Chapter 10: Realities and Truth

Eliza stepped into her small apartment, closing the door behind her with a sense of finality. It was as if she had crossed an invisible threshold, leaving the magical, tumultuous week of the cruise behind and stepping back into her mundane reality. Yet, the walls of her apartment felt unfamiliar, almost suffocating, compared to the vast, open seas where her heart still lingered.

She dropped her bags by the door and walked straight to the bathroom. The hot shower did little to wash away the memories of Adrian's touch, his whispered words, and the warmth of his embrace. She leaned against the tiles, letting the water cascade over her, trying to reconcile the fantastical romance she had just left behind with the stark normalcy of her life.

As she stepped out, she remembered her phone. She had intentionally left it behind before boarding the cruise, hoping to detach herself from all her problems, especially her ex. She found it in the drawer where she had left it, lifeless and drained of battery. Plugging it in to charge, she wondered what awaited her in the digital world she had ignored for a week.

A knock on the door startled her. Wrapping herself in a towel, she hurried to open it and found her best friend, Chloe, standing there with a mixture of worry and exasperation on her face.

"Eliza! What the hell? Why didn't you take your phone? I've been worried sick!" Chloe stormed in, throwing her arms around Eliza in a tight hug.

Eliza smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I just needed to disconnect for a while. You know, clear my head."

Chloe pulled back, her eyes scanning Eliza's face. "Clear your head? You mean running away from your problems?"

"Something like that," Eliza admitted, leading Chloe to the couch.

"Well, you've missed a lot. For starters, your ex has been trying to contact you non-stop. He's even come by my place looking for you."

Eliza rolled her eyes. "Ugh, that's the last thing I needed. What did he want?"

"To apologize, to beg, to make excuses. The usual," Chloe said, waving her hand dismissively. "And what about you? How was the cruise? You look... different."

Eliza's heart skipped a beat. Different. How could she even begin to explain everything that had happened? "It was... intense," she said finally, a small smile playing on her lips.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Intense, huh? Do tell."

Just then, the TV in the background caught their attention. A news anchor's voice filled the room, "...in business news, Adrian DeLuca, the CEO of DeLuca Enterprises, announced a major merger today..."

Eliza gasped, her breath catching in her throat. Chloe turned to her, eyes wide with curiosity. "Eliza, do you know Adrian DeLuca?"

Eliza felt a lump form in her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes. Unable to hold them back, she buried her face in her hands, sobbing. Chloe rushed to her side, wrapping her arms around her friend.

"Eliza, what happened? Please, tell me," Chloe urged gently, a mix of concern and curiosity in her voice.

Eliza tried to speak through her tears, her voice trembling. "Adrian... he was on the cruise. We... we spent so much time together. I thought he was just a regular guy, someone I could connect with. But now, knowing he's a CEO, someone so far out of my reach..."

Chloe's eyes widened in shock, but she stayed silent, letting Eliza continue.

"We had this incredible week together, Chloe. He was kind, attentive, everything I thought I wanted. But now, I realize it was all a dream. A beautiful, fleeting dream. There's no way I can be a part of that glamorous life of his. He's someone who belongs in a world I can't even touch."

Chloe's jaw dropped. "Wait, you had a fling with a billionaire CEO and didn't even know it? This is straight out of a rom-com! Next, you'll tell me he's got a secret twin brother who's a prince."

Despite her tears, Eliza managed a weak laugh. "Yeah, right. Maybe I'll stumble into a castle next and find out I'm actually a long-lost princess."

Chloe shook her head, smiling softly. "Seriously, though, this is a lot. No wonder you're so shaken up. But you're here now, and we'll figure this out together. You don't have to face this alone."

Eliza nodded, her heart aching with the weight of reality. The dream she had lived during the cruise had ended, and she was left with the painful truth that Adrian DeLuca was not someone she could ever truly be with. The world he inhabited was as distant and unreachable as the stars.

Chloe pulled back slightly, looking into Eliza's tear-streaked face. "How about we try to distract you a bit? Wine and a movie sound good?"

Eliza laughed weakly, feeling a small measure of comfort in Chloe's presence. "That sounds perfect. Let's watch something with a happy ending where the girl doesn't end up crying over a billionaire."

Chloe grinned. "I've got just the thing. How about 'Legally Blonde'? Nothing like a little Elle Woods to remind you that you can conquer anything."

They settled on the couch, sharing a bottle of wine and laughing at the antics on the screen. For a little while, Eliza managed to push aside her heartbreak and enjoy the company of her best friend. But deep down, she knew the pain of losing Adrian would linger for a long time, a bittersweet reminder of a dream that had ended too soon.

A month passed in a blur of routine and half-hearted attempts to forget. Eliza tried to immerse herself in work, meet up with friends, and reclaim the normalcy of her life. But every so often, she found herself daydreaming about Adrian, their time together, and the life she had momentarily glimpsed.

One morning, Eliza woke up feeling unusually nauseous. She stumbled to the bathroom, her stomach churning. As she leaned over the sink, the realization hit her like a freight train. Her period was late. Very late.

Her mind raced, piecing together the moments of the past month, the nights of passion on the cruise, and the absence of any precaution. Panic began to set in as she ran her fingers through her hair.

No, it couldn't be. Could it?

Eliza's heart pounded as she stood there, staring at her reflection. She needed to know. Grabbing her keys and phone, she rushed out of her apartment, heading to the nearest pharmacy.

The drive felt like an eternity, her thoughts a jumbled mess of fear, hope, and confusion. She bought a pregnancy test and hurried back home, her hands shaking as she followed the instructions.

Minutes later, she stared at the result, her world tilting on its axis. The test was positive.

Eliza sank to the floor, her mind unable to fully grasp the implications. She was pregnant. With Adrian's child. The man who was not only a billionaire CEO but also someone she barely knew.

Tears filled her eyes as she thought about the future, the child growing inside her, and the man who had changed her life in ways she couldn't have imagined. How was she going to tell him? Would he even believe her? Would he want to be involved?

Her thoughts were a whirlwind as she sat there, clutching the test. The future was uncertain, and the only thing she knew for sure was that her life was about to change in ways she couldn't have anticipated.

But for now, all she could do was sit there, her mind racing with a thousand questions and no answers. The future loomed ahead, uncertain and daunting, but she knew she had to face it head-on.

This was only the beginning.