Chapter 3

Dahlia's POV

I had never imagined that a single night could change my life so completely.

Yet, as I lay in Kayden's bed with my body still aching pleasantly from everything we had shared, I couldn't stop smiling. My head rested against his chest, and his arm was wrapped around my waist, keeping me close as though he had no intention of letting me go anytime soon.

For once, I wasn't the girl he barely acknowledged. I wasn't his younger sister's best friend, the little girl he had spent years keeping at arm's length. I was simply Dahlia, the woman he had kissed, touched, and held close throughout the night.

And I couldn't have been happier.

"Are you okay?" Kayden asked, his fingers brushing a loose strand of hair away from my face.

I lifted my head to look at him. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, smiling at the concern in his eyes. "I've never been better."

He studied me for a moment before pressing a brief kiss to my forehead. The simple gesture made my heart flutter. I had spent years dreaming about what it would feel like to be close to him, and now that it had finally happened, I wanted to hold on to every second.

Eventually, he helped me out of bed and took care of me, making sure I was comfortable before helping me clean up. His touch was unexpectedly gentle, so different from the cold indifference he usually showed me. He didn't tease me or make me feel embarrassed about anything. Instead, he moved with a quiet patience that made me feel safe enough to let my guard down.

After helping me bath, he took me back to the room and sat me down on the bed, then he left the room and returned carrying a folded set of clothes.

"Here." He said, placing them beside me. "You can change into these."

I looked down at the clothes. They were a simple shirt and a pair of shorts, clearly belonging to his sister.

"Mitchell's?" I asked.

"Yes. I figured you'd be more comfortable in these than what you were wearing." He said and walked to his wardrobe.

My cheeks warmed as I remembered my dress. I glanced toward the other side of the room, expecting to see it lying where he had thrown it, but it was nowhere in sight.

Then I noticed Kayden folding something carefully, his movements casual enough that I might not have paid attention if I hadn't recognized the fabric.

My dress.

He glanced at me briefly before tucking it away inside the wardrobe, behind a few hanging clothes.

I blinked.

"Why are you hiding my dress?"

He closed the wardrobe and turned toward me, his expression unreadable.

"Because I don't want anyone asking questions."

I stared at him, the smile on my face fading slightly.

"What questions?"

"Dahlia." He sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "Think about it. You disappeared from your own birthday party, and if you come downstairs wearing different clothes, people are going to ask why. We don't need anyone getting suspicious."

I looked down at the shirt and shorts beside me.

"So, what am I supposed to say?"

"Tell them you drank too much and needed to change." His voice remained calm. "Keep it simple. If anyone asks, you changed into Mitchell's clothes because you weren't feeling comfortable in your dress anymore. That's all."

I nodded slowly.

It made sense. The last thing I wanted was for people to start asking questions about where I had been or why I had spent so much time upstairs. Mitchell would undoubtedly be curious, and I wasn't sure I could look my best friend in the eyes without giving everything away.

Still, a small part of me wondered why Kayden seemed so determined to keep our night a secret.

Perhaps he simply wanted to avoid unnecessary gossip. After all, he was a famous athlete, and the rumors surrounding his love life were already enough to keep people talking for days.

I understood that.

At least, I tried to.

"Okay." I whispered.

His expression softened slightly. "Good. Now get changed. You need some rest."

I did as he asked, going to the bathroom to get changed. 

Yeah, I know it sounds crazy because he's literally seen every part of me already, but I can't help it. I still feel shy around him.

Judge me if you want, that's on you.

The shirt was a little too big, and the shorts sat loosely around my waist, but they were comfortable. More importantly, they smelled faintly of Mitchell's familiar detergent, a scent that reminded me of home.

When I came out, Kayden was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at his phone.

He glanced up at me, and for a brief moment, his gaze lingered.

"What?" I asked self consciously.

"Nothing." He slipped his phone into his pocket and stood. "You look comfortable."

I smiled.

It was such a simple comment, yet I found myself treasuring it more than I should have. That was the problem with loving someone for so long. Even the smallest kindness could feel like a gift worth holding on to.

He reached for my hand, and I let him take it.

"I have to leave tomorrow." He said.

My smile faltered. "Leave?"

"For training camp. I'll be gone for a month."

A month.

The words settled over me, and suddenly, the happiness I'd been feeling became tangled with disappointment. We had only just found our way to each other, and already he was telling me he would be leaving.

"Oh."

His thumb brushed across the back of my hand. "It's something I can't avoid."

I nodded quickly, not wanting him to think I was going to make things difficult for him. "I understand. It's okay."

He watched me quietly.

I tried to smile again. "I'll wait for you."

The words slipped out so naturally that I didn't even think about them. I had waited years for him to notice me, so what was another month?

"I'll be here when you come back." I added softly. "And we can talk about... us."

For a moment, I thought he might smile. Perhaps he would pull me into his arms and tell me that he wanted the same thing. Perhaps he would reassure me that last night hadn't been a mistake and that whatever had happened between us meant something to him.

But Kayden said nothing.

His expression remained difficult to read, and the silence stretched between us until I began to feel foolish for speaking.

Still, I refused to let that little flicker of doubt ruin everything.

He had kissed me. He had held me. He had been gentle with me in ways I had never expected.

Surely, that had to mean something.

