At the word “breakfast," I slide off his chest and back to my side of the bed. I look up at his face. He has some stubble along his jawline since he hasn’t shaved yet this morning. His skin is bright and relaxed, exactly how it should be while on vacation.
“What time is it?” I ask.
“Almost ten.”
My eyes widen. “I’m surprised you slept in.” Usually, he was up and at the gym before the sun came up.
He shrugs. “I don't want to wake you.”
He climbs out of bed and stands to his feet. My eyes zero in between his legs; he hadn’t bothered to get dressed after our session either. His lips lift into a smile.
“Maybe we can come back to bed after we eat,” he suggests.
I nod my head like a dog waiting for a treat. He laughs before pulling on his sweatpants, kissing me on the forehead, and then heading for the kitchen. I lay back in the bed and look up at the ceiling fan above my head. I have to tell him today. A baby is growing inside me, and I don't want to keep it a secret. Even though I’m utterly terrified of the possibility that the father might be Miles. I can’t help but also feel a hint of excitement. I’ve always wanted to be a mother, and I had accepted the fact that it might never happen for me. No matter what, I’ll love my child with all I have. If Maverick doesn't want anything to do with me, I’ll take all the money from Miles’s estate and move back to America. Start my life over again, maybe live in a nice suburb and work during the day at a law firm. I could do that. It isn’t ideal. Maverick has become such a big part of my life in this small amount of time, but it’s comforting to know I’ll be okay. No matter what the outcome, I’ll be able to stand on my own two feet. It has been so long since I felt like I was able to do that. I’d been under Miles’s control for so long that I forgot what it was like to be independent.
With a deep breath, I get out of the bed and walk into Maverick’s bathroom. After taking a shower, I go back into my bedroom to change into an outfit for the day; then I walk down to the kitchen. Maverick stands at the island, filling up two plates with eggs, toast, and bacon. His naked chest is on display, his lion tattoo big and prominent.
“I thought you might have fallen back asleep,” he jokes.
“I thought about it.” I sit at the long wooden table, and he walks over with both plates. He pushes one in front of me.
“Thank you.”
He nods and starts to eat. I eat slowly, picking at my food as my stomach knots up. My stomach was rumbling earlier, but now all I can concentrate on is the words that are about to come out of my mouth. No matter what his response is, I'll be okay. I remind myself.
“You’re not eating,” he notes. I look up from my plate to see his dark eyes on me. They’re filled with amusement.
The words are lifted from my chest and thrown across the table. “I’m pregnant.”
“I don’t think it happens that fast,” he says with a playfulness in his tone.
“I’m serious, Maverick.”
He stares at me. The realization must have been sinking in because his face starts to fall. His eyes turn dark, and his lips flatten into a deep frown.
“I took a test last night.”
The kitchen is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I stop breathing as I wait for him to say something...anything.
“Mine?” he asks.
“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice coming out small.
I jump as he stands up from the table. His chair scrapes against the tile floor. The side of his jaw twitches like he’s clenching his teeth together. My heart races. This was it. This is when he would change. Where his behavior would switch, just like Miles. I hadn’t noticed I’d started crying, but the tears hit my lip, and I can taste the saltiness. Maverick turns away from me and walks away.
A moment later, the front door slams shut, causing the paintings on the wall to shake. The middle of my chest feels empty. As if he had ripped my heart out and thrown it on the ground. Covering my face with my hands, I allow myself to sob. This will be the last time I cry over a man. When we get back to Tahiti, I’ll call my real estate agent and ask her to lower the price on Miles’s estate so it can sell faster. Then I’ll get a plane ticket out and go back to America. I’ll stay in a hotel for a while if I have to while I wait for the estate for sale. I would be okay.