Bound to my Enemy novel Chapter 256

Chapter 256: Chapter 256.

"I can’t do this right now."

My voice comes out thin and barely steady.

I grip the edge of the counter tightly because suddenly I feel dizzy all over again.

Thomas wisely says absolutely nothing behind us. Actually, I don’t even look at him, I physically cannot deal with another human being seeing my face right now.

I stare hard at the sink instead while panic claws violently through my chest.

I’m pregnant With Zane’s baby.

Holy shit.

"El," Ivy says quietly again.

I finally look at her and immediately see the worry written all over her face. That almost breaks me.

I force out a shaky breath quickly before I completely lose it in the middle of a supermarket bathroom.

"I’m okay."

The lie sounds terrible and Ivy clearly knows it too.

"You do not look okay."

"I just..." I swallow hard. "I need to think."

She hesitates.

"You want me to come home with you?"

Immediately panic flashes through me.

"No."

Too fast.

I soften slightly.

"I mean... no. Not yet."

Because if anybody stays near me right now, I genuinely think I might start spiraling out loud.

And I can’t. Not until I figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do.

I quickly grab Ivy’s hands tightly.

"Thank you for coming with me."

"Elaine....."

"I mean it."

Emotion burns painfully in my throat.

"I would’ve completely lost my mind alone."

Her face softens immediately.

"You’re not alone."

That almost makes me cry.

I squeeze her hands once more before letting go carefully.

"We’ll talk later okay?"

She still looks unsure, very unsur but finally she nods slowly.

"Call me immediately if you start panicking."

"I’m already panicking."

"You know what I mean."

Despite everything, I huff out the tiniest laugh.

Then Ivy glances once toward Thomas standing stiffly near the entrance before lowering her voice.

"Are you going to tell him?"

My stomach drops instantly.

Zane.

Oh God.

"I don’t know yet."

That answer terrifies me more than anything else. Because usually when it comes to him, I know, even when things are messy between us, even when emotions are complicated.

I know. But this? This changes everything.

Ivy hugs me tightly before finally leaving the bathroom and I stand there frozen for another few seconds afterward.

Then slowly turn toward Thomas. He politely looks at literally anything except me.

Bless him for that honestly.

"Ready to leave, ma’am?" he asks carefully.

I nod weakly.

——

The drive home is torture. Absolute torture.

The convoy moves smoothly through traffic while I sit curled into the corner of the backseat clutching my bag tightly against my stomach.

Pregnant.

Every time the word enters my head, panic follows immediately after.

I stare out the tinted window watching buildings blur past while my thoughts spiral harder and harder.

How do I tell Zane? Do I even tell him now?

What if he doesn’t want this? What if he regrets us entirely afterward? What if this ruins everything?

My throat tightens painfully.

And underneath all the fear...There’s something else too.

Something quieter and softer. A feeling I don’t even want to acknowledge yet because it scares me too much.

I rest a shaky hand unconsciously against my stomach. There could actually be a baby there.

A tiny human.

Mine.....my child and Zane’s.

The thought hits so hard emotionally I quickly pull my hand away again like I burned myself.

No.

Don’t think about that yet

I squeeze my eyes shut briefly.

Outside, security vehicles continue escorting us through the city completely unaware that my entire life just changed inside a supermarket bathroom.

The rest of the drive passes in suffocating silence.

I sit curled against the leather seat staring blankly out the window while my thoughts continue spiraling completely out of control.

The convoy slows briefly at a traffic light, sunlight flashing across the tinted windows before fading again.

Up front, Thomas shifts slightly in the passenger seat. I barely notice at first, but he looks visibly uncomfortable so I ask.

"What is it Thomas."

He hesitates for a moment then quietly:

"Ma’am."

I blink slowly.

"What?"

His eyes meet mine briefly through the rearview mirror before returning to the road.

"There’s something I think you should consider."

Immediately my stomach tightens.

The serious tone in his voice makes anxiety crawl sharply up my spine.

"What?"

He hesitates. And suddenly I don’t like this conversation already.

"Wih all due respect..." he says carefully. "You should question how this happened."

I stare at the back of his head.

"What do you mean?"

Another pause.

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