It’s time. I know it’s time. Even if I wanted to put this off longer, I know I can’t.

There’s something happening between the two of us. We’re growing tight together, building a connection. It feels good, and I feel myself falling… but I can’t think that yet. It’s way too soon. I can’t think that until he knows the truth about what’s inside of me, the truth about his baby.

I put on a flannel shirt he gave me and a pair of jeans before heading back downstairs. I wish for the hundredth time that I had my own clothes, but his old clothes still are working good enough. He’s sipping a whisky and he smiles even bigger when I come into the room, and that smile makes me think that I’ve never seen something so genuine in my entire life.

I make a simple meal. Pasta with some chicken breast he had in the freezer, some parmesan cheese, and some lemon pepper seasoning. I mix it all up and we dig in, eating quietly while Jones paces around the living room.

“Weather’s looking good,” he says to me.

I look up at him. “Oh, yeah?”

“There’s a thaw coming. I think tonight, actually.”

“Really?”

He nods. “I think we’ll be able to get you back into town soon. Maybe even tomorrow.”

I chew my lip and look away. This is the news that I’ve been waiting for, but… it doesn’t feel good. I haven’t done what I set out to do yet, and suddenly I feel like a liar.

He thinks he’s a monster, but I can relate. I’ve been keeping this from him, and I’m the one that feels like the bad person. I know I can’t really compare the two things, what he did is horrible, but at least that wasn’t within his control. I can tell him at any time. I’ve just been a coward.

I watch him eat for a bit. The sun’s starting to dip outside, just the beginning of evening. We’ll have to feed Jones soon and let him out, which makes me smile. I’m starting to think like I live here, and the thought actually doesn’t scare me.

I’ve been cut off from friends and family for just about six days now. I’ve barely communicated with them, just a few emails in the beginning, and a phone call to the office yesterday. Otherwise, there’s been nothing at all, and it actually feels liberating. I’m the kind of person that obsesses about her phone, but I haven’t even glanced at it since coming to his house. It’s turned off, upstairs in my bedroom. It’s useless out here anyway, so I don’t even bother.

And that’s surprisingly freeing. I always thought being cut off from the world would be scary, but it’s actually not. Maybe because I’ve had him to keep me company, to make me feel good.

I take a deep breath. He looks up at me, his head cocked. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

“I need to tell you something.”

He doesn’t look surprised. He slowly puts his fork down, wipes his mouth, and sips his whisky. “Okay,” he says. “What is it?”

“I didn’t come up here just to interview you,” I say slowly.

He grins a little. “I know that,” he says. “I mean, you’ve barely been interviewing me.”

I blush. I guess I’ve done a bad job at hiding my real motives. “The truth is, I’m here for personal reasons.”

“You can tell me,” he says softly.

“I’m pregnant.” I pause as he digests this. “And the baby’s yours. I haven’t been with anyone else, not in the right timing.”

He stares at me, clearly surprised. “You’re… pregnant? With my baby?”

“I’m sorry,” I blurt out, suddenly talking fast. “I should have told you right away, from the second I got here. I meant to, but then I got scared, and I was trapped here, and I just… I couldn’t say it, and I’m so sorry—”

He cuts me off by leaning forward, taking my chin, and kissing me.

It’s so unexpected, but suddenly I feel all of my tension wash away. This must be how he felt when he told me the truth about his past.

We slowly break off the kiss. “I don’t know what this means for us,” I say softly.

“It doesn’t matter,” he says. “I don’t care. You’re pregnant with my baby.”

His eyes are wide and intense and he looks more alive than I’ve ever seen him.

“You’re not angry?”

“Angry?” He laughs, shaking his head. “Not even a little bit.”

“You don’t owe me anything, you know. I didn’t do this on purpose.”

He grins at me. “I know you didn’t. It takes two people to get pregnant, remember?”

“I know, it’s just… I’m not some gold digger.”

“Mia,” he says softly. “I’m going to take care of you and our baby. No matter what happens. Do you understand?”

I bite my lip and have to look away from him. I feel so fucking relieved it’s incredible. I was so afraid that he’d throw me out or reject me or refuse to have anything to do with our baby. But this is his baby too, and he has a responsibility. I want him to be a part of the baby’s life.

And maybe he can be a part of my life, too, if he wants.

“I’m going to be there,” he says more softly. “I mean it.”

“You’re going to come back to the world?” I ask him.

He hesitates. I can see that he’s still at war with himself, but it’s starting to slip, weaken, break down. “Maybe,” he says softly.

“You can’t take care of us from this hole,” I say. “It’s a nice hole, but it’s still just a hole in the mountain. You’re just out here, waiting to die, punishing yourself… for what? You didn’t kill those people.”

“Mia,” he says. “Please. I know I didn’t. But it was my fault.”

“It wasn’t. Just stop. People make mistakes.” I reach out and take his hand. “Come rejoin the world.”

He smiles a little bit. “I guess having a baby is as good a reason as any.”

I nod and grin. “Better than most, really.”

He sighs. “I wish you had told me sooner.”

“I know. I should have.”

“It’s okay, though. I’m glad you finally told me.” He squeezes my hand. “We’re going to be okay. We’re going to get back from this.”

“I know we are.”

He smiles at me and I smile back, and I feel so good it’s almost impossible to explain.

And just as he moves toward me, I think to kiss me again, there’s a sound. It’s loud and sharp, and Jones perks up immediately.

“What was that?” I ask.

Ethan pulls back, closing in on himself. “Stay here.” He gets up from his seat.

“Ethan, wait. What was that?”

He walks quickly back toward the laundry room, back toward where he keeps the gun.

I get up to follow him, but there’s that noise again, this time loud and clear: a woman screaming in anger and pain.

And it’s coming from just outside.