Damian Pov
I didn't sleep at all that night. I couldn't. I just lay in bed staring at my phone. Reading Bella's text message over and over.
Park. Tomorrow. 3 p.m.
Four words. That was all. But they meant everything. She was willing to talk. She was giving me a chance.
I got out of bed at five in the morning. I took a shower. I shaved. I put on nice clothes. Then I changed. Then I changed again. Nothing felt right.
I practiced what I would say. I'm sorry. I love you. Please forgive me. Let me help you. Let me be there for our baby.
But the words sounded hollow. Empty. They weren't enough. Nothing I could say would be enough.
I went to a flower shop as soon as it opened. I walked through looking at every flower. Roses felt too romantic. Tulips felt too casual. Nothing was right.
Finally I found white lilies. Pure. Clean. Innocent. I bought a small bouquet.
I went home and practiced in the mirror. Over and over. I'm sorry Bella. I love you Bella. Please give me a chance.
My voice cracked. I started over. Again. And again. Until I couldn't say the words anymore without crying.
I left for the park at two. Too early. But I couldn't wait anymore. I needed to be there. I needed to see her.
I sat on a bench and waited. I held the lilies. My hands were shaking. My heart was racing. I felt like I might throw up.
What if she didn't come. What if she changed her mind. What if this was some kind of trick.
No. She would come. She had to come.
At exactly three o'clock I saw her. Walking slowly through the park. She looked so small. So thin. So tired.
But she was there. She came.
I stood up fast. Too fast. I almost dropped the flowers. I walked toward her.
She stopped about ten feet away. She didn't come any closer.
I held out the lilies.
"I brought these for you" I said.
She didn't take them. She just stared at them. Then at me.
"I'm so" I started to say.
"Stop" she cut me off. Her voice was cold. Hard. "I didn't come here for apologies or flowers"
"Okay" I said. "Then...why did you come"
She took a deep breath. Her hand went to her stomach. A protective gesture.
"I'm pregnant" she said. "It's yours. That's all you get"
The words should have made me happy. Hearing her confirm it. Hearing her say it out loud. But all I felt was crushing pain. Because of the way she said it. Like it was nothing. Like I was nothing.
My legs gave out. I fell to my knees right there on the dirt path. The lilies fell next to me. I started crying. I couldn't help it.
"Please" I said. "Please let me be there. Let me help you. Let me take care of you both. I'll do anything Bella. Anything"
"You already did everything wrong" Bella said. Her voice broke. "You already ruined everything"
"I know" I said. "I know I did. And I'm so sorry. I'm so incredibly sorry. I would take it all back if I could. I would do anything to fix this"
"You can't fix this" Bella said. Tears were running down her face now too. "You can't fix what you did. You can't erase it. You can't make me forget"
"I know" I said again. "But please...please don't shut me out. That's my baby too. I have a right to"
"You have no rights" Bella said. She took a step back. "You gave up your rights when you betrayed me"
"The baby is innocent" I said. "The baby didn't do anything wrong. Please don't punish our child because you hate me"
Bella's face crumpled. More tears fell. She wrapped her arms around herself.
"I don't...I don't know what to do" she whispered. "I don't know how to do this. I can't afford anything. I'm losing everything. I'm failing. But I can't...I can't let you back in. I can't trust you"
"You don't have to trust me" I said. "You don't have to forgive me. You don't have to let me back in your life. But please...please let me help with the baby. Let me pay for the doctors. For food. For everything you need. Not for me. For our child"
She shook her head. She started backing away.
"I have to go" she said. "This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come"
"Wait" I said. "Please don't go. We need to talk about"
"There's nothing to talk about" Bella said. She turned to leave.
I scrambled to my feet. I reached out and grabbed her wrist gently. Not hard. Not forceful. Just touching her.
She looked down at my hand on her wrist. Then up at my face. And I saw so much pain in her eyes. So much hurt that I caused.
She yanked her arm free. She stepped back like I burned her.
"Don't touch me" she said. "Don't ever touch me again"
Then she ran. Just turned and ran away from me as fast as she could.
I stood there watching her go. The lilies were still on the ground. Scattered and broken.
I dropped back to my knees. I put my head in my hands. I cried there in the dirt in the middle of the park.
People walked past. Some stared. Some ignored me. I didn't care about any of them.
She ran from me. Like I was something dangerous. Something to be afraid of. And maybe I was. Maybe I was the villain in this story. The monster who destroyed everything.
But I couldn't give up. Even if she ran every time. Even if she hated me forever. I had to keep trying.
That was my baby. My child. And I would not abandon it. I would not walk away. I would not stop fighting.
"I'll chase you forever" I whispered. "I'll never stop. I'll never give up. Even if you keep running. Even if you never look back. I'll always be here. Always"