"Did you get me fucking pregnant?!"

Silence. Complete silence.

Zane freezes. For one long second he just stares at me, like his brain completely stopped working.

Then:

"What?"

The word comes out almost breathless.

I’m shaking now.

"You heard me!"

His eyes search my face rapidly. Then lower briefly toward my stomach before snapping back up again.

"You’re pregnant?"

"I asked you a question!"

"Elaine...."

"Did you do something?!" My voice cracks slightly from emotion. "Did you mess with my pills or something?!"

The second the accusation leaves my mouth, something changes in his face.

Not anger.

Shoc. Pure shock

"What the fuck?"

"You tell me!"

"Who told you that?"

I cross my arms tightly over myself.

"So it’s possible?"

"No!"

The answer comes instantly Offended.

Zane stares at me like he genuinely can’t believe what he’s hearing. Emotion climbs painfully into my throat.

"Then how am I pregnant?!"

His entire expression shifts again at the confirmation. The reality of it finally lands fully between us and suddenly neither of us speaks.

We just stare at each other, breathing hard.

My heart pounds painfully against my ribs while too many emotions fight inside me at once.

Zane looks completely blindsided, like this wasn’t something he expecte

I turn sharply and storm out of the office before he can say another word.

"Elaine."

I ignore him. My chest feels too tight and my emotions too loud. I hear his footsteps behind me almost immediately Of course he’s following me.

I spin around halfway down the hallway, pointing a finger straight at him.

"Don’t even think about it."

Zane stops instantly.

His face is still filled with shock from everything I just screamed at him in his office, but now there’s something else too.

Concern.

Like he’s trying not to make things worse.

"I just want to talk."

"I don’t!"

My voice cracks slightly and that only makes me angrier.i turn immediately and continue toward our room before he can say anything else.

The second I get inside, I slam the door shut behind me hard enough to rattle the walls.

A second later I hear Zane stop outside the room.

Silence follows. Which somehow makes tears burn harder behind my eyes.

"Fuck!"

I throw my bag carelessly across the room before climbing onto the bed.

Then finally I break. Angry tears spill down my face fast and hot while frustration crashes through me all over again.

I hit the mattress hard with my fists.

Again and again.

"This is so unfair!"

The words come out broken and shaky.

I bury my face briefly into one of the pillows trying to breathe through the storm of emotions tearing through me.

I’m pregnant, actually pregnant. My body suddenly feels unfamiliar, like it belongs to somebody else now.

I cry until my head starts hurting, until my breathing evens out slowl, until exhaustion finally replaces the sharp edge of panic.

The room becomes quiet afterward except for the sound of my sniffles. I stare blankly toward the ceiling for a long time.

Then slowly...My thoughts start shifting, because ecause underneath all the fear and confusion...There’s another truth too, one I’ve spent years trying not to think about too deeply and convincing myself other wise.

I have always wanted children. Always. I just never let myself truly dream about it.

Not when I was sick. Not when every doctor looked at me with pity hidden behind professional smiles.

Not when I genuinely believed I was dying.

How could I bring a child into the world knowing I might not stay long enough to raise them? How could I love a baby only to leave them behind?

That fear buried the dream before I ever allowed it to fully exist.

But now...i slowly place a hand over my stomach and my breath catches softly.

There could actually be a baby there...a tiny little person.

Mine...my vhild.

The thought no longer feels terrifying in this moment. Just overwhelming and emotional.

My eyes sting again but differently this time

"Oh God," I whisper quietly.

A watery laugh escapes me suddenly because despite everything...Despite the panic and the fear, despite how chaotic and complicated my life is...i already know something with complete certainty, that my child would be loved beyond reason, spoile absolutely rotten. I smile faintly through lingering tears while rubbing my stomach gently.

"Your parents are a mess already," I mumble softly. "Poor thing."

——-

I sit there on the bed for a long moment, phone still in my hand, thumb hovering over Lucas’s contact. My mind keeps circling the same thought over and over again.

Noah and Lucas are going to lose their minds.

Caleb... Caleb will probably just stare at me for a long time and say something like, "Hell yeah I’m gonna be an uncle."

