THEBILLIONAIRE AND CLASSMATE
1249 Words
Chapter 28: Married Means Something
It was still dark outside when Layla slowly slid out of bed.
Khalid was asleep beside her — chest rising softly, hand still stretched toward where she’d been.
She tiptoed across the room, wrapping the blanket around her. Her heart thudded. She needed space. She needed air.
She reached for the door handle—
“Where are you going?”
His voice was groggy. But clear.
She froze.
“I—I was just going back to my room,” she whispered.
He sat up slowly, the sheet dropping slightly to reveal his bare chest. His eyes locked on her.
“You don’t have to sneak out,” he said. “You’re not… some secret.”
“I didn’t say I was,” she murmured.
“Then why are you running?”
“I’m not.”
“Layla…”
She avoided his gaze.
“I made a mistake,” she said softly. “We were emotional. It was your birthday. Isa… I just… I can’t do this. Not again.”
Khalid stood, walking toward her. Gently. Carefully.
“You keep acting like you’re just… visiting this marriage,” he said. “But you’re my wife.”
She raised her chin. “Because you forced me.”
“I know,” he said, voice tight. “But I’m trying. And last night wasn’t one-sided.”
Silence.
He stepped closer.
“I don’t want you to feel trapped. But I also can’t keep waking up to find you halfway out the door.”
She looked up at him — vulnerable, confused.
He cupped her cheek. “You’re my wife, Layla. You don’t have to run anymore.”
A long pause.
She whispered, “Then don’t give me reasons to.”
Chapter 29: Talking Like We Never Did
They didn’t talk that morning.
But they didn’t avoid each other, either.
There was a peace in the apartment — not loud, not romantic. Just gentle.
Khalid took Isa for a walk. Layla stayed behind, cleaning, thinking.
When they came back, she was waiting at the kitchen table.
“Sit,” she said.
He raised an eyebrow, surprised, but obeyed.
She poured tea into two cups. No sugar. Just like he liked it.
He smiled faintly. “I missed this.”
“You don’t get to miss things you never tried to keep,” she said calmly.
He paused.
She met his eyes. “Let’s talk. For real this time.”
He nodded, serious now.
“You want to know why I never told you about Isa?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t trust you,” she said. “Not with me. Not with him.”
He looked down.
“You walked around the office like emotions were weakness,” she continued. “You were cold. And after that night… you vanished emotionally. You made me feel like I was just a mistake.”
“I didn’t know how to handle it,” he admitted. “I thought you didn’t want anything more.”
“I did,” she said. “But I also wanted respect. I wasn’t going to beg for love.”
Silence.
“I found out I was pregnant weeks later,” she said softly. “You were always busy. Traveling. And then… I heard about the engagement.”
His head snapped up. “That was fake. My father—”
“I know that now,” she cut in. “But back then? I didn’t. So I ran. I protected myself. And Isa.”
He nodded slowly.
“I never stopped thinking about you,” he whispered. “Not once.”
“Then why didn’t you find me?”
“I thought you didn’t care.”
She looked away.
“I cared so much I left,” she said. “And I cried every night for months.”
They sat in silence.
And then Khalid reached for her hand.
“Let’s not waste any more time.”
She hesitated.
And then… she didn’t.
Her fingers curled into his.
Chapter 30: Telling Him This Time
The house felt different lately.
It wasn’t just the new cushions or the baby drawings taped to the fridge.
It was the laughter. The real kind.
The kind that made Isa giggle and Khalid stare at Layla like she was the only thing he’d ever wanted.
Layla smiled more.
She and Khalid took Isa to the park together. Cooked together. Shared lazy Sunday mornings in one blanket.
They didn’t talk about the past much anymore — not because it didn’t matter, but because the future felt more powerful now.
And then—
She missed a period.
She took the test in the upstairs bathroom, holding her breath like it would stop time.
Two lines.
Clear. Pink. Certain.
Pregnant.
Again.
Her heart pounded. This wasn’t like the first time.
She wasn’t alone.
But still — the fear crept in.
That night, she sat beside Khalid on the couch as he read Isa a bedtime story.
After the last page, she tucked Isa in… and didn’t leave the room.
“Can we talk?” she said softly.
Khalid sat up straighter. “Of course.”
She took a breath.
“I’m pregnant.”
Silence.
He blinked. “Say that again?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Still silence.
And then — he smiled.
Like the world had just handed him a second chance wrapped in stars.
“You’re… serious?” he whispered.
She nodded. “I didn’t want to wait this time. I didn’t want to hide.”
He stood and crossed to her, cupping her face.
“Thank you,” he said. “For telling me. For not running.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I’m scared.”
“We’ll do it together,” he said. “No more secrets. Ever again.”
Chapter 31: You’re Annoying, But I Love You
Khalid changed overnight.
He downloaded pregnancy apps.
He read two books in one week.
He made a chart.
Yes — a real printed chart.
“Morning walk,” he said, sticking it to the fridge. “8 a.m. Light breakfast. No caffeine. No lifting anything heavier than your phone. Got it?”
Layla blinked at him, one hand on her belly. “You do know I’m pregnant, not made of glass?”
“No stress, no tight clothes, and definitely no skipping meals.”
“Are you my husband or my doctor?”
“Both, apparently.”
She rolled her eyes — but secretly, it felt good.
Safe.
He massaged her feet without being asked.
He stocked the fridge with mango juice because she’d mentioned it once.
But hormones? Oh, they betrayed her.
One night she sobbed because Isa crushed her favorite cookie.
“I was saving that,” she wailed.
Khalid hugged her. “I’ll get you twenty more.”
“Don’t patronize me!”
Another day, she snapped at him because he used the wrong blanket on the couch.
“This is itchy! My baby hates itchy things!”
“You are the baby,” he said calmly.
She burst out laughing — then crying — then both.
Despite it all, they grew closer.
Isa kissed her belly every night, saying, “Hi baby!”
Khalid talked to it, too. Whispering promises.
Layla watched him from the bathroom doorway one night — kneeling, hand on her stomach, saying: “You’re already loved. So much.”
And for the first time in forever, she didn’t feel scared.
Just… home.
- Writer
