Ink & Intrigue -jaden hossler

Chapter 41: Unexplained

Londen's POV

The days after Jaden’s proposal felt like a dream. The ring on my finger was a constant reminder of how far we’d come, and every time I looked at it, my heart would flutter. The tour had come to an end, and now, we were home—finally able to enjoy the quiet moments without the madness of the stage.

Jaden and I spent time with friends, family, and each other, relishing in the excitement of what was to come next. The wedding was on the horizon, and we couldn’t stop talking about our plans for the future—what our lives would look like as husband and wife.

But in the midst of all the excitement, something unexpected happened.

It started with a feeling I couldn’t quite explain. I’d always been regular with my cycles, so when I realized I was late, I brushed it off at first. Stress from the tour, late nights, travel—it all seemed like a plausible explanation. But as the days passed, I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that something was off.

I told myself to wait. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

But then, I felt nauseous. I was tired all the time, and no amount of sleep seemed to help. My body was acting in ways it never had before, and that instinctive feeling told me I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

One afternoon, while Jaden was out running errands, I decided to take the test. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving any room for doubt. I locked myself in the bathroom, staring at the small box in my hands like it held the answer to everything.

When I saw the result, everything seemed to stop.

I stared at the two pink lines on the test in disbelief. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry, or simply collapse.

Pregnant.

I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was like the world around me slowed to a halt.

I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, but eventually, I managed to snap myself out of the trance and grab my phone. I needed to talk to someone—someone who would understand. I dialed my best friend, Mia, but she didn’t answer. I tried again, and this time, she picked up.

"Hello?" Mia’s voice crackled through the line.

"Mia, I need to talk to you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

She must’ve heard the panic in my voice, because her tone instantly shifted. "What’s wrong? What happened?"

"I... I took a test," I began, my voice shaking. "It’s positive."

The line was silent for a moment. Then Mia’s voice came through, soft but filled with concern. "Wait, are you saying—?"

"I’m pregnant, Mia," I whispered. "I don’t even know how this happened. We’ve been careful... but I guess... we weren’t careful enough."

Mia let out a slow breath. "Londen, this is huge. Are you okay? Have you talked to Jaden?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. "No, not yet. I don’t even know how to tell him. This is... everything’s moving so fast."

Mia took a moment before replying. "You need to tell him, Londy. He loves you. He’s going to be there for you no matter what. But you have to tell him soon. You’re both in this together."

I nodded to myself, though I wasn’t entirely sure how to face Jaden with the news. Would he be excited? Worried? Happy? Nervous? I had no idea what he would think. What if he wasn’t ready? What if I wasn’t ready?

---

When Jaden came home later that day, I was pacing around the living room, my thoughts spinning in every direction. The moment felt too big, too overwhelming to just drop casually into conversation.

Jaden found me standing by the window, deep in thought. He smiled as he walked toward me, his arms open for a hug. But I didn’t move.

He stopped short, sensing the change in the air. "What’s wrong, Londy? You look like you’re about to burst."

I swallowed hard, looking down at the floor, trying to find the right words.

"Jaden... there’s something I need to tell you," I said, my voice trembling.

He looked at me, his smile slowly fading as he stepped closer. "What is it? You’re scaring me."

I took a deep breath, my heart racing. "Jaden, I’m pregnant."

The silence that followed felt like a punch to the gut. I searched his face for any sign of what he was thinking, but his expression was unreadable. He blinked a few times, as if trying to process the words I’d just said.

"You’re... you’re pregnant?" he asked, his voice low, almost disbelieving.

I nodded, unable to speak.

For a moment, it felt like time stopped. Jaden stood there, completely still, his hands resting at his sides as he processed everything. The weight of the situation was hanging in the air, and I could feel every inch of uncertainty between us.

Finally, he moved, stepping closer to me. "I... I don’t even know what to say."

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears. "I didn’t expect this. I didn’t know how this would happen, but I don’t know what to do now. I’m scared, Jaden. Are we ready for this?"

Jaden looked down at his feet for a moment, as if thinking, before he slowly took my hand in his. "I don’t know what to say either. But what I do know is that we’ve always faced things together. And we’ll face this together, too. No matter what."

The uncertainty that had been swirling inside of me slowly started to settle. I could feel Jaden’s calm, steady presence beside me, and it was the anchor I needed.

He pulled me into a tight hug, holding me close. "We’ll figure this out," he whispered, his voice filled with conviction. "We’ve always figured things out, and we will now, too. Together."

For the first time since I’d found out, I felt a little bit of peace. Maybe we weren’t ready. Maybe this was unexpected. But I knew one thing for sure—no matter what came next, Jaden and I would face it as a team.

And that was all that mattered.