They had one too many close calls with Stephan’s past, now she had to think about the person who wasn’t involved. She had to protect her child the same way her father protected her.
Her thoughts were derailed by the song on the radio. A particular line appealed to her, ‘I got you memorized so when I close my eyes all I have to do is keep loving you in my heart’.
As the song played, she convinced herself what she was doing was right although it didn’t feel right. She hoped that one day Stephan would be able to sort out his life and they would come back home to him. But for now, when danger seemed to follow him, she would have to leave.
“Am sorry, but soon you will get to know your father.” The apology was only meant for the person inside her. She hoped they would all understand someday and forgive her.
“Who are you talking to?” Kayla burst into the bathroom, she wasn’t sure what she heard. She looked around and saw that Scarlet was all alone in the tub.
The sound of her voice startled her. “Jeez!” Scarlet tried to pace her racing heart.
“K. I am trying to take a bath here.” It was more of panic than anger in her voice. She didn’t need her to know. It was hard enough not to think about it when she and Solara were around. She didn’t want anyone to know. Not yet.
“Who were you talking to Scar?” Kayla suspected something wasn’t right about her but didn’t pick up on anything, not from the lack of trying. But every time she tried she hit a wall. Scarlet’s mind was a complete blank for her and Solara. Now she heard what she said.
“What are you talking about?” She was panicking now. She knew she was found out but wasn’t ready to admit to anything.
“Scar! You better tell me what it is or I will find out for myself.” It was a toothless threat but she had to try it. Her awkward behavior had her on edge. She was always worried that she would sneak away and leave without telling any one of them.
“What exactly did you hear K?” she wasn’t going to confess to anything until she was sure.
“Whose child are you apologizing to?” Kayla almost had it out of her and hoped her bluff would work out.
“Mine.” She gave up trying to hide it. It was useless and it would be a relief not hiding it from her.
She looked as Kayla stood stiff looking at her, an expression of disbelief on her face. It took a couple of minutes before she sank to the floor. Scarlet could see her trying to process it all.
“You are planning to keep this from Stephan.” Kayla’s voice was low like she was struggling to get it out of her throat.
Scarlet stepped out of the bath and reached for her robe. She knew Stephan would be back soon and she wasn’t ready to explain the immobilized vampire on the bathroom floor. She sat next to her, her back against the door.
“I have to keep my baby safe K. You have seen how much craziness Stephan seems to attract to himself.” She shrugged taking in a deep breath. “I need to do this. That is the only reason why am leaving. Am not going to sit here and wait to be caught in the crossfire.”
She took Kayla’s hand hoping she would understand her. “If it was just me I wouldn’t mind but now…” she put Kayla’s hand on the bulge on her stomach. “Someone else is involved.”
Kayla turned to face her, a new expression of shock on her face. “How long have you known. I am no expert but it feels like you have been pregnant for a while.”
“A month.” She tried to explain it in a way that she wouldn’t sound crazy. “The first time I went to the doctor was a month ago, and at the time I was only two weeks along. Then it started getting weird and I went back…” she looked up at her friend’s face. She didn’t want to miss the shock on her face. The situation was not amusing at all but she was determined to take all the humor that came from it.
“The doctor told me I was three months along.” She was right the humor was worth it. She let out a laugh at her confused expression.
“I had to stop going there because he was convinced that my body had been inhabited by an alien.” She joked.
“Scarlet there is nothing funny about this. So what are you going to do now?” Kayla was worried. “You don’t know anything about having a human baby let alone an immortal one.”
Scarlet knew what she was going to do. At the end of the week, she was going to leave. Have her child away from the madness then plan when she was going to come back. The details of the future weren’t sorted yet, but she was sure of the immediate. But she would figure out her baby’s needs one day at a time.
“You need to tell Stephan. This isn’t your usual pregnancy. You could die because of this. You need to stop thinking with your hormones and use your head.”
“Stephan won’t be any help. Remember he understands himself as much as we do.”
She remembered the time when the thought of having children with Stephan had crossed her mind. It was the same time as Kayla’s transformation when she was thinking about leaving him. She couldn’t help but laugh. All this while she thought he couldn’t sire children and now she had one inside her growing at super speed.
