SASHA’S POV
I let out a deep sigh, staring at the dim screen of my phone beside me on the bed. Roland’s name still lingered on my call log, his voice playing on a loop in my mind. Why had he called to check up on me?
Roland was never one for casual calls, especially not ones that revolved around pleasantries. The questions swirled in my mind like an uncontrollable storm, refusing to settle.
I had been trying to distract myself with a book, hoping the story would offer an escape, but it was no use. Roland’s call gnawed at me, like a splinter buried too deep to remove.
The concern in his tone, the way he lingered just a beat too long before hanging up-it was unsettling.
I grabbed my phone again, staring at his name as if it would reveal the answers I craved. Why now? Why would he call me today, out of all days? And why did his concern feel so… pointed?
The stillness of the room didn’t help. My apartment had always felt too big when I was alone, and tonight was no different. The quiet only amplified my thoughts, leaving me to wrestle with them in solitude.
The soft knock at the door startled me. My pulse quickened as I instinctively turned toward the sound, tension momentarily gripping my chest.
I wasn’t expecting anyone, and for a fleeting moment, I thought it might be Sebastian. But no, it was too late for him to show up unannounced-not after everything we’d been through.
“Come in,” I called out, my voice wavering slightly.
The door creaked open, and relief washed over me when I saw my father step into the room. His presence was always a source of comfort, a steady anchor in the chaos of my life.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said softly, closing the door behind him.
“Hi, Dad.” I forced a smile, sitting up straighter as he approached.
He walked over to the bed, his movements slow and deliberate, and sat down beside me. The mattress dipped under his weight, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.
He didn’t need to speak right away; his silence was just as comforting as his words.
“You okay?” he asked eventually, his gaze settling on me with fatherly concern.
I hesitated, unsure of how to answer. Was I okay? Not really. The pregnancy had thrown my life into a whirlwind, and my relationship with Sebastian felt like it was balancing on a razor’s edge.
And now Roland’s cryptic call had added another layer of confusion to the mix.
“I’m… managing,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
He nodded, as if he understood everything I wasn’t saying. He always had a way of reading between the lines, of knowing what I needed without me having to spell it out.
For a while, we just sat there, the silence stretching between us like an invisible thread.
It wasn’t uncomfortable, though. It was the kind of silence that felt safe, like a cocoon shielding us from the outside world.
“Still thinking about whether to tell Sebastian?” he asked gently, breaking the silence.
I stiffened at the question, my fingers curling around the edge of the blanket. Of course, he knew. He always knew.
“Yeah,” I admitted, my voice tinged with hesitation. “I am.”
He didn’t say anything right away, just leaned back slightly and rested his hands on his knees. He was giving me space to speak, to pour out the thoughts that had been weighing on me for weeks.
“I don’t know, Dad,” I said, my voice cracking slightly.
“Part of me wants to tell him. He deserves to know. But then… I keep thinking about everything we’ve been through. What if it just complicates things even more? What if he sees this as some kind of trap?”
My father raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t interrupt. He just watched me, his expression calm and patient.
“And then there’s the fact that we’re in the same town now,” I continued, my words tumbling out in a rush.
“What if he finds out on his own? Wouldn’t it be better if he heard it from me first?”
My father’s silence was both comforting and unnerving. It gave me the space to vent, but it also left me wondering what he was thinking.
“I mean, I don’t even know how he’d react,” I said, my frustration bubbling to the surface.
“Would he be happy? Angry? Indifferent? I can’t predict him, Dad. He’s so… complicated.”
My father finally leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied me.
“Sebastian is complicated, yes. But so are you, sweetheart. And that’s not a bad thing. It just means you have to figure out what you want before you can expect him to do the same.”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. He was right, of course. I had been so focused on trying to anticipate Sebastian’s reaction that I hadn’t taken the time to really think about what I wanted.
“What do you think I should do?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. “That’s not for me to decide, Sasha. This is your life, your decision. But whatever you choose, I’ll support you. You know that, right?”
I nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over. His unwavering support meant everything to me, especially now when I felt so lost.
“I just… I don’t want to mess things up,” I admitted, my voice cracking. “I’ve made so many mistakes already, Dad. What if this is just another one?”
He reached over and placed a hand on mine, his grip warm and reassuring.
“You’re not perfect, Sasha. None of us are. But that doesn’t mean you’re destined to fail. You’ve got a good heart, and that counts for a lot.”
I bit my lip, trying to hold back the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. My father’s words were exactly what I needed to hear, but they didn’t make the decision any easier.
“I just wish I knew how he’d react,” I said softly. “It would make this so much easier.”
He chuckled, the sound low and soothing. “If life were easy, it wouldn’t be worth living, sweetheart. The hard decisions are the ones that shape us, that make us who we are.”
I let his words sink in, the weight of them settling in my chest. He was right, of course.
Life wasn’t supposed to be easy. And maybe this decision wasn’t about Sebastian at all. Maybe it was about me, about what kind of person I wanted to be.
“Thanks, Dad,” I said finally, my voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside me.
He smiled, giving my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Anytime, sweetheart. You know I’m always here for you.”
As he stood up to leave, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. The storm inside me hadn’t disappeared, but it felt more manageable now, like I could face it without being consumed.
“Goodnight, Sasha,” he said, pausing at the door.
“Goodnight, Dad,” I replied, watching as he closed the door behind him.
Left alone once again, I stared at the dim screen of my phone, the unanswered questions still lingering in my mind. But this time, they didn’t feel as overwhelming.
I didn’t have all the answers yet, but I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t keep this secret forever. Sooner or later, Sebastian would have to know.