move he made, and it unsettled her. But she couldn't afford to think too much about Chloe right now.

All her focus was on the baby.

By the time they reached the 10th week, Isabelle could feel the subtle changes in her body. Her nausea had subsided slightly, but her emotions were all over the place. She cried at the smallest things, and her moods swung from excitement to anxiety. Ethan, to his credit, remained by her side, offering comfort whenever she needed it, but his frustration was still there, simmering just beneath the surface.

One evening, as they lay together on the sofa in the flat, Ethan gently rested his hand on her growing belly, his touch tender but his voice edged with tension. "Only two more weeks," he whispered. "And then... no more secrets."

Isabelle nodded, placing her hand over his. "Two more weeks," she echoed softly. "And then we tell her."

But even as she said the words, there was a part of her that still feared what would happen when the time came. What would Sarah do? How would she react? Isabelle had no illusions about the pain this revelation would cause. She just hoped that Ethan's love for her—and their baby—would be enough to see them through.

"We'll get through it," Ethan said as if sensing her hesitation. "I promise, Isabelle. No matter what happens with Sarah, it's you and me now. And our baby."

Isabelle smiled faintly, but the knot of anxiety in her chest didn't ease. She wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that everything would work out. But the uncertainty of what lay ahead was a constant shadow over her happiness.

"Let's just get to the 12th week," she whispered, more to herself than to Ethan. "Then we'll figure everything else out."

Ethan kissed her softly on the forehead, his hand never leaving her belly. "We'll figure it out together. I love you, Isabelle."

"I love you too," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder. "I love you and our baby."

And with that, they fell into a silence that was both comforting and full of unspoken fears, waiting for the day when their secret could finally be revealed.