Chapter 20

My heart hammered against my chest as I watched Kelvin’s retreating figure. Panic surged through me, and before I could think, I was on my feet, racing after him, Leonard’s voice a distant echo in the background.

“Kelvin!” I called out, my voice breaking. I ran after him, but he didn’t stop.

“Kelvin, please! Wait!” I begged, desperation clawing at me.

He stopped suddenly, spinning around so fast that I almost collided with him. His eyes, usually so warm, were now stormy with fury. His jaw clenched tight as he looked at me, and for the first time, I was truly afraid of what he might say.

“You kissed him,” he spat, his voice low and venomous. “Is that what you’ve been doing behind my back?”

“No, no, I swear, it wasn’t like that!” Tears streamed down my cheeks. I wanted to explain, to somehow make him understand, but I couldn’t find the words. Nothing would make this right.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he growled, his fists clenching at his sides. “It’s over, Eva. We’re done. There’s nothing between us anymore.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me, leaving me falling into an endless abyss. My chest tightened as I struggled to breathe.

“Kelvin, please,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I’m sorry.”

He stepped forward, grabbing my arm with such force that I winced. “I don’t ever want to see you again,” he said coldly, his face inches from mine. His grip tightened before he let go, turning on his heel and walking away without a second glance.

I collapsed to the ground, my legs unable to hold me up any longer. His words echoed in my mind, replaying over and over like a cruel, broken record. **I don’t ever want to see you again.**

How had everything gone so wrong?

The memories of our time together flooded my mind: our first kiss, our shared laughter, the way he’d look at me like I was his entire world. And now, I had shattered it all.

Clara found me on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. “Eva,” she whispered softly. “It’s going to be okay.”

But it wasn’t. Nothing would ever be okay again.

“I’ve lost him, Clara,” I choked out, my voice breaking. “I’ve lost him for good.”

Her arms tightened around me as she gently rocked me back and forth, trying to soothe the pain that was tearing me apart. But nothing could ease the ache in my chest, the void that was growing with every passing second.

“I need to see him,” I said, trying to stand. “I need to explain...”

“No, Eva, that’s not a good idea,” Clara said, pulling me back down. “He needs time. Right now, he’s too angry to hear anything you have to say.”

“But I can’t lose him,” I cried, my voice barely a whisper. “I can’t.”

“Eva, you’re heavily pregnant,” she reminded me, her tone gentle but firm. “You need to think about yourself and the baby. Give him time, and maybe after you give birth, you can talk to him.”

“That’s a whole month away,” I said, feeling hopeless.

“Trust me,” she said. “Right now, you need to take care of yourself.”

I wanted to argue, to fight against the helplessness swallowing me whole, but deep down, I knew she was right. I couldn’t force Kelvin to listen to me, not when his heart was broken, just like mine.

Clara stayed with me until I calmed down, her presence soothing even as my world crumbled around me. But once I was alone again, the pain came back in full force, and I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache and swollen eyes. Clara brought me breakfast, but I couldn’t eat. I felt empty. The thought of food made my stomach turn, so I quietly tossed it in the waste bin when she wasn’t looking. I did the same with lunch and dinner.

All I could think about was Kelvin. I had to fix this. I had to make things right. But how? How could I undo the damage I had caused?

Later that evening, I heard voices downstairs. Leonard. I didn’t want to see him. I didn’t want to see anyone. But his voice grew louder, and I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever.

Slowly, I made my way down the stairs, catching the end of his argument with Clara. She was telling him he couldn’t see me, but the moment they saw me, they both stopped.

“Eva,” Clara said softly, concern etched on her face.

“It’s okay,” I said quietly. “I’m fine.”

She nodded, giving me a look of encouragement before stepping aside. Now it was just me and Leonard, his eyes heavy with an intensity I wasn’t ready for.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a boyfriend?” His words came out sharp, accusatory.

I didn’t want to be angry, but I was. His question felt like a slap in the face. “Why would I owe you that? You never told me anything about your life either.”

“This was important.”

“To who? You?” I snapped. “You expected me to just come out of nowhere and tell you, ‘Oh, by the way, I have a boyfriend?’”

His silence was telling.

“You don’t get to ask me that,” I said, my voice rising. “You don’t get to come here and pretend like you care.”

“I do care,” he said, stepping closer. “And I want to be part of this.”

“Well, you shouldn’t,” I shot back. “Stick to the damn contract, Leonard.”

He took another step forward. “I want to spend the rest of my days with you and the baby.”

My heart stuttered in my chest. What?

“Eva, I love you,” he said, his voice raw.

I stumbled back, shaking my head. This couldn’t be happening. “You’re insane,” I whispered. “You want me to cheat on my boyfriend because you’re dying?”

He didn’t move, didn’t try to stop me as I turned and walked out the door. His voice called after me, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.

Before I knew it, I was standing outside Kelvin’s door, my hand trembling as I knocked.