The Warmest Winter✓

Forty

"Six days late." My direful voice digs a hole of fright in my heart.

I'm still staring at the pinkish display of my period tracker on the phone, not knowing if whatever I'm thinking is true or not. I've never been this late before.

"Why are you awake so early?" Liam snaps as he coasts from the dressing room.

"Um . . ." I shove the phone under the duvet and glance at him.

He frowns. "What's wrong?" .

"What could possibly be wrong? It's all good—rise and shine." I sit up and stretch my arms, a forged smile on my face. "Good morning, Mr. Darcy."

"Morning." Liam takes a seat beside me, smiling back. "You need to sleep more. It's cold and early." Leaning over, he lays a gentle kiss on my lips.

Well, I probably couldn't sleep more as something keeps bugging me since last night.

I sigh softly, inhaling the smell of my husband's cologne that's still so fresh and alluring. Alluring? Yeah, but no. Feeling turned on and beguiled is far from the subject at the moment. I'm in a damp mood, deadly even. Am I really pregnant? No, I can't be.

"Kira." Liam shakes me slightly. I wince back startled, and his face furrows. "Is something wrong?"

"No." I respond quickly. "I'm just feeling under the weather today. I guess the London cold is doing things to this Californian body."

Yeah, right! My subconscious rolls her eyes, slowly heading back to bed.

"Are you sick?" Liam palms my cheeks instantly, then around my neck, testing my body heat.

"I'm fine." I chuckle softly. Liam looks hardly convinced, his astute gaze focused on my eyes. "Trust me, Liam. I'm really okay. I'll just go back to sleep and wake up later. I told you I'm going out with Roshni, right?"

"Yeah," he breathes. "But if you're not feeling well, I advise you to stay at home. If not we're going to have a serious problem, Kira, and I mean it." It's a calm warning, but the menace in his voice is very apparent.

"Of course, sir." I grin, but he's not impressed. I lay a stout kiss on his lips and say, "How about smiling instead, huh? You look super grumpy right now."

"I am grumpy right now," he replies obtusely and I burst into laughter. He laughs along. "Mr. Prescott will drive you. You can pick Roshni from Malik's."

Having an escort? I want to argue, but my current situation restrains me from even trying.

"Okay." I accept his arrangement.

"You're being cooperative, Mrs. Darcy? Very strange," Liam murmurs while getting up from the bed. I just smile. "Call me when you leave the house. Or text me at the very least."

"I will." I lie back, pulling the duvet while eyeing my husband until he finishes his rounds.

"Be good. Ti amo." He doesn't leave without my kiss.

I try to sleep after Liam's departure but I fail miserably. Sighing, I sit up in bed and continue pondering about my delayed period. My first fertility talk with Dr. Carson flashes back, turning the possibility higher.

It was during Sam's first visit to the gynecologist after learning she's pregnant. That's when I decided to delve into birth control alternatives, and my last option was the Combination pills.

You need to be consistent for the pills to work. He told me this, and I've been careful until I stopped caring as I should.

It was all fun and games whenever I thought about this—my love for row sex, my imagination towards having babies ever since I met Liam—but now that it's nearly knocking on my door, why is it kind of frightening?