That One Night Stand

54

Maya POV

I heard the knocking on the door, stirring me from my sleep. The lounge room was still lit up from the Christmas lights and the tv. Whatever was on the tv wasn't what I was watching earlier.

Rubbing an eye, I got up, slightly disorientated as the soft knocking continued.

"Did you forget your keys?" I called out playfully, thinking it was Susie and Harry with Lilly. I got to the door and opened it, expecting my brother and Susie, one of them holding their baby, but instead, I saw Conrad.

It was still raining and he was dripping wet, standing there, looking remorseful.

"Conrad." I whispered out before clearing my throat. "What are you doing here?"

"Before you get mad, yes, Susie told me you were here," he started and I pouted, annoyed at my sister in law. "But, only after I told her everything."

That intrigued me as I crossed my arms, leaning against the door frame. "Everything?"

"Everything." He copied.

We both stood there for another minute before he asked to come inside.

"Yeah." I muttered, stepping away from the door.

Once the door was shut, I turned to face Conrad. "You came all this way, in the pouring rain, just to tell me that your sister knows?"

"That and other things." He told me. I saw how he hesitated before taking a step to me and I tilted my head, my face warning him not to come closer. Last time I saw him, his words had hurt me so much. I was still hurt by them.

"What you said, back in my apartment." I started, trying to piece the sentence together.

"Was mean and uncalled for." Conrad finished. "I'm so sorry for that." Then he swooped my hands up and gripped them tightly. "Maya, I don't care that you're pregnant. I don't care who the father is. Let me be with you, help you."

"You can't, Conrad. What I said, I'm sticking by. You have Tiffany. A reputation as we all do."

"Actually, Tiffany and I are officially divorced. Have been for some time now."

I felt him let my hands go. I don't know how to process this because it's all I've been wishing for a while. Sinking my teeth in to my bottom lip, I blinked profusely at Conrad. I need to tell him. I have to tell him.

"That night, in my hotel room, back in Brisbane." I started, gripping my own fingers and casted my eyes downwards. I suddenly felt ashamed. Ashamed that I hid it for so long.

"What of it, Maya?" Was Conrad's dark tone.

"It happened so fast, I didn't have a chance to say anything about it. I had to go off my contraception for a couple months. It was just a routine thing. I had to have my bar taken out and after a couple months, I was going on the needle, but..." I took a deep breathe, trying to not only calm my heart rate, but clear my head and fight back the emotional mess that was about to happen.

"But you fell pregnant."

I rolled my eyes and nodded, my lips pressed together. "Yeah. It's not something I planned because I wanted to wait a few more years first."

"Hold up." I could see his brain thinking then, a small frown on his face.

"Yeah." I said slowly, nodding.

"That's my child?"

"Very high chance."

The tension became thick and I knew what was going on in his head. He was questioning everything.

"I know that I sleep around, but I was only seeing one other person until you scared him off. And trust me, we were using protection."

"But I didn't."

I shrugged, not really knowing for sure. "I don't know. Did you?"

The silence had returned to the room and I kept my gaze to the ground. All I could hear from both of us was our breathing.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure." I whispered, blinking. "Call me names. Call me a slut. Tell me you're disappointed in me. Leave me in my turmoil." I felt the tears rise up and I kept blinking them away, not wanting to let Conrad know that I'm crying.

But he didn't say any of those things. What he did do was wrap his thick arms around me, moving my head to rest on his chest and I felt his head on top of mine.

"I'm not going to call you names, Maya. I'm not going to do any of those things. But this is what I'll do." I felt Conrad step away and his hand went to my chin, making me look up. His thumb brushed my cheek, wiping away the tears. "I'm going to support you. I'm going to support this baby, mine or not. I dont want you doubting yourself ever again. Am I clear, Maya?"

I couldn't see properly, the tears blocking my vision, but I nodded.

"We will do this together." Then he held me again, tightly to him as I let out a small sob. I just wanted to be able to have him, to not sneak around, to not have guilt or the feeling of being caught.

In that instant, I felt all my burdens disappear and I think Conrad felt it too. He placed a soft kiss on my head, squeezing me tighter as I stayed nestled in his arms.

I didn't care for any of my other problems, in that minute, I had none and I was grateful.

"I love you, Maya and I have for a while. No more ignoring me, no more leaving me. If you have a problem, talk to me."

"Okay." I sniffled blankly as I processed the words. He loves me? I was so happy at that. I looked up and kissed him.

Truth be told, I love him too.