To have and to loathe

• 𝐂hapter 61

I stood in front of the large mirror on the wall and smoothened my dress over my bump.

As much as I would've loved to lay down in my bed and cry my feelings away all night, I still had an evening with Killian Fobster to get through first.

For some last-minute adjustments, I applied eyeliner and pinched my cheeks, satisfied with my look.

I took in a deep breath and flitted back into the bedroom in search of my shoes. That was when a knock sounded on my door.

It had to be Killian.

My nervousness topped up a notch. I quickly kicked the pizza wrapping underneath the couch and padded barefoot towards the door, trying not to show entrepreneurial oomph.

When I opened it, his dark eyes caressed me, gliding from my head to my toes before lingering back on my face. "Can I come in?"

I blinked away the hotness I felt and immediately released the door handle for him to step in.

"You're here a little earlier than I expected, I'm not done getting ready yet," I told him, watching as he looked around, no doubt in dismay.

"It's fine, I can wait." He said and then held out a box to me. "I got you something."

It was a medium-sized box wrapped in red paper, complete with a black satin bow. I took the box and looked at him, panic and nervousness in my eyes. "What's in it?"

"Open it."

Eyeing him curiously, I sat on the couch and peeled back the paper. My heart started to pump faster as I tore back the last wrap and lifted the lid to find a pair of black Dior heels that weren't high but weren't low either. 

"Killian..." I sighed, unable to take my eyes off them. "You didn't have to."

"Do you like them?" He asked me and I looked up at him.

Of course, I liked them. Who in their right mind wouldn't. I closed the box and heaved a breath. "Why are you doing this? First with the flowers and chocolate, now this?"

He sat beside me, plucking one of the shoes out of the box in my lap. "I read in one of the pregnancy catalogs you left behind that at this stage, your feet might start to get swollen and your shoes might not fit perfectly anymore." He pulled the stuffing out of the shoe. "I thought I would ease your discomfort. It's easy to put on and it's a number higher than your usual size."

When he moved off the couch and down on a knee, my cheeks grew light red. I wanted to protest but damn him, I just couldn't. "If it helps, you could just see it as a thank you present for going on this date with me."

The shoes were too much. Way, way too much, and yet I knew I wasn't going to refuse them. He slipped it into my foot and when he let go, I wiggled it.

It did seem light and comfortable. I smiled, not sure how I should feel, not sure if I even deserved to be feeling this way.