Chapter 92

Olivia

As weeks passed, my belly grew.

A gentle curve, a tangible evidence of the life growing inside me. I felt the shifts, the changes in my body as our little one grew stronger each day. I couldn't quite believe it, but there it was, undeniable, this new life blooming within me.

It wasn’t only my body that had changed. My health was improving.

The nausea lessened, and I was eating better. Levi, my escort turned friend, was instrumental in this. We’d go on long walks together, trading stories and laughter. My world had certainly become more colorful and interesting with him in it.

Between Angela and Levi, I felt happy in this little town once again, no longer an outsider. I had a few friends, although I wished that my friendship with Nathan could be closer.

An uncomfortable energy had formed between us throughout the course of our living together, and there was no denying it. Lately, we hardly felt like friends anymore. It was… confusing.

One day, while lazing on the couch, my phone buzzed. I reached over, expecting maybe a message from Angela or another mundane notification. My breath hitched when I saw the name on the screen: “Ryan.”

Ryan. My ex. The man I hadn’t spoken to in months. My heart pounded. The call continued to ring, filling the silent room. I stared at it, a lump forming in my throat.

My fingers hovered over the screen. To answer, or not to answer? Before I could decide, the screen darkened. The call had ended. I exhaled, realizing I’d been holding my breath.

I let my phone drop beside me, my mind swirling with confusion. Why would he call? I hadn’t expected to hear from him. I thought he was out of my life, out of our baby's life.

A pang of sadness shot through my heart at that thought.

As if on cue, my phone buzzed again, a message this time. I snatched it up, my heart pounding in my chest. From Ryan, a text: “I'll be in town soon. Can we meet up? There are things I need to say.”

A range of emotions swept over me. Fear, anger, and although I didn’t want to admit it… there was a sliver of hope somewhere in there, too.

Did he want to be involved? Did he want to apologize? Be a father to our child? I wasn’t sure which of those things I wanted, maybe all or none of them, but the glimmer of hope that things could be different was there.

I bit my lip, a habit when I was nervous, and decided to wait before replying.

Later that evening, Nathan came home. He looked exhausted, but he still managed to greet me with a terse smile.

“Hey,” he said, setting a large paper bag down on the counter. “I picked up takeout food. Didn’t really feel like cooking tonight.”

I smiled in return. “Thanks,” I murmured. As I walked over to the cabinet and pulled out two plates, my mind raced with what I would say.

I had been thinking about Ryan’s message all day, about what I would say to Nathan. I knew that I needed to tell him, but it scared me.

Nathan let out a sigh and sank down onto one of the stools at the kitchen counter. I turned back to look at him, plates gripped tightly in my hand, and watched for a moment as he rubbed his eyes.

Maybe he’s too tired today, I thought to myself. Maybe it should wait…

No.

It couldn’t wait. If I waited, then Nathan would just be upset that I didn’t tell him right away. I was worrying for nothing; yes, our relationship had been a little awkward, but he was still my best friend. He would be here for me, my rock, my voice of reason. Hopefully.

I swallowed and set the plates down on the counter.

“Nathan,” I began, my fingers worrying the hem of my shirt. “I need to tell you something.”

He looked at me, a look of concern flashing across his face as he instinctively furrowed his brows. He could already tell that something was wrong. “What is it, Liv?”

I took in a deep breath. “Nathan, I…” I paused, swallowing again. “My ex called me earlier.”

Nathan’s eyes widened. “Did you answer?”

I shook my head. “No. I didn’t know what to do… But then he texted me. Nathan, he… He wants to meet up. He says that he has some things that he wants to say.”

As I spoke, my friend’s face darkened. I saw something flicker in his eyes. Disappointment? Hurt? It was gone before I could identify it.

“Liv,” he began, running a hand through his hair. “Remember our deal. You're carrying what people believe to be my child. This... this isn't just about you anymore.”

His words hit me hard.

Of course, I knew that. But hearing it out loud, the stark reality of our situation made me feel odd. There was no understanding in his voice, no gentleness. I had hoped that he would be more open to discussing it, more supportive, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“I know it’s not just about me,” I quipped, gripping the edge of the counter tightly. “Don’t you think I should talk to him, though? Maybe he wants to at least be in the baby’s life. Maybe he had a change of heart—”

“Olivia.” Nathan’s voice was stern and almost cold. “Men like that don’t have changes of heart. Do what you want, but… Don’t forget what he did to you. And don’t forget our deal. His presence could ruin everything.”

Nathan’s words cut into me like a knife. A heavy silence hung between us after that, but it was quickly dissolved by the sounds of plates and silverware clanking as Nathan withdrew the takeout food from the bag and got it ready for us.

I knew he was right, but it didn’t stop the small seed of hope in my heart. Maybe Ryan and I could fix things. Maybe he could be a father to our baby.

We ate dinner in front of the television with only a movie to fill the void. But I didn’t pay attention at all; I couldn’t stop thinking about Ryan and about what Nathan had said.

I couldn’t stop glancing over at my phone, either, hoping secretly for another call or text. Part of me wanted to prove Nathan wrong.

After dinner, we cleaned up in the kitchen. As soon as the dishes were done, Nathan began his nightly retreat to his bedroom.

“Goodnight, Olivia,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.

I watched him for a moment, chewing my lip. His form started to retreat up the stairs, just as it had been doing every night as soon as our necessary socialization had ended. But I couldn’t let him go. Not tonight.

“Nathan,” I called after him.

He stopped and slowly turned to look at me. “What is it?”

I took a deep, ragged breath. “Nathan, I… I just thought…” My voice faltered.

As though reading my thoughts, Nathan sighed and passed a hand over his weary face. “We'll figure it out, Liv. We always do.”

In the silence that followed, I nodded. We always did figure things out, didn't we?

But this time, it felt different. More complicated, more personal. I was carrying his child, but it wasn't just about me anymore.

Nathan was right. We had a deal, a promise. I was carrying what people thought to be his child, and that changed everything.

With Ryan in the picture, it would immediately throw a wrench into things, destroying what we had worked hard to build. Nathan would no doubt be ruined after he had only just recently forged a paternity test.

It was a truth I had to accept, no matter how much I hoped for a different reality. But still, as I laid awake that night, I couldn’t stop turning over to look at Ryan’s text.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard, itching to type out my response.

I couldn’t contain it any longer. My thumbs moved out of instinct, like a puppet on strings. I was no longer in control of my own actions.

“Okay… Where should we meet?”