Chapter 63
The nurse began removing the IV while the doctor spoke a few more instructions, but I wasn’t really listening. It all blurred. The sounds, the voices, the room. It was like being underwater.
Once the doctor left, Natasha was still sitting in stunned silence.
“Are you okay?” she asked carefully.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I don’t even know how to react. This is not what I was expecting today.”
She squeered my hand. “Do you want me to call Karl?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it.
“No. Not yet, I need to think. I need to breathe.”
She nodded. “Okay. Whatever you need.”
Back in the Airbnb. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing. Natasha was in the kitchen, giving me space. My phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Karl.
His name lit up the screen. My stomach twisted. I hadn’t heard his voice in a week. I stared at the phone until it stopped ringing, then picked it up and checked the message.
Are you okay? Can we talk!
I sat there for a moment before typing.
I need space. Still figuring things out
The dots danced on the screen. Then stopped. Then started again.
Alright. Just don’t disappear again. Please.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Not yet.
I curled into the sheets, hugging a pillow, and closed my eyes. My fingers brushed against my stomach. A new kind of warmth flooded,
- me.
There was no undoing this now. I was carrying a piece of him. And everything was about to change
Natasha leaned forward on the edge of the chair, eyes wide. “Ellen? Did he just say what I think he said?“
“Yeah,” I said, my voice barely there. Tm pregnant.”
Her jaw dropped. “Holy shit. Are you okay?”
I let out a breath. “I don’t know. I didn’t even remember to take contraceptives. Everything happened so fast. There was so much going on. The contract, the emotions, the back and forth. I just… I didn’t think.”
She moved her chair closer and took my hand. “Hey. It’s okay. You were under so much stress. No one would blame you for not thinking clearly.
I shook my head. “It’s not just that. I mean, Karl and I haven’t even properly defined our relationship. We were just starting to figure things out. I thought I had time. And now I’m carrying his child.”
She squeezed my hand. “Okay. Deep breath. This isn’t a disaster. It’s a surprise, yeah, but that doesn’t make it bad.”
“It changes everything.”
“It does. But maybe it changes things in a good way.”
I turned to look at her. “Do you think he’s going to be happy about it?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Ellen. He acts like you’re his entire world. I think he might pass out first, but yeah, he’ll be happy”
10:44 AM
Chapter 63
1 let out a small laugh, then immediately frowned again. “It’s just… I feel so many things at once. I’m happy. Terrified. Confused. I don’t even know how to look at myself right now.”
She rubbed my back gently. “You’re allowed to feel all of it. That doesn’t make you a bad person. You’re just overwhelmed. But you’re not alone.”
“I guess I just didn’t think it would happen this fast. We were still in the phase of him saying we should take things slow. Now I’m
pregnant
“Do you want the baby?” she asked gently.
1 blinked at her, then slowly nodded. Yeah. I do. It scares me, but I do. I think I’d be a good mom. Eventually.”
“Then that’s all that matters. You’ll figure the rest out with Karl. He might have commitment issues or cold billionaire vibes half the time, but he clearly cares about you.”
I smiled a little. I still can’t believe this.”
“You’re going to be a mom,” she said, grinning now.
“Oh my god.” I whispered, eyes wide. Im going to be a mom.”
Joh
We both started laughing, partly out of joy, partly from the shock of it all.
Natasha reached for her phone and started typing “Alright. No more stressing. I’m ordering celebratory dessert. Pregnant women need dessert.”
1 grinned, the weight on my chest easing for the first time. “You’re so dramatic”
“And you love me for it”
She paused. “So… what now?”
I glanced out the window, the sunlight glowing soft on the glass. “Now! I think I want to go see Karl. I want to tell him myself. Not in a text, not on the phone. Face to face,”
You sure?
I nodded. “Yeah, I want to see his face when I tell him. I want to watch his expression change. 1 want to know exactly how he feels.”
She gave me a proud smile. “That’s brave.”
“It’s terrifying.”
“Same thing sometimes”
I looked down at my stomach. There was no visible change yet, but I still placed my hand there, like I could feel something.
I’m going to do this,” I whispered to myself. Tm going to tell him.”
Natasha stood up and stretched. “Alright. Let’s get you dressed and packed. You’ve got a billionaire to confront
I laughed and wiped my eyes. “You’re the best.”
“Obviously:”
As I changed and got ready, I felt that strange combination of fear and excitement thrum in my chest. My life was changing. Everything was about to change.
But I
