Page 150 of Sinister

“I’m glad, Petra. Try and relax, okay? We don’t want you stressing out too much,” Sin replies in a soothing tone while his broad, warm hands squeeze and knead the delicate fault lines along my toes and ankles.

It feels like hours pass as he massages my feet, the sickness finally starting to ebb, and I feel a bit more like myself. When I manage to open my eyes and look around, Sin is still there, ever observant and watchful.

Soon, the feeling of pressure and nausea passes by, and I feel my body sinking deeper into the soft cushions.

“No, Sin. It’s not just the stress. There’s something I need to tell you.” The words are out before I can rethink my decision for the umpteenth time.

And thank God for that because Sin deserves to know the truth. Amelia was right. I need to tell him.

His eyes widen at the firm resolve on my face.

“What is it, Petra?”

“Sin, the baby . . . it’s yours.”

For a moment, the world seems to stop.

Outside, the sounds of traffic proceed at a serene volume, never too loud to encroach upon the meticulously manicured tranquility of the high-end neighborhood.

Sin’s face tightens and slackens with a range of emotions—surprise, confusion, and finally, dawning joy. “But you said⁠—”

“I know, I know,” I interrupt him in a quivering voice, because I’m afraid I might lose the guts to tell him the whole truth if I stop now. “I lied because I was scared. I didn’t know how you’d react, and everything has been so . . . crazy. But you deserve to know the truth, so here it is: This baby is yours.”

“Petra, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Sin is looking at me with an expression of elation and intrigue.

“Please don’t be mad at me. I was just clueless about what to do, I suppose? And that’s why I lied. In the interest of full disclosure, that night . . . it was my first time, and I don’t even remember much of it.”

I have started to ramble in my disoriented state, but Sin calms me down by taking my hand in his.

His eyes are mellow and golden in the dusk light as he says, “Petra, you’re the only woman I’ve ever slept with, too.”

I blink. “What? But . . . how?”

He chuckles softly, even looking down like a shy schoolboy. Which, admittedly, he is. “I’ve never been with anyone else because . . . I’ve had a crush on you forever. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. Ever.”

“Now you’re just pulling my leg!” I exclaim, but he just looks at me and shrugs. “Sin, I had no idea. I thought . . . I thought you were way more experienced.”

He shakes his head with a bemused smile. “And now you know, Petra. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted. In fact, I knew you were the only one I wanted from the first moment I saw you.”

His words sound new and strange, much like some foreign language, but I am much too flustered with desire to care.

Watching me turn over his words in my mind, he leans in closer, and his breath—minty with just the hint of coffee—feels warm against my lips.

In the next moment, I grab his collar and pull him to myself.

The kiss starts unsurely at first, with Sin gingerly placing his arms around me, as if he’s afraid of hurting me. But I’m not in any mood for restraint, so I deepen the kiss, sucking on his fuller lower lip with much abandon.

He moans a little before tightening his grip around my hips.

After what feels like forever, we pull away, and Sin rests his forehead against mine, looking flushed with happiness. “This has to be the happiest day of my life, Petra. Thank you for telling me. I really mean it.”

It feels good to finally unburden myself of the lie I had initially told, and I feel a sense of peace settle over me.

“And you’re not mad at me? For lying?” I clarify.

“Of course not, Petra. I understand why you did it.” Sin’s eyes are full of good-natured concern and only that. “You were scared and overwhelmed. I don’t blame you.”

“But we’re so young to be parents, Sin.”