CHAPTER 4 : PREGNANT

My flight was delayed. Again.

These past few days, it had been the same story—delays, reschedules, cancellations. Always some big reason, some sudden announcement. I’d been stuck at home for three weeks. Three whole weeks. It almost felt like a vacation—except I was rotting inside that house.

I sighed, rubbing my temples as I walked through the airport halls. I was exhausted. Ironically, I’d slept well last night, but it felt like I hadn’t rested in days.

Maybe it was the stress. Maybe it was all the time wasted preparing for flights that never even happened.

Either way, I was drained.

Instead of waiting around for another update, I left. There was no point in torturing myself. I needed my bed, some peace and quiet, and maybe a cup of hot chocolate—if I could summon the energy to make one.

The drive home was uneventful. Just the usual city traffic, my fingers tapping against the steering wheel, patience thinning by the second. I just wanted to get home, to shut everything out for a while.

Then I pulled up to the house—and suddenly, I snapped awake.

There were extra cars parked outside. My tired brain barely registered them at first—until I saw that car.

A sleek black one. Familiar.

I froze.

Kuya Kent’s car was there—not surprising. But next to it were the cars of his friends. Including his.

Clyren’s.

I bit my lip.

For a moment, I wanted to turn the car around. Leave. Pretend I hadn’t seen anything. I wasn’t ready for this. Not after last time. Not when his cold stare still haunted me, replaying like a broken record.

But leaving felt ridiculous. This was my house. I had no reason to go.

Right?

The moment I stepped into the living room, a chorus of greetings hit me.

“Hey, Sydney’s here!” Kael called out, barely looking up from the TV as he mashed the buttons on his controller.

“Yo, flight captain, how was the sky?” Wero smirked, leaning back on the couch, controller in his lap.

I forced a small smile. “Hi.” That was all I could manage.

Kael, Wero, and Justine were sprawled out on the couch, immersed in some game. Bea wasn’t around. I furrowed my brow before glancing at Kuya Kent. “Why are you guys here again?”

“She kicked us out,” he answered casually.

I let out a dry laugh. “Because you’re too loud. Don’t you guys have anything to do?”

“Nope. We’re planning something,” Justine said without looking up, too focused on the game.

Then I saw Clyren.

He was off to the side, near the window, leaning against a chair, arms crossed, staring at something—anything—but me.

And just like that, I was back to that night. Remembering everything we had agreed to forget.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to act normal. I shifted my attention back to Kuya Kent, pretending the weight in my chest didn’t exist. “Where’s Hera?”

“She’s upstairs,” he said, stretching his arms. “Probably still asleep. You know how late she stayed up last night.”

I hummed in response and stepped further in.

But despite all the noise, the chatter, the laughter, I found myself searching for his voice.

Why was he so quiet?

Stupid.

I shouldn’t care.

I don’t care.

I started toward the kitchen, hoping to escape even for a few seconds, but Wero’s voice stopped me.

“Wait… why do you and Clyren look so… awkward?”

Just like that, the room fell silent.

I froze.

Clyren froze.

And now, all eyes were on us.

I glanced at Kuya Kent, silently begging him to change the topic, but even he looked suspicious.

“What’s up with you two?” Kael added, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” I said too quickly, shaking my head. “I’m tired. I’ll just go to my room.”

I turned to leave.

“Are you sure?” Justine smirked. “Maybe you want to share something?”

I clenched my jaw. “No.”

“But why are you acting weird?” Wero chimed in. “It’s like you—”

“Wero.”

Clyren’s voice cut through, sharp and final.

It was the first time he’d spoken since I arrived, and the sound of it sent a shiver down my spine.

Everything went quiet. Everyone’s gaze bounced between us like we were some live drama.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m going upstairs.”

Without another word, I walked away, ignoring the pounding of my heart.

I climbed the stairs with heavy steps, exhaustion dragging me down even more.

Once inside my room, I shut the door and sighed heavily.

That had been humiliating.

I didn’t know what hurt more—the awkward tension or the fact that Clyren hadn’t even looked at me, except when silencing Kael.

I shouldn’t care.

I really shouldn’t.

But why did it feel so heavy?

I ran a hand through my hair and collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow. I just needed to sleep. I wouldn’t feel like an idiot anymore.

