Chapter 16

We arrived at the downtown restaurant and ordered our meals. I found myself silently devouring my food, not realizing how much I’d eaten until Leornard commented. 

“You must be really hungry,” he said, his voice pulling me out of my food-induced trance. I glanced down at their plates, still mostly full, while mine was nearly empty. 

“I’m eating for two, in case you didn’t realize,” I shot back, raising an eyebrow. 

“Fair enough,” he replied, a hint of amusement in his tone. I put down my fork and took a sip of my drink, feeling Clara’s silence beside me. She’d been unusually quiet. 

“Do you have any plans this weekend?” Leornard asked out of nowhere, causing me to nearly choke on my drink. 

I blinked at him, wide-eyed. “I guess you’d have to ask Clara,” I gestured to her. “She’s the keeper of my schedule.” I was hoping Clara would save me from whatever he was planning. 

She quickly pulled out her notepad, and I could practically see my hopes of escape evaporate. “Um,” she began, flipping through pages. “You’re totally free this weekend.” 

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as I stared at her in disbelief. How could she not pick up on the very obvious signals I was throwing her way? 

When she finally caught on, she gave me an apologetic look, but it was too late. 

“Great,” Leornard said, putting his fork down and pulling out his phone. “I’d like to take you to Miami. I have a house there we can stay in.” He looked up at me, his expression calm but expectant. “That is, if you’re interested. I’d really like you to come.” 

Miami? My mind whirled. I had never been there, but I’d heard enough about it to know it was a tempting offer. Still, the idea of staying in the same house as Leornard felt... complicated. He’d been distant, cold even, for the most part. Why was he suddenly being so... attentive? It was unsettling. 

“I... guess I’d love to,” I found myself saying before I could overthink it. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 

“Perfect. I’ll book our flights, so you’ve got the rest of today to prepare.” He stood up, leaving the table without another word. 

As soon as he was out of earshot, Clara turned to me. “I’d apologize, but it looks like I just did you a favor.” 

I narrowed my eyes at her, fighting a smile. “I would punch you if this were any other situation.” 

She grinned, completely unbothered by my empty threat. 

Back at the house, I packed my small suitcase, making sure to bring along a framed picture of Kelvin and me. Staring at it, a wave of sadness washed over me. 

“If only you knew I would never stop loving you, no matter what,” I whispered to the photo, tracing Kelvin’s face with my finger. 

Suddenly, I felt something, a movement in my belly. My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively dropped the frame, placing my hand over my stomach. 

Was that a kick? 

I held my breath, waiting for it to happen again, and when it did, the sensation was strong against my palm. 

“Oh my God,” I gasped, tears instantly welling up in my eyes. The reality of carrying this child, someone else’s child, hit me harder than ever. Sometimes, I even forgot I was pregnant. 

Clara appeared beside me, concerned. “Eva, are you crying? Why?” 

“The baby kicked,” I managed to say, voice thick with emotion. 

Her face lit up, and she placed her hand on my belly. When she felt the movement too, her eyes turned soft and dreamy. Without a word, she wrapped me in a hug, her warmth a brief comfort in my sea of conflicting emotions. 

I slept through most of the flight to Miami, not that I’d planned on it, but exhaustion had taken over. By the time we arrived, I was in awe of the city, its vibrance and life palpable even from the airport. 

Leornard helped me out of the car when we arrived at the house, and Clara handled the luggage. Stepping inside, I was blown away. The interior was pristine, everything was white, which didn’t surprise me, but what did catch me off guard was the sheer number of flowers scattered around, and seascape paintings that adorned the walls. 

But what truly grabbed my attention was the beach just beyond the house. It was breathtaking. I couldn’t help but walk toward the glass doors, my eyes fixated on the shimmering ocean beyond. 

“I knew you’d love it,” Leornard’s voice came from behind me. I tried to hide my smile but failed. 

“We can go out there anytime you want,” he added, stepping closer. I turned to face him, and for a moment, our eyes locked. His gaze was intense, piercing right through me. 

“Thank you,” I said quietly. 

“For what?” 

“For bringing me here.” 

He smiled, an actual, genuine smile. “My pleasure, Miss Eva,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. There was something about the way he looked at me, something that made me uneasy in ways I couldn’t explain. 

“Would you like to go out with me tomorrow?” His voice softened. “Just the two of us?” 

I bit my lip, trying to process what was happening. I saw his eyes drop to my lips, and my heart raced for no good reason. 

“We could go to the beach at noon, and then have dinner together in the evening,” he added. 

“I... I’d love to,” I found myself saying, my voice almost betraying me. 

He took a step toward me, and I instinctively stepped back, almost too fast. His eyes widened slightly, taken aback by my reaction. 

“Your room is ready, Eva,” Clara’s voice broke the tension. We both turned to see her standing in the doorway. I quickly walked past him, my heart still pounding as I followed her to my room. 

Once I was settled, I sat on the edge of the bed, replaying the strange moment with Leornard over and over in my head. What was that? 

“What was that about?” Clara asked, sitting beside me. 

“What was what?” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. 

“With Mr. Leornard,” she pressed. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lied, avoiding her gaze. 

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think Mr. Leornard likes you,” she said, her tone playful, but the suggestion sent a shiver down my spine. 

My head snapped toward her. “Well, that would be too bad because I have a boyfriend,” I said, a bit too defensively. 

“Too bad?” she frowned, clearly not understanding my discomfort. 

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Clara, we’ve had a long day. Let’s not do this right now, okay?” I tried to sound gentle but ended up sounding harsher than I intended. 

Clara, sensing my mood, simply nodded and left me alone, leaving me feeling guilty and even more confused than before.