Chapter Fourteen

Scarlett didn't know how long she'd been sitting on Naomi's couch. She didn't know if the tears had stopped flowing or if the emptiness inside her would ever go away. All she could do was hold herself together barely and try to make sense of everything that had just happened.

Naomi hadn't said much when she first arrived at her doorstep. She just opened the door, took one look at Scarlett's face, and silently led her inside. Now, as Scarlett stared blankly at the wall, she could hear Naomi in the kitchen, rummaging through cabinets. The sound of a cup being placed down broke the silence.

"You're going to drink this," Naomi said softly, walking toward her with a steaming mug of chamomile tea. "And you're going to talk to me."

Scarlett didn't look up, but she accepted the mug. The warmth of the tea felt like a small comfort, though it didn't ease the cold that had taken root in her chest.

"I don't even know what to say," Scarlett muttered, her voice cracking. "I'm so... lost. I thought he was the one. I thought maybe we could make it work. But now... I don't know if I can trust him. I don't know if I can trust myself."

Naomi sat beside her, her gaze steady and filled with understanding. "Scarlett, relationships aren't easy. You're not just dealing with your feelings for Elias you're also dealing with your past, your own fears about what it means to be with someone like him. And with all the pressure from his ex, it's not surprising you feel this way."

Scarlett nodded, rubbing her eyes. "It's just... I don't know how we got here. I'm pregnant with his child. And I thought, maybe, that would be enough. But now everything feels so complicated."

Naomi took a deep breath, her voice low but firm. "It's complicated because you're trying to carry it all by yourself. You need to let Elias in. If you're going to have a life together, a family together, you need to stop shutting him out."

"I don't even know if I can trust him enough to let him in," Scarlett whispered, feeling a knot tighten in her stomach. "I don't know if I can handle the pain if he chooses her again."

Naomi placed a hand on Scarlett's shoulder, her grip gentle but strong. "Do you love him?"

Scarlett's heart wrenched at the question, and she nodded. "I do. I love him. But that's the problem, Naomi. I love him, and I don't know if I'm strong enough to fight for us."

The silence that followed felt heavy, but Naomi didn't press her. Instead, she let Scarlett stew in her own thoughts, giving her the space to reflect.

Elias' POV

The next morning, Elias woke up to the harsh reality of his situation. Scarlett had left. He had been unable to reach her after the call the night before, and the sinking feeling in his chest only deepened as the day passed.

He couldn't believe how things had escalated. How had he let Chloe's presence get in the way? He had always told himself he was in control of his emotions, his life but with Scarlett, it was different. He had lost control. And now, he was paying the price.

He tried to call her again, but it went straight to voicemail. A part of him knew that she needed space, but another part of him the part that was still in love with her, the part that knew their relationship could survive this was desperate to make things right.

Elias stood up from his bed, pulling on his jacket and grabbing his car keys. He wasn't going to sit idly by while Scarlett suffered. He needed to find her. He couldn't let her slip away without a fight, especially now that she was carrying his child.

He drove around for hours, checking places he knew she might be her apartment, the café they'd visited together, even a few of the spots where they had shared quiet moments. But there was no sign of her.

Just when he was about to give up and return home, his phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Naomi.

Naomi: Scarlett's here. She needs time. She's not ready to talk yet. Give her space.

Elias felt a brief flash of relief, but it was quickly replaced by frustration. He wasn't going to just sit by and wait. He couldn't lose Scarlett not now, not when they were about to build something together.

He typed back quickly, his fingers trembling slightly.

Elias: I know I messed up. But I love her, Naomi. I need her. Please, help me.

The response came back almost instantly.

Naomi: She needs you to show her that you're worth trusting. It's going to take time, but if you really want this, you'll have to prove it.

Scarlett's POV

Later that afternoon, as Scarlett sat in Naomi's living room, she felt a pang of guilt. She could feel Elias' presence in her mind, his voice echoing in her head. She knew he was looking for her. She knew he was hurting too. But what if he was just saying the right things? What if, deep down, he still wanted Chloe?

What if the love she felt for him wasn't enough?

Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry. She didn't want to feel so vulnerable, but every time she tried to push the emotions aside, they came rushing back with a vengeance. She was pregnant with his child. The weight of that truth seemed to hover over her, suffocating her at times.

Her phone buzzed again, and she saw that it was a message from Elias. Her heart skipped a beat, but she didn't open it. She couldn't. Not yet.

She needed to think. She needed to find out who she was outside of him. Who she was in this moment, pregnant and unsure of the future.

As Scarlett stared at her phone, she heard Naomi's voice behind her. "You need to talk to him, Scarlett. Don't let this consume you."

Scarlett's lips trembled as she finally opened Elias' message.

Elias: I'm sorry. I'll do whatever it takes. Please don't shut me out. I love you.

The words hit her harder than she had expected, and for a moment, Scarlett felt a flicker of hope. But the doubt still lingered. Could she trust him again? Could she trust herself?