Semua Bab What We Kept In The Dark: Bab 11 - Bab 20

I wake up to sunlight cutting through the blinds and for a second I just lie there, trying to remember the last time I slept more than a few hours straight.Last night I kept drifting in and out, Ryan’s text playing on repeat in my head every time I started to relax, but eventually exhaustion won and my body just shut down whether I wanted it to or not.The baby needs rest even if I don’t.I can hear movement in the living room—quiet shuffling, the soft clink of dishes—and I sit up slowly, running my hands through my hair before padding out into the hallway.Jeremy is on the couch, still in the same clothes from yesterday, a blanket tangled around his legs like he kicked it off in his sleep.He looks up when he hears me and I watch him take in my face, the dark circles I know are under my eyes, the way I’m moving slower than usual.“You look exhausted,” he says, folding the blanket over his arm.“Good morning to you too,” I mutter.His tone softens “I’m serious, Cam. Did you sleep at

I arrive at the café fifteen minutes early, which gives me time to pick a table by the window where I can see the street and also be seen.Jeremy’s across the road at a bookstore, standing near the front display with a paperback in his hands that I’m pretty sure he’s not actually reading.He catches my eye through the glass and gives the smallest nod.I’m here. I’m watching.My phone says one forty-five and I order a glass of water from the server who passes by, wrapping both hands around the glass when it arrives just to have something to do with them.At exactly two o’clock the door opens and Patricia Hilary walks in.She moves through the café like she owns it, back straight, chin lifted just enough to make it clear she expects people to notice her arrival.The designer coat is cashmere, cream-colored and probably worth more than I could imagine, and it drapes perfectly across her shoulders without a single wrinkle.Her hair is styled in that way that looks effortless but definitel

Back at the apartment I make it as far as the couch before my legs give out and I sink into the cushions, every bit of energy I had completely drained.The meeting with Patricia replays in my head on a loop—her cold eyes, her dismissive tone, the way she said that baby ties you to my son forever like it was a life sentence.Maybe it is.Jeremy disappears into the kitchen without saying anything and I hear the familiar sounds of him moving around—cabinet opening, water running, the click of the stove.A few minutes later he comes back with a mug and sets it on the coffee table in front of me.“Rooibos,” he says, settling onto the opposite end of the couch. “Same as before.”I pick it up and wrap both hands around it, letting the warmth seep into my palms.“Thank you.”He just nods and we sit there in silence, him with his elbows resting on his knees and me curled into the corner of the couch with the mug pressed against my chest.The quiet stretches but it’s not uncomfortable, just hea

Weeks pass and we fall into something that feels almost like a routine.Mornings start the same way—I wake up to the smell of coffee brewing and wander out to find Jeremy already up, standing at the stove with two mugs waiting on the counter.He makes mine first, oat milk and honey measured out with the kind of carefulness that suggests he’s done this enough times now to have it memorized no matter how many times I complain, then pours his own black and hands me the one with the lighter color.“Morning,” he says, voice still rough with sleep.“Hey, morning.”We don’t talk much in those first few minutes, just exist in the same space while the caffeine kicks in and the day starts to feel real.I’ve shifted to working remotely—the bookstore manager was surprisingly understanding when I explained I needed to process online orders from home for a while, and it means I can stay in the apartment instead of being on my feet all day.Jeremy paints in the corner by the window, easel set up whe

I’m off the bed before I even realize I’m moving, phone clutched in my hand, every beat of my heart feels loud in my ears.Jeremy’s asleep on the couch and I need to show him this, need him to see what I just found, but I freeze halfway across the living room because waking him up feels selfish when he barely gets enough sleep as it is.I’m turning to go back to the bedroom when I hear the couch creak.“Cam?” His voice is rough, groggy. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing, I’m sorry, go back to sleep.”“You’re a terrible liar.” He sits up, rubbing his eyes. “What happened?”I hesitate, then walk over and sink down onto the couch beside him, holding out my phone.“Look at this. The photo from eight months ago. In the background.”He takes the phone and squints at the screen, zooming in on the image, and I watch his expression change as he spots what I’m talking about.“That’s Ryan,” he says quietly.“Sasha knows him. They’ve been to parties together. Which means—”“Which means she might recognize