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Nine
Aria washedher face in the bathroom that connected to their private suite and looked at her face in the mirror. Was it fuller than it used to be? Would Damiannotice?
She straightened and turned sideways, lifting up her tank top and pulling her boxer shorts away from her body to get a better look at herstomach.
It was as flat as ever, though her breasts seemed to get fuller and more tender by the day. She was almost three months pregnant and the clock was ticking on the time she had left to tell Damian before henoticed.
Nervousness sat in her stomach like a lead balloon. What if he wasn’t happy? What if he didn’t want to bring children into such a dangerousworld?
She dropped her shirt and let her boxers snap back into place. She didn’t believe that. She was carrying their child, a child made of their love. Damian would be as fiercely protective of their baby as he was of her, which was why they needed to find Anastos and Malcolm as soon aspossible.
She turned off the light and walked into the bedroom to find Damian not undressed and waiting for her as she’d expected, but sitting on the edge of the bed, his forehead creased withconcern.
“What is it?” she asked. “What’shappened?”
He patted his lap. “Comehere.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. Whatever he had to tell her wasn’t good. “Tellme.”
He sighed. “You can’t come to Athens, Aria. I think you knowthat.”
It took a few seconds for the words to sink in. When they did, she crossed to her bag and started moving things into the room’s emptybureau.
“No, I don’t know that,Damian.”
“You do,” he insisted. “Jesus, Aria… I can’t even believe you’d want to go back after what you enduredthere.”
She spun to face him. “Doyou?”
“Of course not,” he said. “But it has to bedone.”
“Exactly. Which is why I’m going to help findAnastos.”
He shook his head, his eyes turning stormy as he stood. “It’s not thesame.”
You’re right,she thought.I’m pregnant. It’s not the same atall.
A bitter laugh escaped her mouth. “Because I’m awoman.”
She felt sick. She was gaslighting him, making him think he was wrong for keeping her on the island when he had every reason to do it — he just didn’t know ityet.
It was fucked up and wrong and she couldn’t seem to stopherself.
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Because you’re the reason I draw breath. The reason my heart keepsbeating.”
She ignored the flush of pleasure that rolled through her body at the possessiveness in hisvoice.
“That’s not good enough, Damian. This is my fight,too.”
He removed his hands, paced the floor. “Don’t you think I know that, Aria? Don’t you think I remember every day what they did toyou?”
He stepped through the open glass door and leaned on the railing that looked out over the water. She watched him from inside the room for a few seconds before standing in the doorframe.
“Do you know what it does to me to think about you anywhere near those monsters?” His voice was so low she had to strain to hearhim.
She swallowed around the emotion clogging her throat. “I do,Damian.”
He turned to face her, anguish written on his face. “If you did, you wouldn’t even ask to come toAthens.”
