I sigh. “Okay, but not here.”

“Where?” he asks, helping me up.

I think about asking him over to my place, but the worry that Kyle may come around is in the back of my mind. Then again, what if I go to his place and stumble upon Kyle when I return home?

Shit, this is fucking ridiculous. I shouldn’t be scared to go to my own home.

“Do you have time to come over to my place? I caught the bus in, but we can get a taxi back.”

He shakes his head. “No. My car is parked in the car park just across the road. I can give you a lift back.”

Once I nod, Ethan pays the bill, then tenderly holds my arm as he escorts me out. When we’re in his Range Rover, he starts the engine, but just stares straight ahead. I can tell he’s bursting to say something, but he knows here is not the time or place.

Putting his car in drive, Ethan pulls out onto the road. The whole time, I take little peeks out of the corner of my eye. His sighs tell me he’s either angry or upset...maybe both. It brings a knot to my stomach, making me chastise myself for not telling him earlier.

Once we get to my house, Ethan parks next to my car. I breathe a sigh of relief when I don’t see Kyle’s car there.

Walking to the door, I quickly get my keys out and let us both in. Once Ethan shuts the door, I take off my coat and place my bag by the door. When I turn around, he’s staring at me. The look makes the knot in my stomach return. I have enough on my plate with the threat from Kyle. I certainly wasn’t expecting to tell someone I’ve never had sex with that they’re about to become a father. This is all too much.

“Would you like a drink?” He shakes his head. My tears well. “I was going to tell you, but you just found out about Sarah. I didn’t want to add this to the mix, as well. I’m so sorry. Please, don’t be angry with me.”

Walking toward me, he grabs my arms and looks into my eyes. “I’m not angry.” He pulls me in for a hug. I close my eyes and savour the comfort. “How many weeks?”

I sniffle. “Seven.”

I feel the loss once he pulls away. “Have you got tissues?”

I nod. “They’re in the kitchen. Top right-hand cupboard.”

Moving swiftly, he enters the kitchen. A few seconds later, he walks out again, handing me some. “Here.” He motions me to the sofa. “Let’s sit down.” He sits beside me. “Do you mind telling me from the start? When did you find out?”

“Almost three weeks ago. I was a couple days late, so I decided to buy a pregnancy test. I tried calling you, but you were busy. I also tried calling Sarah and Kyle, but both their phones went straight to voicemail.” I blow my nose a little before carrying on. “I couldn’t possibly stay at work knowing that I was pregnant, so I took a half-day off and came home.” I sigh, looking into his eyes. “That’s when I found them in bed together.”

His eyes widen. “You walked in on them?”

Nodding, I frown. “Didn’t you already know this? Didn’t Sarah tell you?”

He shakes his head. “No. She conveniently left that part out.” He briefly closes his eyes, then looks back at me. “You knew all this time?”

Tears start welling in my eyes again. “I’m so sorry you had to learn this way. I wanted to tell you, but a part of me felt you had enough on your plate, and another part of me was scared.”

“Scared of what?” he asks, a small frown on his face.

“Scared of what the outcome would be once I told you. This baby was supposed to be for you and Sarah. It was supposed to be part of a family unit, but now that family unit has been torn in half. When I found out what Sarah had done to me, I became protective. Especially when I went to the doctor to make sure I was okay after Kyle hit me and I fell to the ground.”

Ethan grits his teeth and clenches his fists together. “Son of a bitch,” he says, looking away in disgust. Then something seems to dawn on him. “That day I saw you at the hospital...”

I nod. “Yes. That was the day I went in to see if everything was okay with the pregnancy.”

He scoots closer. “And everything is?” he asks expectantly.

I smile. “Yes. Everything’s fine. Apparently, Mum’s are made of steel.” I nervously chuckle.

For the first time since we left the café, Ethan smiles, too. “That’s true.” When it quickly disappears, I’m back to feeling anxious.

“Are you angry with me?”

Snapping his head to me, he grabs my hand. “Of course not. How can I be angry with the mother of my child?”

I visibly relax, feeling more tears coming. “I’m sorry about me crying. I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. Do you remember that John Lewis advert that was on over Christmas?”

