Chapter 27

I dragged Leonard by the hand, weaving through the crowd until we reached the girls' bathroom. I pushed the door shut behind us with a slam, and my glare pierced through him.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, my voice low but seething.

Leonard's eyes widened, guilt flashing across his face. "I'm sorry, I just couldn’t stop myself."

"You promised you'd be here as a friend, Leonard. What happened to that?" My frustration was rising, the tension unbearable.

He sighed heavily. "You know I can’t do that, Eva."

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to scream. "You lied to your mom. How could you?" My voice cracked with a mix of anger and disbelief. His silence only made it worse. "You have to tell her the truth. I’m just the surrogate, not your wife."

"A surrogate I fell in love with," he whispered, stepping toward me. I instinctively took a step back.

His words stung. "What does that even mean?" I asked, my voice wavering.

Instead of answering, he stepped closer again, his gaze softening. "I’m sorry I upset you tonight. Let me make it up to you."

I shook my head, pointing a finger at him. "The only thing you need to do is tell your mom the truth."

He sighed again, frustration clouding his features. "Eva, you don’t understand my family. My mother... she hasn’t been the same since my dad died of leukemia."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. The anger I’d been holding onto wavered, replaced by a sinking feeling in my chest.

"She doesn't care about love anymore," he continued, his voice softening. "All that matters to her is the family business. Everything else is... secondary."

"Was it her idea?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "You having a baby... was that her plan?"

Leonard looked away, his silence confirming my worst fears.

"Oh my God," I breathed. "You never wanted this, did you? You never wanted a baby?"

"No, I did," he said quickly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I do. But... my mother pushed me to settle down, to get married, just to have a child. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let anyone get close enough to fall in love with me. I didn’t want anyone to go through what my mother did."

A chill ran through my body as his words sank in. "So... what, you want me to suffer like she did? You want me to fall in love with you, knowing you’ll leave me?" Tears welled up in my eyes. "Isn’t that selfish?"

Leonard’s face softened as he reached for my shoulders. "I didn’t mean for this to happen. I swear, I never wanted to hurt you."

"But it already has," I whispered, defeated.

Leonard hesitated, his hands still resting on my shoulders. "Does that mean... you love me?"

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Instead, I dropped my gaze to the floor, overwhelmed by the weight of everything. But Leonard wasn’t going to let me hide. He gently lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"What’s the point?" I asked, my heart aching. Suddenly, everything became clear. All this time, I had been pushing him away, not because I didn’t feel something for him, but because I was terrified of loving him and losing him. I had been using Kelvin as a shield to protect myself from Leonard, but now... now, there was no denying it. I had failed miserably at keeping him out.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as Leonard’s hand brushed them away. His thumb lingered on my skin, and his gaze never left mine. Slowly, he leaned in, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine. For a moment, he hesitated, giving me a chance to pull away. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.

When his lips finally met mine, it felt like a dam had broken. His hands cradled my face as we kissed, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I kissed him back without a second thought, my hands tangling in his hair. Everything about the moment was perfect, our lips moving in sync, the butterflies in my stomach, the heat that spread through my body.

But then the door burst open.

We pulled apart so fast it was almost embarrassing. A woman strolled into the bathroom, glancing at us with a smirk before disappearing into one of the stalls. My face was on fire, and I bit my lip, sneaking a glance at Leonard, who gave me a cheeky smile.

"We should go," he whispered, his voice laced with amusement.

I nodded, too shy to say anything.

The rest of the party passed in a blur, and soon Leonard was walking me to my front door. He left me with a soft kiss on my lips and a gentle press of his lips against my forehead. It was sweet, tender, perfect.

As soon as I stepped inside, Clara’s squeal nearly made me jump out of my skin. "Clara!" I scolded, clutching my chest.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, grinning ear to ear. "I just couldn’t help myself! That was sooo cute!"

My face flushed. "Clara, please."

She grabbed my hands and squealed again. "I wanna hear everything. I'm so happy for you!"

I couldn’t help but laugh as she threw her arms around me. "Thank you, Clara."

The days and weeks that followed were filled with moments I hadn’t experienced in a long time, moments of happiness. Leonard and I spent time together, going on dates, exploring the city, or just lounging around watching movies. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could breathe again. I wasn’t thinking about Kelvin anymore. I wasn’t dwelling on what could have been. I was just... happy.

It was a bright, beautiful morning when everything changed.

We had just finished breakfast, and the three of us, me, Leonard, and Clara, were settling down to watch a movie. Clara had picked it out, as usual, and Leonard had brought the popcorn.

"Here you go," he said, handing me the bowl with a smile.

"Thanks," I replied, smiling back. But then I froze. Something wasn’t right. I looked down and felt a sudden rush of warmth.

"Oh my God," I gasped, dropping the popcorn. "Guys... I think my water just broke."

Leonard shot to his feet, grabbing his car keys, while Clara rushed to my side, helping me up from the couch.

"Are you okay? How do you feel?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

"I’m freaking out," I admitted, my heart racing. I might have looked calm, but inside, I was a mess.

"Let’s get her to the car," Leonard said urgently. Together, they guided me outside as if I couldn’t walk by myself.

Clara climbed into the backseat with me while Leonard took the wheel, driving us to the hospital. My thoughts were a whirlwind. I had never really thought about this moment before, and now that it was happening, all I could feel was panic.

"Do you feel any pain? Contractions?" Clara asked.

"No," I said, breathing fast. "But Clara... I’m scared."

She squeezed my hand. "You’ll be fine, I promise."

We arrived at the hospital, and Leonard helped me out of the car. Clara, realizing we had forgotten the baby’s stuff, rushed back home to get it. Leonard stayed by my side as we were ushered into a room by the doctor.

"Miss Eva," the doctor greeted me with a warm smile. "Let’s check how far along you are."

I turned to Leonard, grabbing his hand. "Don’t leave me."

"Not for a second," he promised, squeezing my hand tightly.

Two hours later, I was screaming at the top of my lungs, drenched in sweat and tears. The pain was unbearable, and the more the doctor told me to push, the more I wanted to pass out. But Leonard never left my side, his presence steady and comforting.

"One more push," the doctor said, her voice firm yet encouraging.

I wanted to strangle her for putting me through this, but I dug deep and gave one final push. My body sagged in relief as the sound of a baby’s cry filled the room. I glanced at Leonard, his face glowing with pride, and smiled weakly before everything went black.