Chapter 6: The Weight of Truth

The words lingered in the air, heavy and unshakeable.

Rick's face changed, anger melting into something much more complicated—shock, disbelief, and something else I couldn't quite read. For a moment, the world stood still. He remained frozen in position, looking at me as if I'd just turned everything he believed on its head.

The weight of my confession hung over us both like a choking mist. I tightened my shaking hands into fists, trying to ground myself, but it was no good. My body shook with fear and anticipation. At last, without a word, Rick turned and left the bedroom.

The closing of the door behind him sounded louder than it should have, ringing out through the quiet. My chest constricted, and my legs weakened beneath me. I collapsed onto the chilly bathroom floor, huddling in on myself as if that would shield me from the tempest I knew to be building.

Drawing my knees in close to my chest, I hid my face in my hands. The tile under me was cold, but I hardly noticed. All I could focus on were Rick's eyes—how they had flashed with anger, confusion, and something else, something I couldn't quite identify.

I knew he would be angry. How could he not be? But this… this burning, all-consuming rage had surprised me.

Tears trickled down my face, burning and relentless. I brushed at them with shaking hands, but they continued to flow. A little voice within me told me perhaps I shouldn't have spoken. Perhaps I should have left the truth hidden where no one could discover it. But now it was too late. The truth was out, and there was no going back.

I was at Rick's mercy.

Would he turn me down? Would he turn the baby down because it wasn't his?

I didn't fault him if he did. The child wasn't his, anyway. I didn't have a right to expect him to take it—it wasn't fair to expect that of him. But the prospect of his rejection seared in a way I hadn't expected. I hadn't known how much I wanted—needed—his approval until now.

The bathroom door groaned open, and I gazed up in surprise. Rick was standing there, his wide shoulders taking up the doorway. His presence was as demanding as always, yet there was a look in his face that caused my gut to curl in agony.

"Pregnant?" he whispered, and the incredulity in his voice was almost tangible, but it was the tempest gathering in his eyes that scared the wits out of me.

The word dropped from his lips like an accusation, and I cowered beneath his eyes.

"You couldn't be serious," he snapped, his tone becoming harder, harsher. "This is a lie."

I winced at the viciousness in his tone, my chest constricting agonizingly. "Rick, I am not lying," I spoke gently, my voice shaking. "I truly am pregnant."

He glared at me, his face a battleground of feelings—anger, confusion, shock, and something that resembled pain. I couldn't decide if he was attempting to get behind the words or flat-out refusing to believe them.

I struggled to my feet, slowly, and walked past him, my legs shaking. I sat on the edge of his bed, my hands holding onto the hem of the baggy T-shirt I had on. I was exposed and vulnerable, and his eyes on me only made it worse.

Rick's eyes tightened, his keen eyes scanning me as if he was attempting to find the missing pieces in a puzzle that wouldn't fit. When his eyes landed on my exposed throat, I saw it—his awareness. I automatically placed my hand on the faint mark left behind by Cole, the mark that was incomplete due to his refusal.

His anger came back in full force, burning more brightly and more hotly in his eyes. His fists tightened at his sides, and I could have sworn that I could see the tension radiating from him in waves.

"Rick, please," I whispered, my voice shattering. I had no idea what I was asking for—whether he would calm down. Stay? Get it?

He didn't respond. His jaw clenched, and without a word, he turned and stormed out of the room. The door slamming behind him echoed like a final blow.

I sat there in shocked silence, my heart pounding and my mind reeling. My hands drifted to my stomach, resting there lightly as if to protect the life that was forming within me from the turmoil outside.

Tears welled up once more, and this time I didn't attempt to hold them back. I didn't know what to do or what Rick would do. All I knew was that everything had shifted, and there was no turning back.