Chapter 276
There’s a knock on my bedroom door. Slowly I drag myself out of bed and open it.
Lilly stands there, hair pulled back, worry written all over her face. She looks me up and down for a long moment before speaking.
“Good morning,” she says gently.
“Morning,” I reply, my voice rough.
She tilts her head. “Did you sleep at all p>
I hesitate, then shake my head. “Not really p>
I barely slept. How could I, with my mind in such turmoil? I did talk to Adrian, though, and honestly, that helped a little. That’s one of the things I like about him. Simply hearing his voice, or being in his presence, has a way of calming the storm inside me.
I still haven’t told him what happened at work.
Maybe it’s fear that he’ll judge me or look at me differently afterward. With Lilly, it’s different. We’ve known each other since we were kids. She knows my character. She knows who I am at my core… But Adrian, I’ve only known him for a couple of months. And I’m scared that once I tell him, he’ll start to doubt me.
Lilly steps closer and takes my hands in hers, warm and grounding. “You need to take care of yourself, Si. Especially now p>
My hand instinctively moves to my stomach.
I swallow. “I know p>
I had the chance to find out the gender already, but I said no without even thinking about it. Part of me already knows. Deep down, in that quiet place inside my chest, I know it’s a boy, but I just want to wait and see if I’m right.
She squeezes my hands once, then brightens a little.
“Good. Now come on.” She grabs my wrist and pulls me toward the kitchen. “I made breakfast, and I’m not leaving until you eat p>
I don’t argue. Honestly, I could use something to eat.
Lilly ordered takeout last night, but with everything going on, I barely touched it
She loads a plate with eggs, sausages, bacon, toast and mangoes, then sets a glass of freshly squeezed melon juice beside it.
“Are you trying to fatten me up?” I laugh, eyeing the spread.
It’s not that I don’t eat enough; I just don’t eat a lot in one go.
“You’re eating for two, so yeah,” she says firmly. “Now eat. I’m not leaving until that plate is empty p>
“Yes, Madam Boss,” I salute before grabbing my fork and digging in.
We sit shoulder to shoulder at the counter, eating in comfortable silence. When we’re done, she reaches for the plates.
“Stop right there,” I say quickly.
She frowns. “Si p>
“You’re not touching them,” I insist. “You cooked, so I’ll clean p>
“It’s just a couple of dishes, Sierra,” she argues. “I’ll wash them quickly p>
“I already said I’ll do it. Besides,” I add lightly, “I need something to keep me busy p>
She hesitates. “Are you sure? It’s not a problem p>
“I’m sure. Now go to work,” I say, giving her a gentle push. “You might be the big bad boss, but you still have to set a good example and not show up late p>
“Seriously?” she asks flatly. “It’s precisely because I am the boss that I can come in whenever I feel like it p>
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I roll my eyes. “Now go p>
She studies me for a moment, then nods reluctantly. “Fine. I’ll call you later p>
“Okay. Have a nice day.
She leaves after one last hug, and the house feels too quiet the second the door closes.
I wash the dishes slowly. When I’m done, I don’t really feel like doing anything, not even taking a shower, so I move to the living room.
I sit on the couch and turn on the TV, but minutes later nothing catches my interest. Not even the series I was so invested in last time.