Page 57 of Pregnant Bratva Wife
“Which part?” she asked, her voice tight. “The part where I found out my husband is a criminal? Or the part where we just had sex like none of that matters?”
I flinched at the harshness in her tone.
She finally looked at me, her eyes withdrawn. “I can’t do this, Federico. Not right now. I need...” She trailed off, gesturing vaguely.
“Space?” I supplied.
She nodded. “And time. And—” She took a deep breath. “And boundaries.”
“Boundaries,” I repeated, the word tasting bitter on my tongue after the sweetness of her kisses.
“This—” she gestured between us, “—was a mistake. I was upset and scared, and I wasn’t thinking clearly. I don’t want to make things more complicated than they already are.”
I wanted to argue. Wanted to pull her back into my arms and show her that what we’d just shared wasn’t a mistake—it was inevitable.
It was right.
But I’d already pushed her too far tonight. Had already broken her trust in ways I might never be able to repair.
So instead, I nodded. “I understand.”
Relief flashed across her face, quickly replaced by something that looked almost like disappointment. Had she wanted me to fight for her?
But she was already standing, collecting the last of her clothes. “I’m going to bed,” she announced.
I watched her go, my heart heavy with what felt like loss.
“Autumn,” I called just before she reached the door.
She paused, not turning around. “Yes?”
“I never meant to hurt you,” I said quietly. “I never will.”
She just stood there. Didn’t say a word. And then left.
Chapter 14 - Autumn
I stared at my phone for a solid couple of minutes before I worked up the courage to call Megan. I needed to check up on her. To hear her voice.
But it had been too long. For three weeks, I had ignored every call. Sent back half-sentence messages along the lines of, busy now, will call back.
The truth was, I missed her more than anything in the world—but I was terrified that talking to her meant lying to her. And some secrets just shouldn’t exist between sisters.
But that day, I decided I couldn’t keep her in the dark forever. There were some things she deserved to know, starting with where the hell I’d been.
At last, I called.
“Autumn?” Her voice filled with relief. “Oh my god, you’re alive!”
“Hey, Megs!” I said excitedly, trying to sound as normal as possible. “Sorry, I’ve been MIA.”
“MIA? You’ve been a ghost! I thought something happened to you!” The worry in her voice made my chest ache. “I was about to file a missing person report.”
I tried to laugh it off as a joke. “Don’t be dramatic.”
“Dramatic? You disappeared! No calls, barely any texts beyond ‘Will call you back.’ What was I supposed to think?”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” I lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. God, how did I explain any of this? “Things have been... complicated.”
