Chapter 177 You’re Here
TESSA
I looked up and saw the person who spoke.
It was Owen.
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My eyes widened. “W–what are you doing here?” I stammered. My voice was raw from crying, and I felt stupid for even asking when the evidence of my disaster was lying right there on the counter in plain view.
Owen frowned, his sharp brows pulling together as his eyes flicked from me to the cluster of pregnancy tests on the sink. He answered my question anyway.“My shift just finished at Rowan’s cafe, and I forgot my keys in my locker when I smelled your scent. I knew it was you.” He paused, and I swore I could see his chest rise a little sharper with each breath, like he was bracing himself. Then his gaze darted back to the tests, and his voice turned into a low growl. “But… what did you just say?”
I froze, my hands gripping the edge of the counter to hold me upright. The silence that followed was heavy and suffocating. There was no point in denying it—not with those sticks screaming the truth. His eyes darkened, his jaw tightening as realization slammed into him. “You really are pregnant.”
I didn’t know what to say. My lips parted, but no words came out. Instead, the sob I’d been holding back tore free. I broke down again, shaking as my tears spilled once more. My vision blurred and my breath hitched.
Owen clicked his tongue. He sighed, pulling the strap of his bag off his shoulder before dropping it carelessly on the floor. Then, before I could protest, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me.
My forehead pressed against his chest, and I sobbed into him like a child.
“Seriously,” he muttered against my hair. Then, in a resigned and soft voice, he added, “I didn’t even get the chance.”
The words startled me, but I couldn’t even begin to untangle them. I didn’t know what he meant or if I even wanted to know. All I could do was cling to him, too broken to push him away.
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We stayed like that for a while. Minutes stretched, melting into one another until the room felt timeless. Then, finally, Owen pulled back, his hands steadying me by my arms before he tilted my face up to his. His calloused thumbs brushed against my wet cheeks, wiping away what tears he could.
“Who’s the father?” he asked quietly. The question landed heavily between us. His eyes searched mine, and I couldn’t answer. My lips trembled, but the words stayed locked inside.
However, I didn’t need to say anything.
His eyes hardened, and his jaw clenched. “It’s Rowan, huh?” he muttered bitterly.
“Fuck that guy.”
I let out a small, choked chuckle through my tears. It was such an absurd thing to say in the middle of this chaos that it broke through my despair for a second. The corners of my lips twitched upward. I lifted my gaze to him, searching his expression. “What am I going to do?” I asked.
“You tell him,” Owen said simply.
My eyes widened. That was the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth. “W–what?”
“It’s only right,” he said, running his fingers through his hair, frustration radiating off him. “He deserves to know, and you…” His eyes softened just a fraction. “…you deserve better than to carry this all alone.”
I was stunned by his certainty.
He drew in a slow breath. “I know firsthand how difficult it is for one parent to be absent. If Rowan is half the almighty Alpha he parades himself to be, he’ll take care of you.”
My heart softened, throbbing at the sincerity in his tone.
“It’s not a mistake,” Owen continued, his gaze unwavering. Then he sighed, shaking his head. “Alright, maybe it is. But that’s not the point. It’s up to you whether that’s true or not. What do you want to do?”
The question burned inside me, demanding an answer I wasn’t sure I was ready to
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Chapter 177 You’re Here
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give. But when I placed a trembling hand over my stomach, instinct won over fear.
“I want to keep it,” I whispered.
Owen bit his lip, his throat working as he swallowed. He took a small step back. His eyes lingered on me.
“Then,” he said at last, “I think you should tell him.”
***
I was really nervous. The moment I woke up, I could already feel my stomach rebelling. I rushed to the bathroom, gripping the sides of the sink as my body betrayed me. My knees buckled, and I dropped down in front of the toilet, dry heaving until my throat burned.
Arden rushed to my side instantly, crouching beside me, her hand pulling my hair back. She clicked her tongue.
“You’ve been sick since yesterday,” she said, her voice heavy with worry. “You shouldn’t go to school today.“.
I shook my head weakly, trying to wave her off. “No, I’m fine. This will pass. I just need some crackers.”
Her frown deepened, appearing unconvinced. She sat back on her heels, her brows knitting together. Then, finally, she sighed in defeat, though the stubborn set of her mouth told me the argument was far from over. “But the moment you vomit again, I’ll be carrying you myself back here.”
I chuckled softly. “Alright, deal.”
She didn’t look satisfied, but she let it go for now.
Inside me, though, I wasn’t calm. I was rattling apart. I could barely focus, and yet, I was determined. No matter how much my body screamed at me to curl up and stay hidden, I needed to talk to Rowan today. There was no more running from it.
By the time we reached the academy’s main building, I was dizzy, my steps lighter than they should’ve been, my stomach threatening to turn inside out again. My nerves weren’t helping. For a second, as I passed by a hallway near the side entrance, I thought I caught sight of someone familiar. My eyes flickered toward
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Chapter 177 You’re Here
them, but I brushed it off, telling myself I was imagining things.
I couldn’t let myself get distracted.
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But then the nausea hit again. I pressed a hand against my abdomen and rushed to the bathroom, Arden’s concerned gaze burning into my back. But I smiled.
“I just need to pee,” I said as an excuse, running before I could worry her further.
I pushed the bathroom doors open and stayed there longer than I wanted. Right after, I splashed my face with some water, gripping the sink, and staring at the stranger looking back at me in the mirror.
I pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway again. That was when I froze.
Just ahead of me, at the far end of the corridor, two figures were pressed close together. At first, I thought my vision was blurred from the dizziness. The unmistakable sound of lips parting reached me.
“Seriously,” I muttered under my breath. “Despite Mr. Winters not being here, students still do these things.”
The girl giggled, her hands still clinging to the boy’s shirt. “Same time tomorrow?” she asked.
The man nodded without hesitation, “Same time.”
He leaned back slightly, adjusting his clothes, before finally turning to leave.
His eyes met mine.
And in that instant, my heart stopped.
My eyes widened in shock, and I felt myself wanting to vomit once more, but this time, it wasn’t because of my morning sickness.
It was because of the sight of the person in front of me.
