“But—”
“What’s done is done. Ronan apologized, and I accepted, so now we all just need to move on.”
My eyes sting with tears, but I nod as I force myself to smile, though it doesn’t reach my eyes.
I know it’s logical to let it go, and while I have mostly forgiven Ronan, the uneasy feeling still lingers.
Stephen watches me carefully, his gaze sharper than usual. “Is everything else okay?”
I hesitate for a second before letting out a sigh. “I can’t stop thinking about how fast Ronan went from zero to explosive. It wasn’t just anger but possessiveness and jealousy too. I can’t help but fear that I’m going to have to cut every man out of my life just to make him feel secure.”
Stephen frowns, but he doesn’t interrupt, so I continue babbling at him like he’s my therapist.
“And I really care about him. Sometimes I think I might actually bein lovewith him.”
It’s the first time I’ve ever voiced my true feelings, and my cheeks burn as I realize I’ve shared them with Stephen of all people.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
I shrug before taking my tea over to the island and sliding onto one of the bar stools.
“I’m not sure…” I clutch the steaming mug in my hands. “Sometimes the cost seems too high. I don’t want to lose my freedom, my friendships, my sense ofself.”
“That’s fair.”
“I just… I need to know that this behavior isn’t going to be a pattern. That Ronan’s not going to spiral every time I speak to another man. Or worse, what happens when I start showing and the rest of the worldknowsthere’s something he has to lose? He’s already paranoid enough about my safety, and this baby is going to put an even bigger target on my back.”
Stephen leans forward to rest his forearms on the marble counter. “You should give him another chance. I’ve known Ronan a long time, and while I agree he’s impulsive and stubborn as hell, I can also tell he loves you too.”
And now I’m crying again.
I hastily wipe at my eyes, but the tears are flowing down my cheeks faster than I can keep up.
“Damn hormones.”
Stephen chuckles under his breath. “I take it you still haven’t told him about…you know.”
I shake my head, my cheeks burning slightly. “I’ve tried a few times. But he’s under so much pressure, and it never feels like a good time.”
“You’re not wrong. He’s definitely under more pressure than I’ve seen him in years. But you need to tell him, Ciara. He deserves to know, and you deserve not to carry this alone.”
I nod again, but before I can reply, footsteps heading toward the kitchen make us both freeze. I glance over my shoulder to see Ronan appear in the doorway, his dark eyes immediately landing on Stephen.
For a second, I hold my breath as I see his shoulders tense, but just as quickly, his body relaxes, and I do the same.
My husband glances at me. “I need to head out for a bit.”
“Where are you going?” I turn in my seat to face him directly.
“I’m heading into the city to do some work at the office.”
“Okay, well, have fun?”
He huffs a laugh. “I doubt what I’m about to do can be classified as fun.”
“What if I came with you? I can think of many ways to make it more fun.”
But Ronan no longer seems to be listening to me as his eyes flick once more to Stephen, who immediately straightens.
