Chapter 13
487 Words
Here is Chapter Thirteen, where Kristian must face her emotions and decide whether to stay or walk away:
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Chapter Thirteen: Love in Doubt
Kristian sat alone in the storeroom of Sweet Whiskers, staring blankly at a tray of cookies she was supposed to be decorating. Her fingers were covered in blue icing, but her heart felt cold.
Pregnant.
The word echoed in her mind like a bell she couldn’t unring.
Albert’s ex-fiancée. Alexandra. Tall, perfect, and claiming a piece of his life Kristian could never compete with. A child. A past. A possible future he hadn’t prepared for—but couldn’t ignore.
The door creaked open.
Albert stepped inside, his eyes filled with concern. “Kristian.”
She didn’t look at him. “You didn’t tell me you were engaged.”
“I was,” he said gently. “Years ago. It ended badly. I didn’t think she’d ever come back.”
“You still slept with her,” Kristian said, her voice quiet but sharp.
Albert exhaled. “Once. Months ago. It was a mistake. I was lonely, angry. But I wasn’t with you then. And I haven’t touched her since.”
Kristian finally looked up at him. Her eyes were glassy. “And now there might be a baby.”
Albert nodded. “Yes. I don’t even know if it’s mine yet. I’ll take a paternity test as soon as possible. But Kristian... I need you to know this changes nothing about how I feel.”
Her heart twisted. “How can it not? If that child is yours, it will always be a part of your life. And hers. You and Alexandra will be connected—forever.”
“I didn’t choose this,” Albert said, stepping closer. “But I do choose you.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to share you.”
Albert cupped her face gently. “You’re the strongest person I know. You’ve carried loss, raised your brother, kept your family afloat, and still found the heart to let me in. Don’t let fear erase what we have.”
She let herself melt into his touch for a moment, needing it—needing him. But deep inside, the war raged on. Could she handle this storm?
Could she love a man with such a tangled past... and possibly, an even more complicated future?
“I need time,” she whispered. “To think. To breathe.”
Albert nodded, pain flickering in his eyes. “I’ll wait. For as long as you need.”
As he stepped away, the silence wrapped around her again.
Love had bloomed between them like a fragile flower.
But now, it stood in the path of an oncoming storm—and only time would tell if it would bend...
...or break.
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Would you like Chapter Fourteen to include the paternity test results and Alexandra’s true motives?
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