Before I could ask him what he was thinking, he bent down and slipped one arm beneath my knees, the other around my back, lifting me into his arms.

I gasped and instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Kayden!"

"You need sleep." He said simply.

"But I can walk."

"I know."

"Then why are you carrying me?"

He glanced down at me, and for a moment, I thought I caught the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Because I want to."

My heart fluttered so hard that I had to look away to hide my smile.

He carried me out of his bedroom and down the hallway to one of the guest rooms. The party was still going on downstairs, it was till dawn after all, but the noise had softened, and no one appeared to notice us as he pushed the door open with his shoulder.

He laid me carefully on the bed and pulled the blanket over me.

"Get some rest." He murmured.

I caught his hand before he could move away.

"Kayden?"

He looked at me.

"Will you come and see me before you leave tomorrow?"

For a moment, he simply stared at me. Then he brushed his fingers over my cheek.

"Go to sleep, Dahlia."

It wasn't the answer I wanted, but I nodded anyway.

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before straightening.

I watched him walk toward the door, my heart full of feelings I didn't know how to put into words.

Just before he stepped out, I called his name again.

He paused and looked back.

"Goodnight."

Something shifted in his expression, so briefly that I couldn't be certain I had seen it.

"Goodnight, Dahlia."

Then he left.

I lay back against the pillows, touching my forehead where his lips had been. My cheeks warmed, and a smile slowly spread across my face.

Whatever happened next, I would deal with it when it came. For now, I wanted to remember the way he had held me, the sound of his voice, and the feeling of being close to the man I had loved for so long.

I didn't know how long it would take me to fall asleep, but eventually, exhaustion pulled me under.

And for the first time in years, I dreamed of Kayden without the familiar ache of wanting something I couldn't have.

**

The next morning, I woke to the sound of a car engine.

For a few seconds, I lay still, confused by the unfamiliar room. Then the memories of the previous night came rushing back, and I sat up so quickly that the blanket slipped from my shoulders.

Kayden.

I hurried out of bed and went to the window.

From there, I could see the driveway below. Kayden was standing beside his car, speaking briefly with someone before opening the driver's door. He wore a casual jacket and dark trousers, his travel bag already in the back seat.

My heart sank.

He was leaving.

I waited for him to glance toward the house.

Just once.

I wanted him to look up, perhaps catch sight of me standing there, and give me some small sign that he was thinking about me, too.

But he never looked back.

The car disappeared beyond the gates, leaving me staring at the empty driveway.

For a moment, I couldn't move.

Then I took a slow breath and forced a smile onto my face.

It was only a month.

Thirty days. That was all.

Thirty days until he came home, and then we could talk properly. We could figure out what had happened between us and what it meant for our future. I could ask him the questions I had been too afraid to ask the night before.

I had waited years for him.

I could wait thirty more days.

With that thought comforting me, I turned away from the window and returned to bed, clutching the blanket against my chest.

I had no idea that the next few weeks would change my life in ways I could never have imagined.

**

Three weeks later, my world fell apart.

It began with a test.

Two pink lines.

I stared at them until my eyes began to blur, my fingers trembling so badly that I nearly dropped the small plastic stick into the sink.

"No." I whispered.

I blinked rapidly, hoping I was seeing things. Perhaps the light was playing tricks on me. Perhaps I had misunderstood the instructions.

But no matter how many times I looked, the result remained the same.

Positive.

My knees weakened, and I grabbed the edge of the bathroom counter to steady myself.

I was pregnant.

The words echoed inside my head, over and over again, until they no longer felt like words but a sentence I couldn't escape.

Pregnant.

With Kayden's child.

I pressed a trembling hand over my mouth as tears filled my eyes. My mind raced through a thousand different thoughts, each one more frightening than the last.

What was I going to do?

How was I supposed to tell him?

Would he even want this child?

I thought about the night we had shared, the way he had held me close, and the promise I had made to wait for him. I had imagined his return so many times. I had pictured myself running into his arms, telling him how much I had missed him, and finally asking him to explain what we were to each other.

Never once had I imagined this.

I sank onto the closed toilet lid, still clutching the test in my trembling hand.

I was only twenty years old. I had barely begun to understand what it meant to be loved by the man I had wanted for so long, and now I was carrying his child.

A sob escaped me.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I was terrified, overwhelmed, and strangely protective of the tiny life growing inside me, even though I had only just discovered its existence.

Slowly, I lowered my hand to my stomach.

There was nothing to see yet. No sign of the little life that had already changed everything. But the thought that a part of Kayden might be growing inside me made my chest ache in a way I couldn't explain.

"Kayden..." I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks.

He was still away at training camp. He had no idea that I was now carrying his baby.

I wanted him here.

I wanted him to hold me, tell me everything would be okay, and help me figure out what came next.

But I couldn't ask him to do any of those things when I didn't even know what I meant to him.

I had promised to wait for him, and I would keep that promise. When he returned, I would tell him the truth. I would tell him that one night had changed my life forever.

I would tell him that he was going to be a father.

I wiped my cheeks and took another shaky breath, still staring at the test.

I was frightened. I had no idea what the future held, and I knew there would be difficult decisions ahead.

But as my palm rested against my stomach, one thought rose above all the others.

Whatever happened between Kayden and me, this baby was innocent.

And I already loved it.