Chapter 17: Sienna

I was staring at the professor and the board as he taught the class, but I wasn't necessarily paying attention. My mind was drifting back and forth, mulling over the situation that I had landed myself in.

There was a freaking baby inside of me, and that alone scared the shit out of me. I was completely lost in my thoughts, and nothing going on around me was significant at the moment.

It was a lot to take in, and the longer I kept this secret, the longer I carried the weight all on my own and the closer I came to breaking down. It was so heavy that I could barely breathe sometimes, and more often than not, I would be lost in thoughts, as I was right now, while a class was ongoing.

I remembered the last time I'd met Vlad and how I'd rejected his efforts to reach out and make amends. He seemed like he was sorry for the way he acted even though he didn't literally apologize.

Maybe he was right about Dad asking him to stay away, but the choice to actually heed Dad's words were his. He could have told me about it, and we'd talk about it, figuring it out together, but he'd decided to ghost me and treat me like I was nothing.

"Miss Summers?" My professor's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I shift my gaze to him, his eyes darting toward me through those glasses.

"Would you like to tell the class the last thing I said?" he asked, frowning at my absent mind.

"Uhm…no, not really," I replied despite knowing it wasn't really a question.

He took a step closer. "Miss Summers, please tell the class the last thing I said."

I was tempted to reply with "the last thing I said" because it was technically the truth. I had no idea what he'd been talking about before this, and Professor McCall wasn't one to be toiled with. My grades had been slipping since this whole Vlad situation, and the last thing I needed was to get into Professor McCall's black book.

I parted my lips to respond with God-knows-what when Fiona spoke on my behalf. "She's…uhh…she's feeling a little under the weather today, professor."

"Is that so?" he asked, directing the question at me.

I nodded, still trying to get my shit together.

"What are you down with?"

"Cold," I replied.

"Flu," Fiona said at the same time.

He cocked his head at us with a disbelieving look as we exchanged glances. We spoke again, switching our answers this time.

"Flu," I said.

"Cold," she offered.

He shifted his gaze between the both of us, and we did the same.

"Both flu and cold," we chorused, and I faked a sneeze.

"Bless you," Fiona said, her hand gently rubbing my back.

He narrowed his brows at us, contemplating whether or not to believe our little drama. After a few seconds, he brushed off whatever thoughts he was having about us and turned back toward the board.

I reached out and touched her hand. "Thanks for the save."

"Anytime," she replied.

Soon, the bell rang, and we packed our stuff, leaving the class.

"This thing with you-know-who is taking a serious toll on you, Sia," Fiona said as we walked down a rowdy hallway. "Wanna talk about it?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, thinking for a moment, and before I'd said anything, I heard my phone buzz in my hand. Flipping the screen over, I realized who was reaching out.

That's strange; he's never called me before. Sure, he's texted a couple of times, but that's it.

Anxiety started to creep into my heart.

"It's him, isn't it?" Fiona asked.

I looked at her and nodded, then hit decline on my screen.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she said.

I shook my head. "Let's just go."

Before we stepped out of the building, he'd called me four more times, but I still didn't answer. Standing outside, he called again, and I stared at my screen.

"Just answer it, Sia," she beseeched.

I hesitated until it ended, and then he called back.

"Uhm, Sia, I think Voldemort's here," Fiona said, softly tapping my thigh without taking her eyes off the direction she was facing.

I traced her gaze to the parking lot, and my heart skipped at the sight of Vlad leaning against his black car. We locked eyes, and he gestured for me to pick up the phone.

He seemed desperate to talk to me, and that alone was something I found rather interesting. I was curious, so I picked up, my eyes fixed on him.

"It's important that I speak with you now," he said over the phone, his tone laced with urgency.

It had to be pretty goddamn important, considering how many times he'd called my phone in the last few minutes.

What did he want to talk about so badly?

My curiosity was piqued.

I ended the call and turned to Fiona. "Excuse me."

"Sure," she said. "Just be careful."

I nodded and headed toward his car.

"Get in," he said, walking around to the driver's door.

Rude, but okay.

I opened the passenger door and got in, arms folded across my chest.

He started the engine and glided the car out of the parking lot.

I turned to him. "Where are we going? I thought you said you wanted to talk."

"We'll talk, just not here," he replied, driving away.

All through the journey to wherever, I was silent, and so was he. I should have been alarmed, knowing the type of man that he was and having no idea where he was taking me, but for some reason, I wasn't.

Occasionally, we would stare at each other until one of us broke eye contact. This was dangerous, though, especially since he was at the wheel, so I stopped looking and focused my attention on the scenery outside.

He pulled over near a beach and killed the engine. I heaved a sigh as he turned to face me.

In my head, I had been wondering what it was that he wanted to speak to me about that would require him to drive all the way out here. I was nervous, but I wouldn't let him see that.

"Have you been lying to me?" he asked, and immediately, my breath ceased.

"What?" I raised my brows, my heart racing faster than a galloping horse.