He nods. “The one with Baxter the dog and the trampoline?”

“That’s the one. I remember saving it on my Facebook page and just so happened to play it again on my phone two days ago. I cried like a baby. I’ve never cried like that before.”

He laughs. “It’s the hormones. Perfectly normal.”

“Now that you know, how do you feel?”

Shaking his head, he chuckles. “If I’m being honest, I think I’m still in shock.” He looks at me. “I also have to admit that I’m a little upset.” Feeling that knot in my stomach again, I nod. He then squeezes my hand. “I’m upset you’ve been dealing with this for the past three weeks all on your own. Yes, I had just found out about your husband and my wife, but you had to deal with both matters by yourself.”

I look down. “Sorry.”

He nudges my hand a little. “Don’t be. It was just you trying to do a selfless thing. But you need to know one thing right now. You’re not on your own anymore. You have me.”

I bite my lip. “This baby… He or she feels like a part of me now. I know I said I’d be willing to give the baby away once it’s born, but I can no longer do that. Not since everything that’s happened. I’m sorry, but I want to be this baby’s mother.”

“I guess that’s the main reason you didn’t want to tell me.”

“I can’t help the way I feel.”

He stares at our hands for a moment before meeting my eyes. “I know you can’t.” He sighs. “We’ll work something out. We have a little over seven months to do it. I’m sure we can come to some sort of compromise.”

Feeling a tremendous weight lift off my shoulders, I smile. “Thank you. I really want that. I want this baby to have the benefit of a mother and father. I’m sure we can work out a schedule between us once the baby is born.”

Smiling, he squeezes my hand a little. “I’m sure you’ll make a great mother. In fact, I can’t think of anyone better to be the mother of my child.”

My heart warms. “That’s the biggest compliment anyone’s ever given me. Thank you. I know you’ll make a great father, too.”

He starts laughing. “Only time will tell. We’re both new at this, but I’m sure, between us, we can provide the best for our baby.”

“Speaking of which, are we going to find out the sex?”

He looks away in thought. “The practical side of me says yes. At the same time, I want it to be a surprise.”

I smile. “Me, too.”

He chuckles. “You got pregnant on the second attempt, eh? I got strong swimmers.” He pulls at his jumper, as if to say he was a big man. It makes me laugh.

“Or maybe I just accept your babies gracefully.”

He raises his eyebrows. “Gracefully, huh? That’s a new one.”

“You seem a lot more relaxed about it now. You seemed so tense in the car. It got me worried.”

“I guess I was just in shock and had a million questions. I think I’m just now wrapping my head around the fact that you’re pregnant with my baby.” He grins, shaking his head. “You’re pregnant with my baby.” He laughs, pulling me in for a hug. “Thank you.”

The crying starts again. “This is so silly,” I say. “I think you’ve seen me cry more in these last few minutes than Kyle ever did in our whole marriage.” I pull away from him. “How long is this going to go on?”

His mouth twitches. “Probably your whole pregnancy.”

Closing my eyes, I sigh. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

He laughs a little. “No, but the good news is you should feel at your best during your second trimester. That’s when women tend to glow.”

I roll my eyes. “So only another five weeks of feeling like crap then?”

“Morning sickness?”

Standing up, I walk toward my bag. “Yes. That’s why I went to the shop this morning and bought these.” I take out the biscuits and cake, then walk back to the couch. “I hear ginger helps settle the stomach.”

He looks at the contents, then at me. “You can try them and see. The best thing is to make sure you eat little, but often, and mainly protein-rich foods. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water during the day. Have you been taking folic acid?”

I nod. “Yes, for a couple weeks now.”

“Good.” He looks away before glancing my way again. “Can I just ask one thing from you?”

“Sure.”

“That you let me come to every doctor’s appointment, scans, et cetera. Also, I want you to promise me that if you ever need anything—and I mean anything—you’ll give me a call. I don’t care if it’s three in the morning and you’re craving ice cream. I want to be there every step of the way. Can you do that for me?”

Smiling brightly, I nod. “Of course.”

He starts laughing. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me now. I’m going to become a pain in the arse. Sorry.”

I chuckle. “I’m sure you could never be a pain in the arse.”

