Chapter 8 SURPRISED

On her way out, she spotted a familiar figure outside, tall, sharp jaw, sunglasses on, a black shiny suit. Relaxed in his car, legs crossed.

"Nick?"

"What the hell is he doing here?"

She slowed. He turned. Their eyes locked.

He removed the glasses.

"You didn't lie," he said softly.

Haven raised a brow. "About what?"

"About being a virgin."

"Was he always this straight forward?"..

She rolled her eyes, turning to leave. "I told you already. But I guess you needed a whole hospital to believe me."

He walked closer. Slowly. His steps calculated like a lion approaching prey.

"Haven."

She turned again.

"What?"...

"Can we sit and talk over a coffee"... he said softly.

"We can discuss it here. I am perfectly comfortable"..

"Okay. If you say so".. he replied.

He stared at her for a second too long.

Then... he dropped the bomb.

"I don't want IVF anymore."

She blinked. Confused at first..

"What? Why?"

"I changed my mind."

Her heart skipped.

"Why did you change your mind-numbing? You don't want me anymore? I'm sorry I have already used the money you sent me. If you cancel, I can't afford to pay you back. I don't know what you will do about it. I don't think I want to be under pressure. You canceled, not me."..

"Is that a threat?"... he asked

"Nooo, it's not. But why? Why do you have to do this to me? Do I have a disease? Did the doctor say anything? Omg"... she sighed and held her two hands to her head.

"No. No. I..."...

"What? Have you found someone else to do that?"..

"Please let me do this? I promise I won't be a headache to you".. tears almost spilling down her cheeks.

Nick moved even closer now. His voice dropped lower.

"I just wanted it to be natural. Not because I don't trust the doctors. But because..."

"Huh? Natural? What do you mean?".. cleaning her already wet eyes.

He stepped forward until their faces were inches apart.

"I want to sleep with you."

"What? What did you just say?" Haven asked, blinking fast like her ears were lying.

Nick didn't move. He looked her straight in the eye and repeated calmly, "I want to sleep with you, Haven."

PAH!

The sound of the slap echoed through the room.

Her hand was already in the air again, but Nick didn't even flinch. He just blinked once, like her palm had wind instead of fire.

"You must be mad!" she shouted, her voice shaking from both rage and shock. "Is that why you stopped me here? Is that what all this was about? To use me? Like... like some cheap thing? Because you want a child. Do I look like a prostitute? If my family was doing good.. do you think you would see me begging you for some stupid money?"

Nick still didn't move. His face stayed calm. He didn't look ashamed. He didn't look proud either. Just... calm.

"Haven," he said softly, "Let me know what you think. I'll give you some time."

She stared at him like he had turned into a monster. Her eyes burned, and her chest was heaving.

"You're sick. You're really sick!"

And with that, she turned around, picked up her bag, and stormed out of the room with her heels clapping loudly like they were also angry.

She didn't even wait for his driver. She called a cab with shaky fingers and got into it the moment it arrived.

An hour later, she got home, the anger was boiling in her stomach like hot water. She slammed her door, threw her bag on the couch, and paced her small living room like a lion in a cage.

"How dare he?! Sleep with me? What does he think I am? Am I not already carrying enough burden?! Is this what I signed up for?"

Tears filled her eyes, but she wiped them quickly. She didn't want to cry. Not because of him.

Her mom was in her room, resting from chemo. Haven didn't want to wake her up, so she tiptoed to her own room, collapsed on her bed, and just stared at the ceiling.

His words echoed over and over.

"I want to sleep with you, Haven".

It wasn't just what he said. It was how he said it. Like it wasn't a joke. Like it wasn't a mistake. Like it wasn't even about lust.

But it still felt wrong.

And yet... something about it kept pulling her thoughts back.

She didn't sleep that night.

Two days passed.

Two long, cold, silent days.

No text.

No call.

No driver.

No hospital update.

No word about the contract.

Nothing.

Haven paced her room. Then she cleaned the kitchen even though it was already spotless. Then she checked her phone for the 100th time. Nothing.

What did this mean? Was he canceling the whole thing?

Was he waiting for her to beg? Like for real? Was he expecting her to come crawling back and say, "Okay fine, sleep with me?"..

She hated that thought. She hated him. But most of all... she hated the silence.

"What now? Is he going to make me pay all the money back? My mum's surgery? Her chemo? The debts we cleared?"

Her stomach flipped. The fear was now stronger than the anger.

"What if he tells the hospital to stop treating my mum? What if he tells the doctor I lied about everything?"

She sat down and buried her face in her palms.

"Why did I slap him? Why did I even go there?"

And then, from nowhere, her own heart whispered something she wasn't ready for.

"What if he just wanted to connect? What if it wasn't about sex? What if he wanted to feel something real before bringing a child into this world?"

She shook her head.

"No! That doesn't make it okay. He should have asked better. Not like that!"

But still, the guilt wouldn't leave. The regret kept growing.

She laid back on her bed, stared at the ceiling, and whispered, "Nick... what do you want from me really?"