He scoffed and rephrased, "Is there something you would like to tell me, Sienna?"

Wait a minute…does he know? No, no. Oh, God, no. I hope this isn't what I think it is.

I was panicking, but I knew I had to play it cool. "Something like what?"

His gaze pierced through me, and I felt exposed, as though he could see everything I was hiding. "Don't play games with me," he warned. "Is there anything that you would like to tell me?"

It's a fucking trap. He knows, and he's giving you the opportunity to come clean. Stop pretending and just tell him the truth, my voice of reason said.

"I…I…I don't…I don't know what you're talking about," I stuttered.

"Sienna, I'm gonna to ask you again." He cocked his head to the side, his teeth gritting. "What are you keeping from me?"

Don't you fucking lie, Sia. Can't you see that he knows the truth? This is a trick question. Stop making this harder than it already is.

I swallowed, unable to provide an answer.

It was obvious that he'd somehow found out about what I was trying so hard to keep from him, and I didn't know what to do. I hadn't been expecting to have this conversation with him, at least not yet, anyway.

"Are you pregnant?" he asked keenly.

The words were sharp as a knife, and they daggered my heart, leaving me in a state of discombobulation. All I wanted to do was yank the door open and make a run for it, but I controlled myself.

"Answer me, dammit!" he snapped, fresh out of patience.

I flinched at his reaction, and the next thing I knew, I was already tearing up; my lips were trembling, and my eyes were rapidly blinking in an attempt to hold back the river within.

"Yes," I finally admitted. "I'm pregnant. And it's yours."

Of course, he already knew, but hearing me say it had some sort of effect on him. He exhaled sharply. "How long were you planning on keeping this from me?"

"For as long as I could," I replied without remorse. "I was going to raise the baby on my own, and no one had to know who the father was."

He shook his head, casting a disbelieving look at me. "That's my fucking child we're talking about, Sienna. Why the hell would you wanna do that?"

"Because, Vlad, there is no future for the two of us. Can you not see it?" I raised my voice, my hands flying to my hair. "Argh! You don't care about me, and honestly, I'm still not even sure that you care about the baby, so why would I bother with you?" The words rushed out nervously.

"Is that what you think?" he asked, his voice calm and low.

"It's not what I think, Vlad. It's what I know," I blurted. "You…you don't feel anything for me, so why did you deserve to know? What good would that little piece of information have brought you?"

He said nothing, and his eyes didn't leave mine.

I continued. "You're too busy living your life, fucking your escorts, and I cannot—I will not—put that fatherly responsibility on you, you got that?" The first tear dropped, giving way to the next ones that trickled down my cheeks uncontrollably. "It'll hurt, but I'll eventually move on; I—I'll find someone who loves me, and I'll build with them," I sniffled, drying my tears, but they wouldn't stop pouring.

It was like my heart had been cut open and ripped out of my chest.

"Sienna, listen—"

"Don't Sienna, listen me, Vlad," I cut him off. "When I wanted to listen, you weren't there. What makes you think that I'll listen now?" I broke down, fully giving in to my tears. "I hate you, Vladimir Wolkov. I hate you with everything inside me."

No, I didn't hate him. I was just hurting, and I didn't mean the words I was saying. Maybe I wanted him to feel a fracture of the pain that I was feeling.

"Do you know how difficult it is living with this secret?" I asked. "I have a fucking baby inside me, and I can't even tell my parents about it. Do you know how painful that is?"

He reached out and held my hand, and despite me struggling against his advance, he didn't let go. There was something in the way he looked at me that said he could truly feel my agony.

"I understand your pain, Sienna," he said, drying my tears with his thumbs as he cupped my face in his palms.

"No, you don't." I shook my head.

"But I do," he replied, trying to catch my eyes, and soon he did. "I do understand."

His touch, together with his words and the way he was looking at me, gradually helped me calm down. I was impressed by his composure, despite my drama. Our eyes were locked on each other's, and ironically, I found peace in that position. The anger, rage, and hatred I thought I'd felt all slowly started to dissipate as his fingers caressed my hair.

A wave of relief overwhelmed me, and I felt so light, like a load had been lifted off me. I realized then that venting out my feelings was the reason for this peace. All those bottled-up emotions had been the weight pulling me down. I felt better now that my feelings had found expression.

He pulled me closer and gently kissed my lips. I hesitated, but eventually, I kissed him back, finding comfort in his arms.

He withdrew and looked at me. Then, he said, "I'll marry you."

My eyes widened in surprise. This was the most shocking thing I'd heard all week. "What?"

"I'll marry you," he repeated.

"Vlad…."

"I can't have a child out of wedlock, Sienna. I'm a traditional Russian man, a firm believer in the old ways, and as such, I can't have a bastard," he explained, looking me dead in the eyes. "So, you're going to become my wife, and we're gonna raise this kid together," he said with finality.

I was speechless, my mouth agape as I stared at him. His confidence was admirable, but even if I decided to marry him, there was still one obstacle that he hadn't yet considered: my parents.

Shit just got real.