EvelynThe morning came but my excitement didn’t fade. Overjoyed, I called Clara.Sitting on the bed, I held my phone up for FaceTime, the ringing tone filling the room as I waited for her to pick up. My heart was still soaring, and I couldn't help but smile, practically glowing.I mean, come on! I was engaged.This was no less than a dream, and I clung to it with everything I had, even though I knew Jacob would never let anyone or anything take it away. He was here—right here, beside me, forever.“Why isn’t she picking up?” Jacob’s voice broke through my thoughts. His chin rested on my shoulder, his arms wrapped securely around me as he pulled me closer making me meet his body warmth. A frown creased his brow. “Do you think they’re, I don’t know...making babies?”I gasped, turning my head to gape at him. “What’s wrong with you?!”“What?” He shrugged, his smirk growing infuriatingly. “It’s a plausible reason. Your dad can’t be trusted, you know.”“Excuse me?” I jabbed my finger into h
EvelynTwo days had passed since the excitement of Jacob's proposal, but something else had been gnawing at me like a relentless leech. One nagging, soul-crushing question: Was I even on the pill?The fact that I couldn't remember was maddening. It felt like trying to grasp smoke. I needed to know—desperately. And worse, there was no one I could ask. Who else would know about my pregnancy precautions? That was my responsibility. Solely mine. And I had failed. Miserably.I bit the inside of my cheek, shutting my eyes tightly, trying to will the memory back. Nothing. Just a hazy void where clarity should have been.The only person who might help? Nancy.Jacob was still in the shower, so I had time to call her. My fingers fumbled over my phone as I pulled up her contact and hit FaceTime.The call rang. And rang. Anxiety surged like a tidal wave, crashing harder with each unanswered ring."Pick up, you stupid bitch," I muttered under my breath, pacing the room. "Come on, I need you! Pick
EvelynIt took time to calm my racing thoughts, but even now, I had no answers. Still nothing but a plain sheet of blank covering my whole mind. Every corner.I needed to hear it from Jacob—his opinion, his view. This wasn’t just my decision or a race alone. It was ours.We had to face this situation together…For….Our baby.“I’ve looked into a few venues,” Jacob murmured, brushing his thumb over my ring. The moonlight caught it, making it gleam. “I liked some, but a few need a closer look. You should come with me,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of my head, “Well, you are coming with me.”His warmth lulled me for a moment, my eyes fluttering shut.“So, no more secrets like everything else?” I teased, a soft chuckle escaping as I leaned back against him. His chest met my back, his warmth hugging me and his nose grazed my neck as he inhaled deeply. “If I could keep it a secret, I would,” he deadpanned, making me laugh again. “But I want the venue to be your choice. Besides
EvelynI stepped out of the doctor's office, my heart heavy and light all at once. It thudded violently against my ribs, my breath coming in shallow bursts. My skin felt cold, and tears prickled at the corners of my eyes. The feelings surged, intensifying with every second, creeping into every cell of my body.I felt lost. Hopeless. Overwhelmed.Was I ready to be a mother?I didn't know.Was it too soon? Maybe.But not once, in the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in my mind, did the idea of harming the tiny soul growing inside me cross my mind. My decision had already been made before I even realized there was one to make. I knew what I was going to do.I just didn't know how.Two and a half months. Probably from our time in America. And yet, until two days ago, the thought hadn't even occurred to me.Lost in thought, I pushed open the door to our apartment. The evening light filtered through the large windows, casting a warm glow. I froze when I spotted Jacob. He stood facing the mirr
JacobI sat in my office, drenched in sweat, my breath shallow and quick. Dread crawled under my skin, seeping into my bones, invading every inch of me until I was cold. The air around me felt thick, suffocating, and each breath I managed to draw seemed to take all my strength. It was suddenly a chore to keep breathing and stay alive.I paced back and forth, running a hand through my hair, the dim light above the ceiling the only thing cutting through the darkness. I couldn’t bear to be in complete darkness right now. I needed to see something, anything, just to remind myself I was still here."Calm down," I muttered, trying to steady my shaking hands, clenching them into fists at my sides. "Fucking calm down."It had been years—years since I’d felt like this.The last time was when I was fifteen.I thought I'd outgrown it, that I had put all of it behind me. The fear. The pain. The panic. Why now? Why was it coming back?"He's dead," I breathed out, burying my face in my hands. The w
EvelynSunlight filtered through the small gap between the curtains, landing softly on my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, determined not to wake up, but it only lasted a moment before I gave in. Panic shot through every one of my veins as I opened my eyes and saw the empty space beside me.Sitting up hurriedly, I scanned the room.Did he not come home last night?I slipped on my slippers, ready to search for him, when a realization stopped me in my tracks. I'd fallen asleep on the sofa, waiting for him. Yet here I was, waking up in bed. The memory hit me then—his strong arms carrying me to bed, his warmth enveloping me as he held me close.I stepped out of the bedroom, my ears catching the soft clatter of utensils. Following the sounds to the kitchen, I found him there, cooking breakfast.A sigh of relief escaped me at the sight. He stood at the stove, relaxed and focused, as if the weight of our troubles didn't exist. As if we didn't have a situation to handle. As if we both weren't w
