"You didn't fall asleep either," she whispered after a while.
"Nope," he replied, his voice barely more than a hum against her skin.
Her voice softened. "Were you really just waiting for me?"
Lucas's arm tightened around her. "Yeah. I figured you wouldn't fall asleep easily tonight. You get scared easily. I just... wanted to be here when you needed someone."
Bella blinked against the emotion rising in her throat.
"You know," Lucas continued, his voice warm and steady, "Rachel picked that scary movie because she knew you'd be there to hug her if she got scared. She trusts you."
Bella's heart tugged at that.
"And you don't have to be scared either," he added. "You've got someone too."
A small silence passed. Then Bella asked softly, almost like she didn't expect an answer, "Are you saying that... if I get scared, you'll be here for me?"
Lucas didn't hesitate. "I already am."
Her breath caught. Her fingers gently curled around the hand he'd laid protectively over her waist. His thumb brushed her side in a slow, grounding motion.
"Lucas... I don't even remember the last time..." she whispered. She didn't know how to finish the thought. Maybe she didn't need to.
He leaned in and pressed the lightest kiss to the back of her head. "You don't have to remember the last time someone said that to you," he murmured. "Because now... you have someone who means it."
That made her chest ache in a way that wasn't painful, just tender—too much and not enough at once. She turned slightly, just enough to rest her forehead against his forearm, her words so quiet they nearly disappeared into the dark. "Thank you."
He didn't reply. He didn't need to.
Their silence was not empty. It was full—of unspoken promises, of quiet understanding, of a growing connection neither dared name yet.
And then, almost instinctively, Bella took his hand and placed it over her lower belly—where their child was. A silent gesture, tender and raw. Lucas's breath caught ever so slightly, and his hand spread over hers gently, reverently.
His thumb traced soft circles over her knuckles, and Bella closed her eyes for real this time. Not because she wasn't scared anymore, but because she wasn't alone in it.
The warmth between them hadn't faded, even after the silence stretched into a gentle, comfortable hush. Bella was still curled into him, the blanket tugged to her chest, her fingers entwined with his where they rested over her belly.
Lucas didn't move, didn't shift away—not even when he felt her breathing slow down, steadying into something calmer.
Then softly, his voice broke the quiet.
"So… what did you buy today?" he asked, tone light—casual, but with that unmistakable edge that told her he was trying to draw her back to the present. To ease the leftover weight of fear with something simple. Normal.
Bella blinked, realizing he was trying to ground her. Divert her.
A tiny smile touched her lips. "Ice creams. A few groceries."
His arm didn't shift, but she could feel the subtle change in his posture—like he was waiting.
"And?" he asked, his voice teasing this time. "And some clothes." She replied sounding unsure.
"Hmm." He tilted his head slightly, nuzzling into her hair. "Are you going to tell me what kind? Did you buy some dresses or something else?"
She didn't respond right away. Her heart gave the tiniest jump, because she knew what kind of clothes she bought. It's just embarrassing to say it in front of him.
She tried to sound casual. "Just… stuff."
Lucas gave a soft chuckle behind her. "Stuff, huh?"
He leaned in a little closer, his breath teasing her ear. "You know, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'll see them when you wear them anyway."
Bella's cheeks flamed instantly. Oh God.
He wasn't wrong—but she also knew what kind of "clothes" she'd picked up earlier. And the fact that he was saying it so casually, in that low, confident voice, while holding her like this…
She cleared her throat and turned slightly, keeping her eyes ahead and refusing to let him see her flustered expression. "You're impossible."
Lucas smirked. "I'm just curious. It's not every day you go on a mystery shopping spree and ask me to pick Rachel up."
She laughed, and this time it was unguarded, warm. Lucas tucked her closer in response, his hand moving gently over her belly again.
"You know," he added, voice soft again, "this—right now—feels like the kind of night I never knew I wanted. A scared movie night, late-night teasing, you curled up in my arms."
Bella smiled, her fingers brushing lightly over his. "It's good."
"It's perfect," he corrected.
They lay in silence for a moment again, the shadows no longer looming, only warmth left between them.
Bella tilted her head back slightly to glance at him. "I won't wear them just yet, though."
Lucas looked at her, his gaze steady and unhurried. "It's not about seeing them. It's about you feeling good in them."
Bella's throat tightened slightly, and she turned again, this time enough to face him, her eyes soft. "You're not supposed to be this sweet after saying such flirty things."
He grinned, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Too bad. I multitask."
She shook her head, laughing again. And in that moment, the weight of fear, uncertainty, even the shadows of the earlier night—everything faded.
And all that remained was this.
The warmth of his arms. The safety of his words. The unexpected joy in a day that had started heavy but ended wrapped in comfort and mischief.
She felt safe. With Rachel's soft breathing, Lucas's heartbeat behind her, and the warmth of his arms around them both, Bella let her walls down—just for tonight.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, sleep found her.