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I felt a flicker of indignation at the implication that I could have been with someone else.
I frowned, and my response curt. "Of course, it's yours."
He seemed to realize his mistake almost immediately. "I'm sorry, Sophia. I didn't mean to doubt—"
"Look, Matteo," I interrupted, my tone a mix of frustration and weariness. "I haven't been with anyone else but you."
The room fell into a contemplative silence after our exchange, the weight of our situation pressing down on us.
I couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions and uncertainty swirling within me. This was uncharted territory for both of us.
Matteo's voice broke the silence as I gathered the courage to speak my mind and let him know I was keeping the baby. "I'm sorry. It's just that we used protection, and I assumed—"
"Assumptions don't make for reliable birth control," I muttered under my breath, my words almost a reflexive response.
However, it seemed that fate had a hand in our conversation because, at the same moment, Matteo spoke as well, his words overlapping with mine. We both blinked, realizing we hadn't heard what the other had said.
Matteo recovered first, a look of anticipation in his eyes. "Could you please repeat that?" he asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern.
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding, and said it more clearly this time. "I'm keeping the baby."
A genuine smile spread across Matteo's face, and his eyes softened with relief. "Good," he replied, his voice carrying a sense of acceptance and determination.
I was taken aback by his response, unsure what to make of it. But before I could fully process his reaction, he continued, "And I think you should move in with me."
I couldn't help but exclaim with a surprised "What?" His proposition caught me off guard. I immediately blurted out, No!"
He seemed taken aback by my swift rejection, and he frowned slightly. "Why not?" he asked as if he couldn’t understand why I would refuse his proposition.
I spluttered, caught off guard by his question. "What do you mean, why not?" I shot back, my frustration evident in my voice. "What kind of relationship do we have that I should move in with you?"
Matteo's expression softened, and he let out a sigh. "Sophia, you're the mother of my child," he said, as if that statement explained everything.
I couldn't help but scoff at his response. "Is that all?" I retorted, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Just because we're having a baby doesn't mean we're suddenly a perfect match."
He looked a little hurt by my words, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. "I thought... I thought our feelings for each other were mutual," he said, his voice quieter now.
I rolled my eyes, incredulous. "Mutual feelings?" I repeated, a humorless laugh escaping my lips. "When exactly was it established that our feelings were mutual? Right after we slept together and you promptly disappeared to attend to your 'important matters'?"
Matteo's apologetic look seemed to hang in the air, suspended between us like a fragile bridge. As he opened his mouth to respond, I couldn't help but let out a cynical laugh.
"Yeah, I know. You were busy," I repeated, my fingers making exaggerated air quotes around the word 'busy.' My frustration and skepticism had taken root, and I wasn't ready to let him off the hook so easily.
He stepped closer, his eyes holding a sincerity that was hard to ignore. Slowly, hesitantly, he took my hands into his own. I was still seething, my anger like a fire burning, but something about his touch had a calming effect.
"I'm sorry, Sophia," he said, his voice earnest, his gaze not leaving mine.
I allowed him to hold my hands, still simmering with irritation but feeling a certain pull toward him. His apology wasn't just for the sudden absence; it was like he was apologizing for something more, something deeper.
And then, as if he had been silently debating with himself, he took a deep breath and continued, "I disappeared because I found out that my father's death wasn't an accident. It was planned."
My anger was replaced with shock, a surge of concern rushing me. I stared at him, my mind struggling to process his revelation. "What? Planned?" I repeated, my voice almost a whisper.
Matteo nodded, his gaze fixed on mine. "Yes," he confirmed, his expression heavy with the weight of that truth.
In an instant, my entire perspective shifted. The frustration and anger I had been holding onto felt insignificant compared to the bombshell he had just dropped.
Without thinking, I rushed toward him, my hands reaching out to hold his arms as if to ground him in reality.