He nudges my arm with his. “You don’t believe me? Just watch.”

In that moment, I feel happier than I’ve been in a long time. Maybe it’s the thought that I finally have someone on my side. Someone who I know will be there. I just know this baby will be loved. The thought fills me with a sense of euphoria I have never felt before. I can’t ask for more than that.

Wanting to change the subject for the time being, I say, “Oh, I saw your sister in town. She actually caught me in Mother Care staring at baby clothes. I made some lame excuse that I was looking for a friend. I felt terrible lying to her. I don’t normally lie, but I couldn’t tell her until I had told you. That wouldn’t have been fair.”

He smiles. “Don’t worry. I’m sure she will understand. She likes you anyway.”

My posture perks up. “She does?”

He nods, rolling his eyes. “Yes. Her ‘spidey senses’ told her so. She said there was a warmth surrounding you. Truthfully, she wishes you and Sarah had never gotten such dumb taxi drivers who made the mistake of taking you to the wrong places. I was married to Sarah at the time, so I told her it was unfair to say that. Now I see how right she really was. She never once said I told you so, though, so at least that’s something. I just wish I had paid more attention. Maybe then I would have found out about her a long time ago.”

I shrug. “It is what it is. I’ve been blaming myself for stuff, too. But, at the end of the day, there are only two people to blame in all this. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They stood up there on our wedding days and took that oath. I kept my promises, and I’m sure you did, too.” I smile at him as he nods. “I feel like all of this is so upside down.” I chuckle.

Ethan frowns. “What makes you say that?”

“I’m divorcing my husband at the same time I’m pregnant with another man’s baby. How crazy is that? What makes it even more bizarre is that I’ve never cheated on my husband. I’ve never even looked at another man.” I sigh. “I wasn’t allowed to,” I say softly, looking down at my hands. “After a while, I suppose I got used to being submissive. He eventually wore me down so much that I was blinded by the world around me. All I was aware of was him.”

“Wow,” Ethan says, shaking his head. “I always thought Kyle was a bit of an arsehole, but I never knew just how much. I did often think that he never deserved you. You’ve always been so kind to us, always there whenever Sarah needed you. I think that dickhead took advantage of it.”

“What about you and Sarah?”

Clasping his hands together and leaning forward, resting his arms on this thighs, he sighs. “I went to see a solicitor a few days ago. I can’t be married to someone I don’t trust.”

I nod. “I feel exactly the same way.”

“You know, Judy badgered me before I married Sarah. She kept going on and on about a prenup.” He turns to me. “I have an inheritance from when my parents died. Our family is quite wealthy. Most of us are solicitors, bankers, or doctors. Judy was worried that if we ever divorced, Sarah would swindle me out of my inheritance. I told her not to be silly because it was out of the question. Sarah was going to be my wife and we loved each other. That very same night, I went to see Sarah and she was going crazy over this wedding dress. It cost eight thousand pounds.” I gasped. “I explained to her that it was too much. Her response was, ‘Don’t be silly. You’re rich. You can afford it. Besides, don’t you want to make sure your wife-to-be has the best day of her life?’ I tried to reason with her by saying some of that money would be best spent on the honeymoon or the house we were buying. She started crying, telling me I didn’t love her and would never understand what it’s like for a woman. She really laid on the guilt.”

He shakes his head. “Suffice it to say, I relented, but it got me thinking about what Judy said. In the end, I got my uncle to draw up a penup. One that would be fair for both of us. I hated doing it, but I’m glad I did. Sarah cried when I produced that, too, but she signed it…once I promised to buy her whatever she wanted for the wedding.” He laughs. “I think it was one of the most expensive weddings in history.”

I nod, remembering how lavish it was. The dress was stunning, the flowers huge and in full bloom. The cake was the size of my house, and the marquee was big enough to hold up to two thousand people. They had a five-course meal with champagne, and the servers looked as though they were dressed to attend a ball. It was way over the top, but I suppose that was Sarah all over.

“I could sell the house and take half the profits,” Ethan says, snapping me from my thoughts. “But I won’t do that to her. She can have the house. It’s all paid for. She’ll just have to find herself a job so she can pay the bills. If she sells it to downgrade, so be it. I just don’t want anything to do with that house anymore. It somehow feels...tainted.”

