Chapter 9 Chapter 9: Us Against the World
Catherine’s P.O.V
“Cathy…” he whispered, reaching for me.
I let out a shaky breath as he pulled me into his arms, holding me so tightly that it felt like he was trying to shield me from the entire world. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured against my temple. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. I’m sorry she said it. I’m sorry she keeps hurting you.”
I shook my head, my voice barely steady. “It’s okay. I’m used to…”
“No,” he said firmly, cupping my cheeks so I had no choice but to look at him. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say you’re used to being hurt. Not in this house. Not by my family.”
“Xavier…” I whispered, but he was already brushing his thumbs gently over my skin, as if erasing every cold word Lydia had ever thrown at me.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he said, his voice softer now, but sure…so sure it made my throat tighten.
“Do you hear me? Nothing. You are the only woman in my heart, Catherine. The only one. And you will remain that way…always.”
I blinked rapidly, trying to steady my breathing as he rested his forehead against mine. “But your mother…”
“She’ll come around,” he said. “And even if she doesn’t, it doesn’t change a single thing. You’re my wife. My partner. My choice. Every single day.”
My fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as he pulled me closer, his voice dropping so low it was almost a whisper.
“I love you,” he said. “And no one…not even her can undo that.”
In his arms, despite everything Lydia had said, despite the sting still lingering in my chest, I felt something warm settle over me…something steady, something real. Something that felt like home.
I stared at him for a long moment, my fingers twisting nervously on the sleeves of his shirt, my throat tight. Finally, the question slipped out, shaky and small.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Xavier? Why didn’t you tell me about the surrogacy yourself?” My voice cracked halfway through, and I hated that it did, but I couldn’t stop it.
“Why did I have to hear it like that? Why… Why did you hide it from me?”
He dragged a hand over his face and let out a rough breath, stepping closer as if he wanted to reach for me but wasn’t sure if he was allowed.
“Catherine…” He said my name like it hurt him.
“I didn’t tell you because…I genuinely thought you’d be happy. I swear to you, I did. I thought…” His voice lowered, softer, almost breaking. “I thought you’d finally feel at peace knowing that we were finally going to have a child of our own. That it was actually happening. I thought it would take a weight off your shoulders.”
“It didn’t,” I whispered, shaking my head slowly. “It didn’t take anything off. It just… added something else.”
He swallowed hard. “Then tell me. Tell me what it added so I can fix it.”
I let out a shaky laugh…quiet, bitter, almost… defeated. “You can’t fix this, Xavier.” I looked up at him, and for the first time, I didn’t try to hide the tremor in my voice. “The child will be yours, Xavier. Not mine.”
His head jerked up immediately. “Don’t say that.”
“But it’s true,” I said, my lips trembling as I forced the words out. “She’s carrying your child. Your DNA. Your blood. Your…your everything. I’m not in that equation anywhere. I’m just…” I shook my head, tears burning behind my eyes.
“I’m just the wife watching from the outside.”
He moved instantly, closing the distance between us in two long strides. His hands came up to cradle my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks with a gentleness that made something in me collapse.
“No. Don’t you dare reduce yourself like that,” he said, his voice low and fierce. “Listen to me, Catherine. Yes, biologically the child will be mine. But that doesn’t mean the child is not yours. What is mine is yours. Everything that is mine is yours.”
I tried to pull back, but he held me with a steady insistence. “Xavier…”
“No,” he whispered, leaning his forehead gently against mine. “You’re my wife. The mother of my child. The woman I chose. The woman I’ll always choose. Our child may come into the world through another woman’s body, but that child belongs to us. Because you are part of me, Cathy. You’re not separate. You’re not… outside anything.” His voice softened even more.
“You’re the center of everything.”
My heart thudded painfully, slowly, like each beat was struggling to break through the ache in my chest.
“You can’t just say that and expect it to stop hurting,” I whispered.
“I don’t expect it to stop immediately.” He lifted my chin so I’d look at him. “I only need you to know that the moment that child takes its first breath, the first arms I want holding them are yours.” His voice trembled slightly. “Because you’re the mother. Not the surrogate. Not biology. You.”
A breath escaped me…shaky, uneven. “You really believe that?”
“With every piece of me,” he said quietly. “Cathy, I didn’t do this to replace you. I did it because I thought it would finally give us the thing we’ve been aching for. I thought it would make you smile again.” He brushed a stray tear that slipped down my cheek.
“I thought it would give you hope.”
I let out a small, broken laugh. “You should’ve told me.”
“You’re right.” He nodded, his expression pained. “I should have. I was trying to protect you, but I ended up hurting you more. And I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”
His arms slowly slid around me…not pulling me too tightly, just… holding me, like he was waiting for me to either collapse or push him away. My body eased into him before my mind even caught up. His warmth pressed against me, steady and grounding. His heartbeat, strong and slow, thudded against my ear as he drew me closer into his chest.
And my own heart… slowed. Steadying. Softening without permission.
“You’re mine, Catherine,” he murmured into my hair. “And anything that is mine is yours…including this child. Always.”
I closed my eyes, letting myself melt into him, even as a thousand emotions tangled painfully in my chest. My voice came out barely above a whisper, fragile and trembling. “…Okay.”
His grip tightened, relief shuddering through him.
For the first time since everything happened, I let myself breathe.