I exhale sharply.

"Fuck."

I finally press call. It rings twice before Lucas picks up.

"Elaine?"

His voice is calm, but alert in that way that tells me he’s already switched into work mode.

"Hey," I say, trying to sound normal and failing immediately.

There’s a pause.

"You sound weird," he says.

"Thanks."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

I lean back against the headboard.

"I need you at the house tomorrow."

Another pause.

"Why?"

"I just... need you here."

His tone shifts slightly.

"What happened?"

My fingers tighten around the phone, mothing I can say easily.....Not yet.

"I just need you to come."

Lucas exhales slowly.

"Alright. I was actually going to speak to Zane about something anyway."

My stomach tightens a little.

"Good. Bring the others too."

Now there’s a real pause.

"...why?"

"Nothing serious," I lie quickly. "It’s just been a while. I want to see you guys."

He doesn’t answer immediately. I can practically hear him thinking through it.

"You’re lying," he says finally.

"I’m not."

"You are."

I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me.

"Lucas."

"Elaine."

Silence stretches between us, then finally he sighs.

"Fine. I’ll bring them.

Relief hits me instantly.

"Thank you."

"But I’m watching you," he adds.

"Always," I mutter.

He hangs up.

I drop my phone onto the bed and let out a long breath, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow is going to be chaos, i just know it.

A soft knock interrupts my thoughts and I freez.

"Elaine."

It’s Zane. Before I can even answer, the door opens anyway and he steps inside. He looks calmer now than earlier, but there’s still something heavy in his expression, like he knows we’re standing on unstable ground.

I open my mouth immediately.

"Zane, I really don’t want to...."

He closes the distance in two steps and then.....He drops on his knees rught in front of me.

I actually freeze.

"What are you doing?" I blurt out.

Zane doesn’t look away from me.

"I’ve never knelt for anyone," he says quietly. "Not once in my life."

My heart stutters slightly at his tone

"But I’m doing it now. For you"

He exhales slowly.

"Because I know I messed up."

The anger I was holding onto starts wobbling slightly.

"I shouldn’t have swapped your pills," he says, voice steady but low. "I shouldn’t have made that decision for you. There’s no excuse for it."

My throat tightens instantl as He continues.

"I’m not going to justify it. I can’t."

He swallows.

"But I need you to know something."

His eyes lift to mine.

"You matter more to me than anything. And whatever this is"....his hand moves slightly, as if referencing everything between us, the chaos, the pregnancy, the fear..."we’re going to handle it together."

My breath catches.

"And our child," he adds softly, "or children... they’re not something I want to run from."

Something in my chest twists as I stare at him.

Kneeling, Saying all of this and looking like he actually means every word.

Then suddenly I scoff lightly, wiping under my eye quickly because I hate that I’m still emotional.

"You’re kinda hot on your knees in front of me."

Zane blinks once...that clearly was not what he expected.

"Get up," I say quickly, pointing at him. "So I can think properly about whether I’m forgiving you or not.

A faint smile tugs at his lips as he stands slowly.

"There’s my girl."

I immediatel narrow my eyes.

"Don’t ’there’s my girl’ me. I’m still mad."

His smile grows just slightly.

"So... I’m forgiven?"

I scoff again.

"No."

He pauses.

"No?"

I cross my arms.

"Absolutely not."

His brows lift slightly.

"Then what do you call this?"

I tilt my head.

"I call this me trying not to kick you in your balls."

He exhales a soft laugh under his breath

"Progress."

I point at him again, my expression hardening.

"You don’t get to act all charming and then expect things to go back to normal."

Zane leans slightly against the edge of the bed now, watching me carefully.

"I’m listening."

My voice drops a little.

"Your punishment is no sex until I say so."

A slow blink from him.

"...you’re serious."

"Completely."

His lips twitch like he’s trying not to smile.

"That’s cruel."

"I don’t care."

He nods slowly.

"Understood."

I narrow my eyes.

"Don’t look pleased about it."

"I’m not," he says immediately, far too calmly.

I glare at him.

He definitely is.