Looking around my living room, I shudder. “I see what you mean.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

I shake my head. “No, that’s okay. A part of me wants to keep the house because it was my first one. Like you, my inheritance went into this house. One day, I’ll probably sell. I just want to get this divorce over with.”

“Will you not have to sell it anyway?”

I shake my head. “My solicitor seems to think I’ll be able to keep it. He has all the paperwork from when we bought the place. If I have to sell the house, Kyle will have to sell his car. Most of the money that went into buying it was from my parents. I was the one to always deal with the financial side of things. I saved, Kyle spent. That was the way it was. If I asked him to slow down, he’d grumble and tell me I was nagging. After a while, I started to put some money aside the moment I got paid. We both agreed we would save for a baby. We made a promise to each other. I invested so much into the marriage, and for what?” I shrug.

“You can’t say that now. Maybe you had to marry Kyle to learn from it.” I smirk. “What?”

“You’re talking about fate.”

He clucks his tongue, rolling his eyes. “You and your fate.”

I nudge his shoulder. “Oh, come on. You said that if I got pregnant, it was meant to be. I’m not sure why we married such horrid people, but maybe you’re right. We were supposed to learn from it. Maybe this was where it was heading all along.”

He smirks. “With spouses who cheated on us with each other and you ending up pregnant with my baby?”

I start laughing. “When I told my solicitor that, he thought someone had set him up for a prank.”

He starts laughing with me. “I suppose it does sound like something from the Jeremy Kyle show.”

“That’s funny. I said exactly the same thing.”

“Did you?”

I nod. “Yep.”

When I think of something else, my laughter stops. “You know, sooner or later, Kyle and Sarah will find out about this. Do you think they’ll hold it against us?”

The sound of Ethan’s laughter stops at my question. “They could, but we’re the innocent party here. Everyone knew what the plan was. I have records of your visits. Nothing untoward happened. It was all done by the board.” He sighs. “Anyway, I don’t want you worrying about that. You said you want to keep the baby and be a mother?” I nod. “Well, this is supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life. I want you to hold onto that.”

I smile at him. “I will.”

Looking at his watch, he frowns. “Shit. I’ll be late for my next appointment if I don’t get going soon. I really want to stay, but...”

I place my hand on his knee. “I know. You have to get to work. It’s important. As you say, we have seven more months to sort everything out.”

He rubs his hands over his face and reluctantly gets up. “I suppose you’re right, but it somehow feels wrong to leave you so soon after finding out.” He spins toward me. “Hey, how about I take you to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate?”

I bite my lip, unsure. I know Kyle and I have separated, but I’m still legally married to him. Going out with Ethan, no matter how platonic, would look wrong to others.

As if sensing this, Ethan says, “Quite frankly, it has nothing to do with them, but if you feel uncomfortable, we’ll do it once the divorce is finalized. Either that, or I can take you to dinner in another town.”

“I would love to go to dinner with you, but I think I just need time. At least until the divorce is over. That’s if Kyle agrees to it. Something tells me he’s going to be extremely difficult.”

Walking toward me, he grabs my shoulders. “As I said, you’re not on your own in this. You have me. I will be there whenever you need me. It is my duty as a father. I will never let you down. I promise.”

Feeling the tears well again, I motion to the door. “You’d better leave before I start blubbering again.” We laugh as he walks toward it. He turns to me.

“If I don’t get to see you every day, can I at least call?”

I feel my face flush. It’s nice having someone in my life who cares so much. I know he’s only doing it for the baby, but I’ll take it while it lasts. “Of course. Call as much as you like.”

He walks out the door, smirking. “Oh, I think you’re going to regret saying that.” He winks as he strides away. “Sleep well tonight. Remember, call me anytime—day or night.”

“I will!” I shout, clasping my arms around my waist.

“Get inside or you’ll freeze to death. Doctor’s orders.”

Saluting him, I nod. “Yes, sir!” I wave as I close the door.

I check the time. A little after three. Kyle will be here in around three hours. I double bolt the door and secure all the windows.

You can’t ever be too secure.