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My pulse pounded in my ears, but I continued anyway. “I recently found out that I’m with child, and it’s Rowan’s.”
Everything went incredibly still like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room. Shock scribbled across their faces, and nobody said a word, as if they were either still processing it or too afraid to say anything.
The longer that silence lingered, the more suffocating it was, and I didn’t know what to do from there. It was exactly what I had been afraid of and not at all how I wanted it to go.
The girls exchanged their glances as if searching for any clue of what they should say and how they should react.
Slow-rising panic filtered into my chest, and I suddenly wanted the floor to swallow me hole. I wished I could go back in time and decide not to tell anyone. Running away even sounded tempting at the moment.
But I couldn’t. I had to face it head-on, even if everyone was incredibly perplexed by the notion.
“I thought you hated him,” River said finally, breaking through that stunned silence.
I knew it was a valid question since I hadn’t exactly been open about how our connection had changed over the last few weeks.
Sighing, I explained, “I resented him for rejecting me when we first met, but we’ve grown closer since he returned. He has changed, and he really opened up to me. One thing led to another, and here we are.”
“It was after our girl’s night, wasn’t it?” Sienna asked, quirking a brow at me.
She was the one I texted to let her know where I was going, and I wondered if she made that speculation at the time. If she figured there was something more than him driving me home.
Sheepishly, I nodded. “He was just helping me out after the premonition took it out of me, but we talked, and he made me feel better.”
“I could imagine,” River chuckled against the rim of her cup, amused as usual.
Looking between them, I could still feel their hesitance even if they didn’t voice it outright. While I couldn’t entirely blame them for it, a part of me still wished for a more positive reaction. I wanted to celebrate with my friends, but they were still hung up on who the father was.
I watched as Hayley shrank slightly in her chair as the question moved past her lips. “Are you all right with this? Raising a child with Rowan, I mean.”
Taken aback by the question, I thought my way of announcing the pregnancy was evidence enough of how I felt about it.
I had been afraid when I first discovered it, but Rowan reassured me with his acceptance. He was just as excited as I had been, and I was looking forward to starting a family together.
Looking between each of them, I could see the prejudice they had for him and their pre-existing reluctance to accept him just because Kai told everyone to.
They didn’t know him like I did, and they also didn’t know that he wasn’t just someone I had sex with.
That frustration boiled within me, but I tried to leash it as best as I could manage.
“I know I’ve been keeping this from you too, but me and Rowan are fated mates. He rejected me after he learned I was a witch over five years ago because his father had some vendetta against our kind. But we’ve been able to mend it since he came back, and I know he isn’t capable of hurting me like that anymore,” I said, letting my conviction take over. “Rowan isn’t like his father, and he’s the one who wants the truce between our communities anyway. Everyone in Rose Valley has resisted brokering peace all because of things that weren’t in his control, and your refusal to work toward that change isn’t helping anyone or anything.”
Out of breath by the end of it, I sat firmly in my chair and tried to relax.
Each one of my friends deflated then, averting their gazes in thought. My words didn’t land on deaf ears, it seemed.
“You’re right, Willow,” River said, eyes softening. “We’ve attached the blame of the attacks on him without getting to know him, and he doesn’t deserve that.”
“We’ve been hypocritical, and I see that now,” Sienna added, offering me a regretful look. “I’m sorry we jumped to conclusions.”
The girls all agreed, apologizing for their less-than-ideal reactions.
Alora put a gentle hand on my arm and smiled encouragingly. “We’re all happy for you, Willow. So long as you’re happy, we’ll always support you.”
They nodded their shared sentiments, and Hayley’s expression was the most apologetic. “We’ll extend our support to Rowan, too, and try to get to know him better.”
While it was a sudden shift in tone, they all seemed to genuinely believe they had made a mistake, and I couldn’t detect any insincerities.
With a calming breath, I nodded my thanks and put on a brave smile.
