Page 114 of Nine Months to Love

The path opens onto a clearing, with a bench overlooking a small lake. The moon reflects on the surface, turning the water silver.

“It’s beautiful,” Olivia whispers.

“My father used to bring me here,” I say softly. “When I was a kid. Before everything went to hell.”

She squeezes my hand but doesn’t speak.

“We’d sit on that bench.” I nod toward it. “He’d tell me stories about when he was young.”

“Good stories?”

“Mostly. Some were about the war. Those were harder.” I pause. “But he always ended with something about the future. Hopeful things, you know?”

We move to the bench and sit. Olivia tucks herself against my side and I wrap my arm around her to keep her warm against the night’s chill.

“I’ve been thinking about bringing our kid here,” I explain. “When they’re old enough. Telling them about their roots, where they come from.”

Olivia’s breath catches. “Stefan?—”

“I know it’s early. We’re still figuring things out, and, fuck, maybe we’ll never quite get on top of our shit. But I can’t help it. I see this future with you, with our baby. And it feels...” I struggle for the word. “Real.”

She turns to look at me. Her eyes are bright. “It feels real to me, too.”

I cup her cheek in my palm. It’s so soft and pure against my rough calluses. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.” I force myself to hold her gaze. “I was hurting and I was angry and I took it out on you. That was wrong.”

Tears well in her eyes. “I’m sorry, too. I kept pushing when you asked for space. I should have respected that.”

“You were being you.” I brush a teardrop from her cheek. “And I wouldn’t change that for the world.”

She laughs wetly. “Even when it drives you crazy?”

“Especially then.”

We sit in silence for a moment. The lake laps gently at the shore. An owl hoots somewhere in the trees. It’s like the whole world is whispering to me,You have to tell her, Stefan. You have to tell her everything and you have to do it now.

So, with a deep breath, I do.

“You wanted to know who’s in the basement, right?” I ask. She stiffens, but I continue. “It’s Mikayla. She’s the one down there. Not my mother.”

Olivia goes very still. “What?”

“We discovered she’s been working against me. Feeding information to my enemies and sabotaging my operations.” I pause and consider withholding this last piece before I sigh and let go of that, too. “And targeting you.”

“Me?”

“The smear campaign. The attacks on your clinic. That was all her.”

Olivia pulls back slightly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I was worried you’d want to go down there. Talk to her, try to understand why she did it, put yourself in her shoes because empathy is your greatest gift.” I tighten my grip on her hand. “And I was worried she’d try to hurt you.”

“So you lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you the whole truth.”

“That’s the same thing, Stefan.”

“I know.” I force myself to meet her eyes. “But I won’t risk your safety, Olivia. Not for anything. Not even for honesty.”