EvelynIt was noon when I couldn’t stand the silence any longer. It was suffocating, eating away at me, and I had no idea how to face it. So, I did the only thing I could—opened the damn door and walked out.Jacob was sitting on the couch, his head lowered, eyes fixed on his hands, clenching them together like they could somehow hold him together. The sound of my footsteps must have pulled him from his haze because his gaze shifted to me, and I saw the tension in his shoulders ease. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.He didn’t say a word, just stood as I walked toward him, stopping just a breath away. My chest tightened. Tears were threatening to spill, and worse—he could see it. That made it worse, because now I couldn’t hide it. The lump in my throat grew with each passing second.Before I could say anything, he raised his hands, cupping my face gently. His touch shattered whatever restraint I had left, and my chin trembled, fighting to hold back the flood of tears.He seemed to feel it
EvelynThe soft sound of someone shifting and moving around the room pulled me from the depths of sleep. My eyes blinked open, heavy with lingering grogginess, and I saw Jacob getting ready—probably for the office, judging by his sharp suit.Dragging myself up despite the weight of sleep threatening to drag me back into the sea of the mattress, I yawned. Maybe it was just another side effect of pregnancy—this constant, consuming need to rest.“What are you doing?” I mumbled, voice thick with sleep.Jacob froze mid-motion, his hand hesitating as he fastened his watch. He turned toward me, his gaze softening as he abandoned the task and approached the bed. “Sorry, baby, did I wake you up?” he murmured, leaning down to caress my cheek.“Not really.” I let out another yawn. “But why are you leaving so early? You usually head out much later than this.”A small chuckle escaped him as he caught my hands, preventing me from rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Don’t do that,” he teased. “If you w
JacobAs the elevator doors slid shut, a jolt of panic shot through me.Fuck.I wasn't thinking—I never was when it came to Evelyn.Before I could process it, my legs were moving, rushing toward the stairwell. The cold air burned my lungs as I sprinted down the steps, two at a time, the echoes of my own footsteps pounding in my ears.God! What the hell was I thinking? Why didn’t I stop her?Fuck. I knew the answer—I was too busy self loathing in my own mind.By the time I reached the ground floor, my breathing was ragged, sharp exhales cutting through the silence. I bolted toward the parking lot, scanning frantically.Nothing.She was gone.God, how the fuck did she disappear so fast?It was nearly night. The streets were emptying, the sky turning a shade too dark, too ominous. And Evelyn? She wasn't even wearing anything warm enough.This wasn't safe. Not for her.Not for the—fuck—not for the baby.I raked a hand through my hair, frustration clawing at my skin. "Why am I even thinkin
Evelyn"W-what?" My voice trembled, barely a whisper. Somewhere deep inside me—somewhere I refused to acknowledge—there was hope. A desperate, foolish hope that he’d say something different. That he wouldn’t break me with a brutal truth like this."Yes, Evelyn." His voice was steady, his eyes cold, though maybe—just maybe—there was a flicker of guilt in them. But at that moment, guilt didn’t matter. His words did. His actions did. The emotions he chose to display, and the ones he kept buried, were the only things that mattered."I am not fucking ready to be a father." His tone was unyielding, each word a blade slicing through me. "I don’t want to be a father. I don’t have it in me, and I’d rather die than carry a burden like that. Raising a kid, all of it—it’s pointless. Stupid. Meaningless shit. And I thought you felt the same, but I was wrong. And that fucking scares me. I hoped I could convince you, but you’re proving me wrong at every turn. Evelyn, no matter how much you think you
Samuel"You're too young for a baby, Evelyn!""Jacob's right—you should abort it!""No, you can't have a kid when you're still a kid yourself!""I'm going to kill that bastard!""Evelyn, think it through!"A hundred pleas, a hundred desperate arguments—none of them mattered. She was hell-bent on having this baby. And truth be told, I couldn't force her. Danica and I had her when we were young too. Questioning her now would mean admitting we thought she was less capable than we had been.And I refused to do that. My daughter could handle this. I knew she could.As shocking as the news was, my bigger concern was Jacob. That piece of shit's reaction. I knew what this meant for him—how the word father terrified him, how much he hated himself for the blood that ran through his veins.He didn't think he was capable of being a father because he was convinced he'd fail. I'd seen it in him for years—his greatest fear."Do you think Jacob's going to agree to this?" Clara asked, worry lacing her
