Hidden Truth

Aria's POV

The next morning, I sat up in bed and looked at the clock. The time was six in the morning. The hour was too early for anyone to be awake. Good. I needed time alone to think. The wedding was approaching fast. Ronan would arrive at any moment. My mom, Vesper, had made it clear there was no backing out. I had to marry him. But how could I? My mind refused to stop picturing me at the altar with Ronan after seeing Lupin. I remembered the way he had touched me. The sound of his voice when he spoke to me. The way he had looked at me like I was the only person in the world. What happened with him was wrong. I shouldn't have existed with this memory.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. My pajamas felt tight around my middle. I needed to hide this pregnancy better , from shame and fear of attention. I took my phone from the nightstand and opened a browser. I searched for information about hiding early pregnancy. The results appeared within seconds. Wear loose clothes. Choose big sweaters. Use a pillow or bag to cover your stomach. Eat small meals to prevent stomach bloating. Stand sideways. Avoid tight belts.

I nodded to myself. Okay. That could work. I went to my closet to find my baggiest sweater. The sweater I selected was a gray color that hung loose from my body. I put it on over my tank top. The outfit covered all parts of my body. I turned to face the mirror. The bump was gone. Or at least, it was hard to see. I practiced standing with my arms crossed over my chest. That helped too. Made me look casual. Not hiding anything.

I needed to eat food. Some websites suggested that ginger could help treat nausea. I currently felt fine but I expected the sickness to develop. The protein shakes would allow me to maintain my energy levels while preventing any food baby appearance. I made a mental reminder to purchase some later. Body language was vital for the situation. Rubbing your stomach should be avoided. Stop saying you are permanently exhausted. You must act in a typical manner. You must laugh at jokes. Your behavior should mimic the past version of yourself.

I placed my head in my hands after sitting back on the bed. Normal. That was a joke. Nothing felt normal anymore. Six weeks. That's what the doctor said. Exactly when it happened with Lupin. Selene had come home right after. If anyone did the math... No. They wouldn't.

I felt guilty because Selene was my closest friend. She had opened her home to me when I visited as an exchange student. She treated me like a family member who belonged to the pack. I had now slept with her dad and got pregnant. I lied to her face about it. I could still see her face in the hospital room. The doctor announced the word pregnant and she showed shock. She asked him. "Ronan?" She asked him. I nodded. I lied while she held my hand at that moment.

Footsteps in the hallway made me jump. Light footsteps. The person walking must be Lyra. She always woke up early and walked through the house like she owned all spaces. I held my breath until they passed. Safe. For now. But Lyra hated me. She had made that clear at dinner. She called me an outsider. She claimed I took her sister's time and her parents' attention and even her room. What would she do if she found out the truth? She already suspected everything. I couldn't let her get close.

I needed to talk to Ronan before he got here. I had to prepare him about our upcoming meeting. Our story needed to be precise. I texted Ronan "Hey. Flight tomorrow? Can't wait to see you." I used a heart emoji for decoration. Fake. But he would like it. He always did when we were together. His response arrived within seconds. "Yeah, landing at noon. We got this. Love you." Love you. Those words used to make me happy. Now they felt like chains.

I placed the phone down on the table. I started walking around the room. What if Lupin said something? He had come to my door that night after Lyra's blowup. He called it a mistake. He hurt me when he spoke about it so casually. But his eyes... they didn't look like he meant it. Not fully. What if he told Elowen? Or worse, Selene? The whole family would fall apart. The pack would turn on me. I would lose everything.

Stop. I shook my head. No time for that. Focus on today. Breakfast soon. I had to act normal there. I needed to smile at Elowen while I talked to Selene and tried to keep from looking at Lupin. He sat at the head of the table every morning. Strong. Calm. He acted as if nothing had happened. It drove me crazy.

Soft knocking occurred at my door. I froze. I heard Selene speak. "Aria? You up?" Relief washed over me.

"Yeah. Come in." I opened the door. She stood there in her pajamas, blonde hair messy, green eyes worried.

"Are you okay after what happened yesterday?" She stepped inside and hugged me. Tight.

"I am fine. I just need to rest." Lie number ten thousand.

She pulled back. "Mom called Ronan. He's coming home. And your mom... she's booking a flight too."

"I know." My voice was flat.

Selene sat on my bed. "This is crazy. Marriage? So fast? Are you sure about Ronan?"

I forced a smile. "We dated for a year. It makes sense."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. But you two broke up. Long distance sucked."

"I agreed with you." I sat next to her. "But the baby's here now. We have to do right by it."

She squeezed my hand. "I'm here. Whatever you need. Dress shopping? Venue ideas? Mom's already talking country club."

Vesper liked country clubs because they appeared elegant. Vesper wanted no shotgun wedding scandals to emerge from her family.

"Thanks, Selene." I hugged her again. "You're the best."

We talked for a bit. Normal stuff. School gossip. Holiday plans. She wanted to stay home to keep the family together. I nodded along. Inside, my mind raced. Hide the bump. Stick to the lie. Survive until the wedding. Then what? I couldn t think about the future. Ronan raising Lupin's kid? No. I couldn't think that far.

Selene left to shower while I got dressed in baggy jeans and an oversized hoodie which provided perfect cover for my appearance. The downstairs area contained a strong coffee aroma which reached my nose while I entered. Elowen was in the kitchen area making pancakes while Lupin sat at the table reading his newspaper. The man had his black hair arranged in a tidy style while his wide shoulders filled the entire chair space. The moment I entered the room her hazel eyes flicked up to see me. My stomach did a somersault.

Elowen greeted me with a warm voice when she said , "Morning, Aria." She placed a plate of food in front of me because she wanted me to eat for strength building.

I thanked him while I stayed at a distance from Lupin. I took a seat at the table from across.

Selene entered the room afterwards to give her mother a hug and her mom a kiss on the cheek. I picked at my food.

Lyra entered the room as the last arrival. She entered the room with a loud stomping sound to claim a chair which she positioned directly next to me. Her eyes remained fixed on mine while she showed a smirk.

The space inside the room seemed to decrease in size when I tried to move away from the space between us. The space between us decreased because I moved my body away from the contact area.

She spoke to me in a whisper which only I could hear when she said , "You're acting… different." I registered all her movements.