Chapter 8
It had been a month since I last saw Nolan.
He looked like a skeleton-sunken cheeks, hollow eyes, still wearing a hospital gown. He was exhausted and weak.
The second our eyes met, he walked toward me, voice shaking uncontrollably.
“Maren, can we… can we talk?”
I hesitated for two seconds before nodding.
There were some things that needed to be said.
“What do you want to say?”
He was silent for half a minute, then took a deep breath and said, “It’s over between Sienna and me. Completely. The baby’s gone too. She won’t be coming around anymore. Maren, you know I’ve only ever loved you. Can you… can you give
me another chance?”
Hearing this, surprise flashed in my eyes.
“What happened? What do you mean the baby’s gone?”
“In my heart, you’re irreplaceable. I know you couldn’t accept the baby… so I got rid of the problem. Maren, anything you
don’t like, I can make disappear. Please, forgive me?”
He said it like he was proud of himself-like he’d done something good and was waiting for my praise.
Watching him now, almost manic with excitement, I felt nothing but shock. I instinctively stepped back.
“That was your own flesh and blood. How could you be so heartless? And Sienna-she cared about you so much. Why
would she agree to an abortion?”
He saw the flicker of fear cross my face and quickly tried to explain, panicked.
“No! No, I didn’t… the baby wasn’t my fault. She fell down the stairs. It was an accident, Maren. It had nothing to do with
me.”
As he spoke, his whole face twitched with tension, his eyes darting everywhere, never meeting mine.
My gut told me there was more to the story.
“When did this happen? She doesn’t have family here. Why weren’t you with her?”
Nolan stared at me, clearly focused on one thing and one thing only-getting back together.
“It was just a few days ago. I had someone save her. I gave her a lot of money. She’ll be fine. I only came to tell you right away because-because now there’s nothing standing between us. Maren, we can go back. Pretend none of this ever happened, okay?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Φ
That was a living, breathing life he was talking about-as if it were just a problem he’d checked off a to-do list.
He stood so close. His face hadn’t changed, but to me… it felt like I was staring at a stranger.
I lowered my eyes and turned slightly away.
“We can’t go back. Let’s just part ways peacefully. Don’t contact me again. I’m married now. I have a new life.”
The words hit him like a knife to the chest.
His whole body trembled violently. His eyes darkened with despair, his voice breaking.
“Why? Why?!”
“It should’ve ended a long time ago. That night I flew to Italy… it should’ve ended then. I told you-I have a thing about
cleanliness. So this is it, Nolan. We’re done.”