EvelynThe soft sound of someone shifting and moving around the room pulled me from the depths of sleep. My eyes blinked open, heavy with lingering grogginess, and I saw Jacob getting ready—probably for the office, judging by his sharp suit.Dragging myself up despite the weight of sleep threatening to drag me back into the sea of the mattress, I yawned. Maybe it was just another side effect of pregnancy—this constant, consuming need to rest.“What are you doing?” I mumbled, voice thick with sleep.Jacob froze mid-motion, his hand hesitating as he fastened his watch. He turned toward me, his gaze softening as he abandoned the task and approached the bed. “Sorry, baby, did I wake you up?” he murmured, leaning down to caress my cheek.“Not really.” I let out another yawn. “But why are you leaving so early? You usually head out much later than this.”A small chuckle escaped him as he caught my hands, preventing me from rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Don’t do that,” he teased. “If you w
EvelynIt was noon when I couldn’t stand the silence any longer. It was suffocating, eating away at me, and I had no idea how to face it. So, I did the only thing I could—opened the damn door and walked out.Jacob was sitting on the couch, his head lowered, eyes fixed on his hands, clenching them together like they could somehow hold him together. The sound of my footsteps must have pulled him from his haze because his gaze shifted to me, and I saw the tension in his shoulders ease. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.He didn’t say a word, just stood as I walked toward him, stopping just a breath away. My chest tightened. Tears were threatening to spill, and worse—he could see it. That made it worse, because now I couldn’t hide it. The lump in my throat grew with each passing second.Before I could say anything, he raised his hands, cupping my face gently. His touch shattered whatever restraint I had left, and my chin trembled, fighting to hold back the flood of tears.He seemed to feel it
EvelynSunlight filtered through the small gap between the curtains, landing softly on my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, determined not to wake up, but it only lasted a moment before I gave in. Panic shot through every one of my veins as I opened my eyes and saw the empty space beside me.Sitting up hurriedly, I scanned the room.Did he not come home last night?I slipped on my slippers, ready to search for him, when a realization stopped me in my tracks. I'd fallen asleep on the sofa, waiting for him. Yet here I was, waking up in bed. The memory hit me then—his strong arms carrying me to bed, his warmth enveloping me as he held me close.I stepped out of the bedroom, my ears catching the soft clatter of utensils. Following the sounds to the kitchen, I found him there, cooking breakfast.A sigh of relief escaped me at the sight. He stood at the stove, relaxed and focused, as if the weight of our troubles didn't exist. As if we didn't have a situation to handle. As if we both weren't w
JacobI sat in my office, drenched in sweat, my breath shallow and quick. Dread crawled under my skin, seeping into my bones, invading every inch of me until I was cold. The air around me felt thick, suffocating, and each breath I managed to draw seemed to take all my strength. It was suddenly a chore to keep breathing and stay alive.I paced back and forth, running a hand through my hair, the dim light above the ceiling the only thing cutting through the darkness. I couldn’t bear to be in complete darkness right now. I needed to see something, anything, just to remind myself I was still here."Calm down," I muttered, trying to steady my shaking hands, clenching them into fists at my sides. "Fucking calm down."It had been years—years since I’d felt like this.The last time was when I was fifteen.I thought I'd outgrown it, that I had put all of it behind me. The fear. The pain. The panic. Why now? Why was it coming back?"He's dead," I breathed out, burying my face in my hands. The w
EvelynI stepped out of the doctor's office, my heart heavy and light all at once. It thudded violently against my ribs, my breath coming in shallow bursts. My skin felt cold, and tears prickled at the corners of my eyes. The feelings surged, intensifying with every second, creeping into every cell of my body.I felt lost. Hopeless. Overwhelmed.Was I ready to be a mother?I didn't know.Was it too soon? Maybe.But not once, in the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in my mind, did the idea of harming the tiny soul growing inside me cross my mind. My decision had already been made before I even realized there was one to make. I knew what I was going to do.I just didn't know how.Two and a half months. Probably from our time in America. And yet, until two days ago, the thought hadn't even occurred to me.Lost in thought, I pushed open the door to our apartment. The evening light filtered through the large windows, casting a warm glow. I froze when I spotted Jacob. He stood facing the mirr
EvelynIt took time to calm my racing thoughts, but even now, I had no answers. Still nothing but a plain sheet of blank covering my whole mind. Every corner.I needed to hear it from Jacob—his opinion, his view. This wasn’t just my decision or a race alone. It was ours.We had to face this situation together…For….Our baby.“I’ve looked into a few venues,” Jacob murmured, brushing his thumb over my ring. The moonlight caught it, making it gleam. “I liked some, but a few need a closer look. You should come with me,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of my head, “Well, you are coming with me.”His warmth lulled me for a moment, my eyes fluttering shut.“So, no more secrets like everything else?” I teased, a soft chuckle escaping as I leaned back against him. His chest met my back, his warmth hugging me and his nose grazed my neck as he inhaled deeply. “If I could keep it a secret, I would,” he deadpanned, making me laugh again. “But I want the venue to be your choice. Besides