Doorstep Confessions, Kitchen Invasions

Thea’s POV

I instinctively jumped up and quickly pulled Leo back a few steps, cautiously staring at the box. Seconds passed, and the box lay quietly there, with nothing unusual happening. I looked at him somewhat accusingly and exhaled. If it had been a bomb, we would have been blown to pieces by now. Didn’t he have any safety awareness?

“You can’t just open unmarked packages!” I scolded him, trying to calm my racing heart.

He just shrugged, his expression clearly indicating he thought I was overreacting. “I was curious, so I opened it.” He rolled his eyes slightly, as if thinking I was being too dramatic.

He peered inside, initially looking expectant, but his excitement quickly turned to disappointment when he saw the contents.

“I thought it would be something cool, but it’s just a bunch of dresses.” He pouted, like he’d opened a Christmas present only to find socks inside.

Wait, what?

I took the box from his hands to check what was inside. I pulled out the clothes one by one, slowly realizing that each piece was from that maternity store. They were all clothes I had tried on and liked, the ones I had planned to buy before the incident with Sebastian happened.

How could this… I suddenly realized the truth. Sebastian. That bastard must have bought them.

“These dresses are really pretty, Mom. You’ll look beautiful in them,” Leo said, just as I was contemplating burning them.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” I forced a smile. “I’m going to prepare dinner. Finish your homework quickly, then go take a bath.”

I left the box of clothes where it was and walked to the kitchen. I still wasn’t sure what to do with them. I didn’t want anything from Sebastian. Honestly, this was the first time I’d ever received anything from that man.

Thinking about those clothes reminded me of the scene in the fitting room. I still didn’t understand what had gotten into him. His behavior was too abnormal. I hated the desire in his eyes. Hated feeling his already hardened member pressing against my abdomen. Sebastian had never found me attractive, had never looked at me with that kind of devouring gaze, so what had changed?

“Thea.”

Hearing his voice, I spun around, shocked to see Sebastian standing in my kitchen doorway.

“What are you doing here? How did you get in?” I asked, feeling my earlier anger rising again.

“Leo let me in,” he said calmly. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“What, once wasn’t enough, you had to come back for seconds?” I asked sharply, then turned away, pretending to be busy chopping vegetables, but the knife in my hand gripped tighter. “And I don’t want to talk to you about anything.”

He didn’t respond, just took a few steps forward.

“Get out!” I practically growled.

“Thea, look at me.” His voice was low and firm.

I tried to resist, all the pain he had caused me surged up, and I couldn’t see him anymore. But I found myself turning my head eventually, then was surprised to see his eyes were no longer calm, but filled with… regret?

“I owe you a proper apology,” his voice was almost gentle. “I was wrong. Not just about that night, but about everything in these seven years. I was too stubborn, too stupid… too blind to see my own heart…”

“Stop.” I suddenly spoke up, not knowing why I was suddenly afraid of what he was about to say.

“Please listen to me, Thea…”

“Will I? Like how you always listened when I said I was drunk, but you didn’t believe me? Or every time I begged you to give us a chance, but you wouldn’t listen? Wouldn’t give me any chance?” I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

“I’ve heard enough from you to last a lifetime. I left you like you always wanted, so why can’t you do the same for me? Haven’t I paid enough for loving you? What else do you want from me? Or do you think one word from you can erase everything?”

Tears threatened to fall, but I held them back. I wouldn’t let him see me break down.

“No, of course not,” he shook his head, those green eyes flashing with emotions I’d never seen before. “But it’s a start. Thea, I don’t know how to explain what I’ve been feeling and doing lately. I don’t fully understand it myself. But what I do know is that I want to be near you, want to protect you, want to… be a part of your life.”

I felt my heart skip a beat, but immediately warned myself not to be fooled by his words. It was all too sudden; these were not words Sebastian would say.

“You know what I’m thinking, Sebastian?” I stepped forward, suddenly feeling an unprecedented strength. “I’m thinking you’ve gone crazy. I’m thinking you’ve gotten bored with Aurora and need some new entertainment. I’m thinking you’ve suddenly realized Leo is your son, and you want to get closer to him so you’re pretending to care about me. Or, most likely, your Alpha ego can’t accept that your ex-wife is pregnant with another male’s child, so you’re trying to assert ownership to everyone.”

His eyes flashed with hurt, but quickly returned to calm. “I know you don’t believe me. You have a thousand reasons not to. But Thea, I’ll prove it to you. Not with words, but with actions.”

He slowly, carefully reached out, gently touching my cheek. I instinctively wanted to move away, but found myself unable to. His touch burned on my skin like it had in the fitting room.

“I’ll give you time and space,” he said. “But I want you to know, I won’t give up. Not like I gave up on you before.”

I was still processing what his words meant when Leo’s voice came from the doorway: “Dad? What are you guys doing?”

Sebastian immediately withdrew his hand, stepping back, but his eyes remained locked on me.

“Nothing, Leo,” I forced a smile. “Your father was just leaving.”

Sebastian was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I should go.” He crouched down to hug Leo, then stood up and gave me one last look. “Remember what I said, Thea.”

After he left, I remained standing in the kitchen, feeling confused and uneasy. I couldn’t help thinking about what Iris and Sophia had said earlier. Could it be true? Could something I thought was completely impossible actually happen?

No, I couldn’t be that naive again. I shook my head and picked up the knife to continue chopping vegetables. Whatever Sebastian was up to, I wouldn’t let him hurt me again. This time, my heart had built solid walls, and no one would break through them again.

But that night, as I lay in bed looking at the box of dresses in the corner of my room, I found myself wondering—why hadn’t I thrown them away?