Page 58 of Broken & Bound

“Promise,” she mumbled.

“Yes. Now, what do you say?”

She huffed dramatically. I took her hand and led her into the bathroom. This time, she didn’t fight me. As we approached the counter, where the test lay face down, her bravado faltered. She stopped short, her grip on my hand tightening. I reached for the test.

“Wait,” she exclaimed.

“No. We’re not waiting any longer.”

Pregnant.

Plain as day. The word blazed like a neon sign, and a rush of pure, unfiltered joy hit. A smile spread across my cheeks. Isabella shook her head, backing away.

“I did it wrong. It’s probably sat too long. Where are the directions again? Didn’t it mention not reading the results after a certain time? Pasha…”

Her reaction was the complete opposite of mine. Her eyes were wide, and her face drained of all color. She looked…lost. My excitement faltered, replaced by a sinking feeling in my gut. I immediately took her into my arms and rubbed her back.

“Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay.”

“No, it won’t.”

“Princess, I promise it will be,” I murmured, my hand cradling the back of her head as she shook against me.

Her sobs came in waves, each one wracking her frame, but I held on, waiting for her to catch her breath and come to terms with this. Eventually, the tears slowed. She sniffled and inhaled against my chest.

Then she pulled back and angrily shoved wiped her face.

“Bella?” I whispered.

Grasping the stick, she went over to the rubbish bin and threw it away. Her lips parted like she wanted to speak but couldn’t. My stomach twisted. She turned to me, and in her red-rimmed eyes, I saw it.

“You don’t want to keep it,” I stated, my tone flat.

A rush of vulnerability washed over me. I swallowed the lump that had formed as reality hit. I hadn’t allowed myself to consider that possibility.

“I…I…don’t…know.”

The answer was whisper-soft between us, and she avoided looking at me. My entire body tensed as I stood by the sink. The ground beneath me fell away. Invisible hands tightened around my lungs, squeezing the air from them.

Disappointment curled around me like black smoke, choking out the little hope I held onto. And beneath that was a deep, aching sadness. But the reality was this was her body, her choice. I had zero say. All I could do was respect her decision.

However, it didn’t lessen the sting of my own desires and hopes being crushed. I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat. I scrubbed a hand across my face and cleared my throat.

“This is your decision, Bella. I know that.”

The words tasted like ash.

“I just hadn’t even considered this option. I’m being selfish because I can’t imagine anything better than you carrying my child. Raising them together. I want a future with you. With our baby.”

Her gaze faltered. Something inside me cracked, deep and sharp, like a wound splitting wide open. The silence between us grew. And that shit wasn’t just heavy—it was suffocating me. Thick with everything I couldn’t say.

Her breath hitched. Tears welled in her eyes, clinging to her lashes. I wanted to pull her back into my arms. But in a fraction of a second, she slipped farther from me.

“I…just can’t. I don’t know what else to say. Maybe…maybe we need some space. Time apart,” she muttered.

I stepped back, the movement clumsy. Time apart? Space?

The words cut through me in a raw and agonizing way. The ache was unreal. I swallowed hard, but the pain didn’t lessen—it only spread.