Chapter 3 Hidden Truth

Lila's Point of View

I stare at the text from Vanessa, my hands shaking. "Meet me tonight. –V" The words feel heavy, like a rock in my stomach. I'm sitting on my couch, the TV on but quiet. My tiny apartment feels smaller tonight, the walls closing in. I'm pregnant. Ethan's baby. And now Vanessa, the blonde woman from the gala, wants to talk. My heart races. Does she know about the baby? How could she?

I text Mia, but my fingers are shaking. Vanessa sent me a text. Needs to meet. What should I do?" Mia answers right away. "Do not go by yourself!" I will go with you. I feel a little better. Mia always looks out for me. I told Vanessa, "Okay," in a text. "Where?" She replies with an address: a downtown coffee shop at 7 p.m. I look at the time. It is 5:30. I have to go.

My stomach flips as I put on my jacket and trainers. Not just the baby, but also fear. Vanessa did not smile in a friendly way at the gala. It seemed like she owned Ethan when she looked at him. When I touch my belly, the flutter gets stronger. She must not hurt my child. I am not going to.

Mia meets me outside the coffee shop. She has black hair pulled back and serious green eyes. She gives me a tight hug and asks, "Are you okay, Lila?"

"No," I say in a low voice. "I am scared." And... "I am pregnant."

Mia's eyes get really big. "What?" Lila, that is big! "Who is the dad?"

My cheeks are hot as I look down. "Ethan." From a job trip a long time ago. "He has no idea."

Mia takes my hand. "Okay, let us work this out." But let us take care of Vanessa first. Stay close to me.

We go inside. It smells like sugar and coffee beans in the coffee shop. At the tables, people talk and laugh. She is in the corner, and her blonde hair shines in the light. She is wearing a black dress, and her blue eyes are very bright. She smiles at me and waves, but it does not feel good.

Mia is sitting next to me, across from me. "Hi," I say, but my voice is shaking. "What do you need?"

Vanessa bends forward and keeps her hands together. "Lila, don't you feel close to Ethan?"

I make a face. "I work for him." That is all.

It is cold, but she laughs. "Do not act stupid." At the gala, I saw how he looked at you. "He has never looked at me that way."

My heart skips a beat. Was that real? I shake my head. "He told me to go to a different office." "I do not matter to him."

Vanessa's eyes get small. "Perhaps." You are in my way, though. "Ethan is mine."

Mia joins in. Vanessa, please leave her alone. There is nothing she can do.

Vanessa looks at me instead of her. "Lila, stay away from him." You will feel bad if you don't.

I clench my hands together under the table. I am scared to yell. I make it clear that I am not after him. "All I want to do is my job."

Vanessa gets up, and her chair hits the ground. "All right. Do not change it. She leaves, and her heels click. I let out a breath that I had been holding.

Mia grabs my arm. "She is a pain, Lila." Watch out.

My mind is going crazy as I nod. Vanessa knows some things about the baby, but not the mother. I certainly hope not. I put my hand to my stomach and promise to keep my child safe. I am not going to let her scare me.

I am tired at work the next day. I thought about Vanessa and the baby a lot while I slept. Sarah, my new boss, sees it. She asks Lila, "Are you okay?" in a nice voice.

I lie and force a smile as I say, "Yeah." "I just could not sleep."

She gives me a shoulder pat. "Do not stress out, okay?" "Those posters are great."

I say "yes" and go back to drawing more flowers. I mess up a line, though, because my hands are shaking. I delete it in anger. Now I can not mess up. For me and the baby, I need this job more than ever.

I eat an apple in the break room during lunch. My phone rings. It is Ethan again. It makes my heart race, but I am afraid to answer. What if he gets cold again? I take a deep breath and answer. "Hello?"

He tells her, "Lila, the new drafts are good." His voice is still sharp, but not as loud as it used to be. "May I ask you to come to the main office tomorrow?" Allow us to discuss the project.

My stomach turns over. Going to the main office means seeing him. I say, "Okay." "What time is it?"

He says, "Ten." "Do not be late." He ends the call. My heart is beating fast as I look at my phone. Why does he want me there? Is it work or something else?

I lay in bed that night with my hand on my stomach. There is a flutter, which sounds like a small heartbeat. When I think of my baby, I smile. I think about Ethan, though. I have not told him yet. He seems so far away, and Vanessa's warning makes me scared. What if he does not wish for the child? What if he leaves me for good?

I shut my eyes and try to fall asleep. But I dream of Ethan's green eyes, which are warm sometimes and cold other times. My heart is beating fast when I wake up. It is 6 a.m., and I check the time. I need to get ready for work.

I take the bus across town in the morning. Nothing lighter than the baby moving around in my stomach makes me feel strange. When I see Ethan, I get scared. As I enter the main office, I can smell the familiar scent of coffee and paper. Though it feels like home, I no longer belong here.

The door to Ethan's office is open. He is sitting at his desk with dark hair that looks like he messed it up by running his hands through it. When he looks up, his green eyes meet mine. It makes my heart skip a beat, but I can not read his face.

He points to a chair and says, "Lila, sit down." My hands are in my lap as I sit down. He looks at me as he leans back. "The project is moving along. "Good job."

I say, "Thanks," in a low voice. It takes him a while to say anything else, so I wait for him to do so.

"Is that all?" I ask as I get ready to leave.

His eyes are wide when he looks up. "Why did you hang out with Vanessa last night?"

My heart stops. How does he know? When I open my mouth, nothing comes out. He gets up and walks over. "What did she say to you, Lila?"

I take a step back because I am scared. His voice is very low, almost like a growl. Something strange is going on with him. I wish I could tell him about the baby and Vanessa's threat, but I can't. Not yet.

The door crashes open before I can answer. A scary man with scars on his face storms in. I do not know him. His voice is rough as he says, "Ethan." "Let us talk." Right now."

Ethan steps in front of me as if to protect me, and his eyes flash. My heart beats fast. Who is this guy? What does he need? Why does Ethan look like he is ready to fight?