Page 36 of Bound Hearts

Foster’s face has zero flicker of surprise. Instead, possessiveness floods his eyes. The corner of his mouth shifts, not quite a smile, maybe satisfaction even, and he doesn’t try to hide it, either.

His words echo in my mind.

He was expecting this.

10

SUTTON

Staring at Foster, I’m taken completely off guard. His face remains indifferent as he observes me, my reaction. My lips part, and I don’t blink even once.

“You know?” The surprise is in my soft voice.

He presses his lips together and pauses. "Yeah, probably before you realized it yourself." Confusion draws lines across my forehead. He notices my reaction, and the edge of his mouth quirks up, almost as if I’m doing exactly what he predicted.

Shaking my head, I still can’t understand. “How?”

“The signs were there, Sutton. I just think you ignored them, and I’m going to take a wild guess that you finally caught up and let denial go. I figured you would tell me in your own time. But you were taking longer than I planned.”

A cry claws at my throat. “Well…” I glance away, my chin trembling, and when I face him again, his gaze is unwavering. I don’t hesitate. “I’m pregnant.”

He nods gently, his expression impossible to read. This was never in either of our plans. He grabs his desk phone and stabs at a button.

“Vicky, cancel all of my meetings for today. Also, ensure no interruptions,” he firmly requests then hangs up, the entire time he has me locked in view.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

Foster stands. His path leads him straight to me; he kneels to be at my eye level. “I think I do. So… pregnant,” he repeats, letting the word hang between us.

Then it happens, I completely shatter. Tears spill out, and I hiccup and cry.

Affectionately, he combs my hair away from my face then his thumb traces a circle on my cheek. “I think we need to get out of here,” he suggests, and he sounds careful, aware I’m on fragile ice.

I nod in agreement as another sob hits me.

This office is the last place I want to be.

We don’t say much on the way to my apartment. I only stare ahead of me at the car’s partition, trapped in a daze. But now he brings me a glass of water as I sit on the couch, with my knees tucked under my thighs and holding a cushion.

“Ready for this talk?” he initiates delicately.

At least the tears are gone, though my eyes are still swollen and my chest feels fragile. "This wasn’t planned," I say. He stays silent, making it clear I should continue. "Obviously, condoms failed or we weren’t careful, because there were a few times. I also ignored a lot of signs, so honestly, I’m only guessing how far along I am. Honestly, I think it’s more than a few weeks."

He shrugs. “And how are you feeling?”

“Tired. A bit of food aversion, so I haven’t had much of an appetite lately. Other than that, I guess it isn’t as bad as some have it.” It dawns on me, and in all of this, I have to half-smile in relief. “The tiramisu with extra-alcohol offer… was that a test?”

Foster fights a cheeky smirk. “Maybe.”

I pop my lips to gather my bearings. “The thing is, I’m not sure how I feel about this. There are options.”

His chin lifts, and his eyes grow wider. Maybe he’s surprised. He takes a moment, clearly to collect his thoughts. “It’s your choice, Sutton.” For the first time today, I hear vulnerability in him, almost conveying a smidgen of fear. Still, his hand gives me a comforting touch on my arm.

“What is it you want?”

He swipes his tongue across his teeth and hesitates. “It’s not about me. It’s your choice. I’m not going to influence it.”

“You have to give me some insight, Foster.”