But just as I was about to close my eyes, a soft knock echoed on my door.

“Syd?”

Kuya Kent.

I lifted my head. “What?”

The door cracked open, and he peeked inside. “Are you asleep?”

“Obviously not,” I deadpanned.

He sighed and stepped in, closing the door behind him. “Okay, spill. What happened between you and Clyren?”

I stiffened. “Nothing.”

“Sydney.”

I looked away. “It’s nothing, Kuya.”

He crossed his arms. “Then why does it feel like something? You’re barely acknowledging each other, and when you do, it’s like there’s an invisible wall between you.”

I forced a dry laugh. “Maybe there really is an invisible wall.”

“Ha?”

I sighed. “Never mind.”

He studied me for a moment before sitting on my bed. “Come on. I know something’s going on.”

I swallowed hard. “Why don’t you ask your friend? He’s the one acting so distant.”

“Tell me, what did you do this time?”

I hesitated. “I didn’t do anything. Ask him. I’m sleepy.”

Silence.

Then—

“That asshole,” Kuya Kent muttered.

I raised my head. “Huh?”

“You heard me,” he shook his head. “If he’s done something wrong, just tell me. I’ll kick his ass for you.”

I let out a small laugh despite myself. “Don’t, Kuya.”

“Why not?”

I hugged my knees to my chest, not answering.

Kuya Kent exhaled sharply. “Are you really telling me the truth?”

“Of course, Kuya,” I murmured. “Let’s stop talking about him, please? I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but in the end, he just ruffled my hair. “Fine. But if he ever does anything wrong, you better tell me.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

He stood up and walked to the door. “Try to sleep, okay? You look like you’re about to pass out. And don’t forget to move on, Sydney. It’s been years.”

“Thanks for the reminder.”

He scoffed before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Once I was alone, I let out a deep breath and lay back down.

Maybe Kuya was right. Maybe I just needed to sleep.

Because the longer I stayed awake, the harder it was to ignore the ache in my chest.

I rolled onto my side, forcing my eyes shut, but sleep just wouldn’t come. I was so tired, but my mind wouldn’t stop running.

I kept replaying what happened earlier—how quiet Clyren was, how he didn’t even look at me, and how our friends noticed the tension right away.

I groaned, sat up, and rubbed my face.

This was stupid. Why am I even thinking about him?

Maybe I just needed a distraction.

I got up and started organizing my stuff, mindlessly going through my things, until I noticed something missing.

My sanitary pads.

I frowned. I was sure I stocked up last month, but now I was completely out.

Perfect.

I sighed and grabbed my car keys.

Might as well go to the grocery store. Besides, I couldn’t stay here knowing Clyren was just downstairs, reminding me of everything I wanted to forget.

As soon as I was about to leave, the guys noticed.

“Hey, where are you going?” Kael asked.

“Just buying something,” I replied.

“Buying what?”

“Pads,” I said flatly.

Kuya Kent raised a brow. “Want us to come with you?”

“No need,” I quickly said. “I’ll be fine.”

Before they could ask more, I walked out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clyren finally glance at me, but I ignored it.

At the grocery, I went straight to the hygiene section and grabbed a few packs of pads. But before I could leave, I froze.

That uneasy feeling hit me.

My period was late.

I laughed weakly and shook my head. It probably wasn’t a big deal, right? Maybe I was just stressed. Maybe my body was adjusting to my routine.

But the more I thought about it, the more restless I felt.

I hadn’t been working for weeks—there was no reason for stress.

The more I thought, the more my chest tightened.

I shook my head, telling myself, You’re overthinking, Sydney.

Still, just to be sure…

After checking out, I made another stop.

The pharmacy wasn’t far, and soon I was standing in front of a shelf filled with pregnancy tests.

I swallowed hard.

Did I really need this?

Slowly, I reached out to grab a box—

But another hand grabbed it at the same time.

My fingers froze, and when I looked up, I locked eyes with Clyren.

For a moment, we both just stood there, holding the same box, shocked.

“What—” I started.

“What the hell—” he said at the same time.

We both blinked and immediately let go of the box like it burned us.

“You first, take it,” I said quickly, crossing my arms.

He raised a brow. “Why are you even holding that?”

