Chapter 22

I woke up the next morning with a hunger so intense, it felt like I hadn't eaten in days. After quickly brushing my teeth and taking a bath, I stepped back into my room to find Clara waiting, a tray of breakfast on my bed.

I love her.

"Good morning!" she greeted me cheerily, as always.

"Good morning, Clara." I smiled, sitting down. "You're a lifesaver, I was starving."

"It's my job, Eva." She returned my smile, eyes warm with care. "How are you?"

"I'm good, just hungry." I immediately dug into the food.

She hesitated, then asked more pointedly, "How are you really?"

Her question made me pause. I looked at her, my fork suspended over the plate. "I don't know. I feel... empty. I want to forget everything, but this pregnancy only makes the pain worse." I sighed, feeling the familiar weight of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

Clara placed a comforting hand on my arm. "I'm here for you, Eva. If you need anything, just ask."

I nodded, grateful for her support, and continued eating in silence.

After a few moments, I mentioned, "So... Leonard's still here."

Clara bit her lip, apologetic. "I'm sorry, Eva, but he insisted. I couldn’t stop him. He is my boss."

I waved off her concern. "It's fine. I forget that sometimes."

She gave me a curious look. "How was your midnight dinner?"

I couldn’t help but smile. "It was amazing. Thank you for being so thoughtful."

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Actually, it was Mr. Leonard's idea."

My heart skipped, and I quickly looked down, hiding the smile creeping across my face. Why did that make me feel... something?

An hour later, hunger struck again, this time with a vengeance. I didn’t want to go downstairs, but I had no choice. I was beginning to think the baby was punishing me for not eating the day before. I gently rubbed my stomach, receiving a light kick in response.

As I entered the kitchen, I saw the last person I wanted to run into today, Leonard. I bit my lip and debated going back upstairs. But I was too hungry to retreat. Taking a deep breath, I hurried toward the refrigerator, hoping he wouldn’t notice me.

He noticed.

"Looking for food again?" His voice made me jump, my heart skipping a beat.

"Could you not sneak up on me like that?" I shot back, trying to calm my racing pulse.

"Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you."

"But you did." I moved around the kitchen, opening cabinets and drawers, finding them disappointingly empty. "Where’s Clara?" I muttered to myself, already frustrated.

"She’s out getting groceries," Leonard said, stepping into the room.

I froze, realizing what that meant. I was alone with Leonard. My stomach churned, but not from hunger this time.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, noticing my expression.

"No, I’m fine," I lied, keeping my back to him.

"Okay," he said simply, and I heard his footsteps recede as he left the kitchen.

I let out a sigh of relief, but then my stomach growled loudly.

"I am hungry," I finally admitted, almost too quietly.

Leonard stopped and turned back to me. "What do you want? I’ll go get it."

I hesitated. "I don’t know what I want."

He raised an eyebrow. "But you’re hungry."

"Yes," I groaned, "but I don’t know what I want." Pregnancy cravings were impossible to decipher.

"How about this," he offered, his voice gentle. "You get dressed, and we’ll go food hunting."

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

"Okay," I nodded, then left to change.

I slipped into a simple, floral dress, brushed my hair down from its messy bun, and headed downstairs. Leonard was waiting, looking polished as usual in his suit. He gave me an appreciative glance, his eyes softening.

"You look beautiful," he said, his voice low.

"Thank you," I replied quietly, trying not to overthink his words. Together, we walked to his car.

As we drove, I spotted a bakery and, without thinking, yelled, "Stop!" Leonard chuckled but pulled over immediately. I barely waited for him to park before I jumped out of the car, my eyes glued to the pastries behind the glass window.

"I want a burger," I declared shamelessly as Leonard joined me outside.

He smiled, amused. "A big one, right?"

I nodded eagerly.

Once inside, we sat at a booth, and Leonard left to place our order. When he returned, he brought me a massive burger that made my mouth water. I wasted no time, biting into it as Leonard watched me, his expression unreadable.

"You’ve got something..." he gestured to the side of his mouth.

"Huh?" I looked at him, confused.

"Here, let me." He grabbed a napkin and leaned across the table to wipe the corner of my mouth. His fingers brushed against my skin, and I froze, our eyes locking for a moment.

I looked away quickly, feeling my cheeks warm. "Thanks," I muttered.

"How’s the burger?" he asked, his voice casual again.

"It’s perfect." I smiled, though a part of me felt uneasy under his gaze. "What about you? Aren’t you eating?"

"I’m not hungry," he said.

"Well, if you’re going to watch me eat, at least tell me something interesting about yourself," I teased, trying to break the tension.

He seemed caught off guard by the request, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "What do you want to know?"

I took a sip of the smoothie he had gotten me and thought for a moment. "Why don’t you have a girlfriend?"

Leonard blinked, clearly not expecting that question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you’re good-looking and rich. That’s what every girl wants." I shrugged.

"Is that what you want?" His question was soft, but it hit me hard. My heart sped up, and I wasn’t sure how to respond.

"Never mind," he waved it off, noticing my discomfort. "I used to push people away because I couldn’t promise them a future. Not a good one, anyway."

I looked at him, feeling a pang of sympathy. He was talking about his illness, the one thing I knew he was trying to hide from the world.

"But now," he continued, "I think maybe I hadn’t found the right one."

His eyes locked onto mine, and my breath caught in my throat. Was he talking about me?

I couldn’t let myself think about it. I couldn’t.

A heavy silence followed until he finally broke it. "You don’t have to pity me, Eva. I’m fine."

"Would you want to watch a movie tonight?" he asked, changing the subject abruptly.

"Why would I want to do that?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Because you don’t believe I watch movies."

"Well, you are always so intense and serious," I teased.

"Fair enough." He smiled. "So, what do you say?"

"No, I’ll pass," I replied quickly. "I just want to go home after this."

"We will be home," he said.

"We?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Yes. I’m not leaving the house until your nine months are up." His words hit me like a shock, and my mouth fell open. "So, you can either stay bored in your room, or watch a movie with me. Your choice."

He smirked, and I couldn’t find any words to respond.