Were you mine?

Chapter 43 My Love

Lea's POV

The night was endless. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing. I hadn’t been able to sleep since Jake found out. He thinks the baby is Phill’s. The look on his face was of pure agony. It was like I’d ripped his heart out. God, I wanted to tell him the truth, but I was too scared.

The baby kicked, a restless flurry that mirrored my own anxiety. “Shh, little one,” I whispered, rubbing my belly. “It’s going to be okay.” But it didn’t feel okay. Nothing did. I felt a heavy weight in my chest, a nagging worry I couldn’t shake.I glanced at my phone, the screen glaringly bright in the dark room. I wanted to call Jake, to explain everything, but what would I say? “Hey, Jake, I know you’re angry, but the baby’s yours, not Phill’s.” Yeah, right. He’d never believe me now.

A sigh escaped my lips. Why had I let things get so out of hand? Why hadn’t I told Jake the truth from the beginning? Phill was just a friend, a shoulder to cry on,he was my rock but our relationship was absolutely platonic. But now, because of one stupid misunderstanding, my world was falling apart once again. One mess after another.“Damn it, Lea,” I muttered to myself. “You’ve really messed things up this time.”

The baby kicked again, harder this time, and I winced. “I know, I know,” I murmured, trying to soothe both of us. “I’ll fix this. Somehow.”

I got out of bed and paced the room, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Maybe I should just pack up and leave. But no, I couldn’t do that to Jake. He deserved to know the truth, even if it tore us apart. He deserved peace. I knew how unstable he could be and how emotionally vulnerable he was.

The hours dragged on, the night refusing to end. I watched the sky lighten through the window, the first hints of dawn creeping in. My phone lay silent on the bedside table, mocking me with its stillness. Would Jake ever call again? Would he ever want to talk to me again? The butterflies I had after seeing him after all this time, still fluttered somewhere.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my head in my hands. Tears threatened to spill, but I fought them back.I wanted to hug him. I needed him.But I had to be strong, for the baby’s sake. I had to figure out a way to make things right.Just as I was about to give up hope, my phone rang. I jumped, my heart pounding as I grabbed it. Jake's name flashed on the screen, and I felt a mix of relief and dread.

“Jake?” I answered, my voice trembling.

“Lea,” he said, his tone unreadable. “I need the address to your hotel.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Why?”

“I’m coming to talk to you,” he replied, his voice steady but tense. “I need to see you, face to face.”

A surge of hope welled up in me. Maybe this was it, my chance to finally tell him the truth. “Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I’m at the Grandview Hotel, room 214.”

“Got it,” he said. There was a pause, and I could hear the sound of his car engine in the background. “Lea, we need to talk.”

“I know,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Jake, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” he asked, his tone softening slightly.

“It’s about the baby,” I began, my heart racing. “I...”

But before I could finish, he cut me off. “We’ll talk when I get there, okay? Just…hang on.”

“Okay,” I agreed, my voice shaky. “Please hurry.”

“I will,” he promised, and then the line went dead.

I stared at the phone, my heart pounding in my chest. This was it. Jake was coming. I had a chance to make things right. I had to tell him the truth, no matter how hard it was.I got up and started to pace the room again, my mind racing. How would I explain everything? How would I make him believe me? The baby kicked.What if he doesn’t believe me? What if he walks out of my life forever?

The thought was unbearable, and I pushed it away, focusing on the hope that this could be a new beginning for us. The night had been long and dark, but maybe, just maybe, the dawn would bring a chance for redemption.

The sound of a car pulling up outside made my heart leap. I jumped up and ran to the window, peering out into the early morning light. Jake’s car was there, and he was getting outAs I watched him walk towards the hotel entrance, a sense of calm washed over me. I was ready. Ready to face him, to tell him everything, to fight for our future.

The knock at the door sent a jolt through me. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart, and opened the door. Jake stood there, his expression a mix of anger and confusion. He looked tired, worn out, like he’d been through hell. But something was off. There was a disheveled look about him that I couldn't ignore. My heart sank.

“Jake,” I started, my voice trembling. “What…what happened?Where were you? ”

His eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted, hinting that he didn’t sleep or had a very restless night.He reeked of alcohol on his breath, suggesting he had been drinking a lot. There were faint traces of makeup on his face, likely from close contact with another woman.His lips appeared slightly bruised or swollen, as if from passionate kissing.His shirt buttons are misaligned, indicating it was put on in a hurry.

He brushed past me, not meeting my eyes. “We need to talk, Lea.”

I closed the door, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. When it came to Jake, I couldn't shake off my intuitions. “Yeah, we do. But first, where were you?Were you with someone?” It felt like a dagger throw my heart, just like that night when I had come back to our apartment.

He turned to me, his eyes flashing with anger. “What does it matter? You’re the one who’s been lying to me and cheating.”

“Lying?” I felt my own anger rising. “You come here, reeking of some other woman’s perfume, with lipstick on your collar, and you have the nerve to accuse me of lying?” It was probably my hormones. I couldn't control my outburst.

Jake’s jaw clenched. “You think you can accuse me of cheating?You’re the one carrying another man’s child!”

“That’s not true!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “The baby is...” I stopped myself, shaking my head. “It doesn’t matter now. How could you come here reeking of another woman, Jake? How could you do this to me all over again?”

He laughed bitterly. “You think I’m the one who’s lying? You’re the one who’s been sneaking around with Phill!”

“You don’t understand!” I cried, tears streaming down my face. “Phill is just a friend, nothing more.”

“Friend?” he spat. “Then why did he tell me you were together?”

”Because he was trying to protect me!” I yelled back, the frustration and pain boiling over. “He knew ...He was helping me and he didn’t want to see me hurt.”

“Hurt?” Jake’s voice rose. “You think this doesn’t hurt me? Finding out the woman I love is pregnant with someone else’s kid?”

“I never cheated on you, Jake!” I screamed, my voice raw and panic coursing through my entire body.I could see everything we had, crumbled right in front of my eyes. “Why can’t you believe me?”

The baby kicked hard, a painf shot through me. The stress I was under was taking it's toll. “Jake, please,” I pleaded, my voice breaking. “I can’t handle this.”

“You can’t handle this?” he scoffed. “What about me, Lea? What about everything you’ve put me through?”I took a step back, my vision blurring with tears. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“But it did,” he said coldly. “And now you have to live with it.”

The room seemed to spin, the emotions too much to bear. My vision blurred, I reached out to grab something but failed and then I felt my legs give out beneath me.

“Lea!” Jake’s voice was panicked as he caught me, his arms wrapping around me as I collapsed.

Everything went dark, the last thing I heard was his desperate voice calling my name. " Lea... Lea what happened? Lea? ” And that was bliss.