I let out a nervous laugh. “Me? Oh, no, it’s not what you think! I was just—uh—” I glanced at the shelf, desperate for an excuse. “I was just reading the label. Science stuff.”

He gave me a look like I’d said the dumbest thing ever. “Science?”

“Yeah!” I nodded too fast. “Like, how accurate they are, false positives—very educational, you know?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You’re a terrible liar.”

I glared. “Okay, fine. What about you? Why are you holding it?”

He looked away, unsure if he should answer. “For Wero.”

I frowned. “Wero?”

“Yeah.” He scratched his temple, looking annoyed. “He asked me to buy one. The guys are with me, they just went to the restroom.”

I stared at him, waiting for some smirk or sign that he was joking. But he looked serious.

“Wero?” I repeated. “Did he get someone pregnant?”

Clyren groaned. “I don’t know, okay? He just said he needed one. That’s it.”

I bit my lip, holding back a laugh. “Damn. What did he do?”

“That’s none of our business,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. Then his eyes dropped to the box again before meeting mine. “But seriously, Sydney… are you sure you don’t need that?”

I froze.

My face heated, but I quickly shook my head. “No. Of course not. I told you, I was just looking. You even checked me yourself before, remember? You said it was negative and you were sure.”

He studied me for a second, then scoffed. “Right.”

Before I could reply, we heard voices coming closer.

“Yo, Renz! Did you buy it—”

We turned and saw Wero, Kael, and Justine walking toward us. Wero’s eyes went straight to the box in Clyren’s hand, and his face paled.

“Holy sh*t,” Wero muttered. “You actually bought it?”

Clyren sighed, tossing the box to him. “You’re lucky I’m a good friend.”

Wero groaned. “This is the most stressful day of my life.”

Justine smirked, looking between me and Clyren. “Uh, so… why do I feel like we just walked into something interesting?”

I rolled my eyes. “You didn’t. I’m leaving.”

I tightened my grip on my grocery bag and walked past them. But when I reached the counter, I hesitated.

That uneasy feeling in my chest wouldn’t go away.

I clenched my fists. Damn it.

Before I could stop myself, I rushed back to the shelf, grabbed a pregnancy test kit, and went straight to the counter. I didn’t look at Clyren. I didn’t acknowledge him. I just paid and left.

But even inside my car, with my hands on the wheel, I could still feel his eyes on me.

I blew out a breath and rested my head against the seat.

I’m so stupid.

It was just a late period. There’s no way—

I shut my eyes.

Just take the damn test and get it over with.

When I got home, I couldn’t even get out of the car right away. I just sat there, staring at the small paper bag on the passenger seat. It felt like that box could answer every question I didn’t want to face.

I laughed bitterly at myself.

“You’re not pregnant, Sydney. You’re just being paranoid.”

But no matter what I said, the weight in my chest stayed.

The whole drive home I felt restless, and now, I couldn’t even get out of the car.

Why did I even buy it?

I should’ve left it on the shelf. I should’ve walked away.

I closed my eyes, hoping the thoughts would quiet down. But they only grew louder.

When was my last period? How many weeks late was I? How many times had I felt tired these past few days? Hungry even after eating? Sleepy even after waking up?

The more I thought about it, the more the pieces started to fit.

I swallowed hard.

“You’re overthinking, Sydney,” I whispered.

But what if I wasn’t?

The next thing I knew, I was already in my room. I didn’t even remember walking there, too lost in my thoughts.

I read the instructions again even though I already knew how to use it. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t calm the pounding in my chest.

What if?

“Sh*t,” I muttered, tossing the box onto my bed.

I tried to calm myself.

Maybe I was just stressed.

But what if I wasn’t?

Damn it.

I grabbed the box and went straight to the bathroom.

I had to do this.

I had to know.

With trembling hands, I opened the test and set it on the sink. I already used it and now all I had to do was wait. Just two minutes—but it felt like an hour.

I couldn’t look. I was terrified of the answer. But I knew I had to see.

Slowly, I forced my eyes to the test in my hand, heart pounding so hard I could barely breathe.

One line.

Then another.

Two.

Two clear lines.

Positive.

My knees gave out and I sank to the floor, staring at the result in shock.

Positive.

Sh*t.

I gasped, clapping my hand over my mouth.

This couldn’t be real.

I’m pregnant.