“You need your sleep.”
“I sleep in the gym. What is happening? Is something wrong?”
“The gym is colder than in here,” he states, pushing up to standing.
“It’s not cold down there, plus I have a blanket and a comforter.”
“You’re more comfortable in our bed.”
“But…” My words trail off as I glance at the clock on the wall. “It’s eight thirty a.m.,” I shriek.
“Yes.”
“Breakfast is at seven a.m.”
Knight nods. “Yes.”
“So did you wake up late or something?” I question, shaking my head in confusion.
“No.”
“Knight, what the hell is going on? You wake up at five, have breakfast at seven, and then we take a bath. Why didn’t you wake me up? You’re fully dressed. Why are you fully dressed? We get dressed together.”
“You and the baby need to sleep,” he answers coolly.
“Did I sleep all the way through your workout?”
“I left you up here while I exercised,” he informs me calmly.
“You left me up here?” I shriek. “Did you already eat?”
“Yes, your breakfast is in the oven. Would you like to eat it in bed?”
“I don’t understand. Did you work out, eat, and then shower, all while I slept?” I gasp, feeling tears burning the back of my eyes.
“Yes.”
His calmness only heightens my aggravation, and I blink at him, wondering if I’m still sleeping and this is just a fever dream or some kind of weird pregnancy-related nightmare.
“What the fuck, Knight?” I yell, jumping out of bed and slapping my hands onto my hips. “You just left me up here and went on with your day without me? Why would you do that?” Tears spill from my eyes as my lip wobbles.
Knight’s expression changes from robotic stoicism to shock as he darts forward, cupping my face with one hand and my stomach with the other. “Doll.”
“No,” I shout, slapping his hands away and taking a step back from him. “You don’t get to…to…to just discard me, then try to touch me and make it better.”
“Doll,” he says, stepping toward me, his hands outstretched to reach for me.
“No,” I scream, darting around him and running for the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind me. Sinking to the floor, the wall hard and cool against my spine, I bury my face in my hands and sob, feeling broken down and unwanted.
“Octavia,” Knight says as the door handle wiggles.
“Fuck off, Knight,” I yell, but my voice sounds soggy with tears, ruining my anger.
“Open the door.”
“No. Just leave me alone, the same way you did all morning.” I know that it’s irrational to be annoyed that he left me in bed when a couple of weeks ago I asked him to do just that. But since the day we met, I’ve barely been out of his sight. We spend all of our time together, so for him to choose to leave me, even just to go downstairs, is jarring.
I fell asleep so happy last night. So grateful to be in love with a man who makes me feel whole and wanted. So happy to be pregnant with our child, and excited and scared for the future. But this morning feels like that happiness has just crumbled around me.