“What’s so funny?” Kayla was curious what part of the mess was so hilarious.
“I was just thinking… wait … why don’t you just read my mind it will save me from telling the whole story.”
Kayla decided it was time to come clean, she already got the information she wanted. “I can’t read your mind. Ok not can’t exactly.”
Scarlet didn’t seem to understand because she thought her friend was losing her gift. “What do you mean?”
“At times you are a complete blank and then you come on again. It’s like your mind like a broken T. V or something. Wait a minute…”
She turned her full body towards her and pointed an accusing finger at Scarlet’s belly. “That kid is jamming my frequency. Not yet born and already are getting on my nerves.”
Scarlet slapped her finger away, trying to understand the accusation made at her baby. “What do you mean?” She couldn’t help but laugh.
“Now we know he has his father’s vampire traits, I wonder what else he can do.” A wave of shock hit her when she finally realized the danger. If it could shield her thoughts it meant that it could also shapeshift. She wondered if she could handle the child phasing inside her.
“That is what I have been trying to tell you.” It was Kayla who brought her out of her thoughts. “Ah! Looks like he’s asleep or something. Because I can hear you more clearly now.”
Scarlet was too preoccupied to listen to her new findings on monster fetuses. She needed to know more about this but she didn’t have anyone to ask. Asking Stephan would be useless because he wasn’t born he was created. And her asking about the birthing process of beasts was bound to get her discovered.
“That doesn’t matter right now. I will figure something out. But you have to swear not to tell anyone. Don’t even think it K because if Solara finds out he will tell Stephan. He won’t let me leave. Besides, he doesn’t think he is capable of procreation.”
Kayla knew it was idiotic to make such a promise but she had to. She was her friend and she owed her loyalty. “Let me ask you why it took you this long to get pregnant. Or are his swimmers slow, considering he is half-vampire…” she had a smile on her face.
Although the joke was inappropriate she needed to lighten the mood. Scarlet had a lot to think about and if ridiculous humor distracted her even for a second she was happy to do it.
Stephan was back. He had her breakfast set on the kitchen counter. He stayed downstairs because he had their laughter and didn’t want to interrupt. He had taken most of the time available with Scarlet that the two girls didn’t have much left to themselves.
He couldn’t help but think that in a week he wouldn’t be playing house anymore. She was going away to live her life away from the madness. Although she had promised to live with him once the danger was over, he didn’t think it would happen. The danger would always be there. As long as the Conselho existed the danger would too. Scarlet was everything to him, and her safety was above everything else. He could not be selfish towards her ever. He was happy that they would have this week together. At the end of the week, he would have to let go. The thought of it weakened him and brought a new feeling of sadness in his heart.
***
Kayla and Scarlet headed towards the kitchen. Scarlet had grown unbearably hungry and Kayla impatient. She assumed that the fetus was awake because her mind was blank. She was hitting the same invisible wall as Stephan’s. Scarlet attacked the patisseries he had brought with him. She was eating for two, although at the time she seemed to be eating for ten. Who could blame her she was carrying a different kind of species in her and needed all the strength she could get.
Stephan watched her in shock a smug look on his face. “I thought you didn’t want anything that wasn’t salty.”
“What’s your point?” She giggled.
When her eyes locked on his, a wave of cocktail emotions hit her. All the feelings she felt were familiar. All, except one.
Guilt over hiding the truth from Stephan denying him knowledge of something they both created in love.
Pain because she was about to walk away from the one man she had ever loved and wanted.
Love and joy. Because he was always there for her to hold her to comfort her. Anticipating her every need. Making sure she was happy every single moment.
But the new feeling of yearning to be held was different. She loved being in his arms but this was different. She wanted to be rocked and cuddled. It was a different feeling from every other that she had. At those rare moments, she didn’t look at him as her lover but as something else.
“My beautiful human seems to be hungrier today. I must admit that you had me worried the past couple of weeks.” He sighed.
She knew what he was talking about. For a while, she never wanted anything to do with food. The mere smell of his would have her throwing up. A part of her was always thankful that his knowledge of the human anatomy was outdated.