There was a knock at the door.
Sienna stiffened from where she sat curled on the couch, wrapped in one of Cassian's oversized sweaters. She watched blankly as Cassian hurried to answer it, his nervous energy filling the room.
Sammy walked in first, Theo's sister—small, fierce, and determined—with a tired-looking brunette trailing behind her, Nicole's friend.
"Hey, Sienna," Sammy said carefully, her voice soft, cautious, as if approaching a wounded animal.
Sienna gave a small nod but said nothing. She kept her arms crossed tightly around herself, bracing for whatever storm was about to hit.
They all settled into an awkward circle, the air so thick with tension it was hard to breathe.
Sammy cleared her throat. "Look... we thought you needed to hear everything."
Cassian sat beside Sienna, close enough that their knees brushed. His hand found hers, tentative and trembling. She didn't pull away, but she didn't squeeze back either.
Sammy glanced at Cassian, who gave her a miserable nod, silently urging her to continue.
"You remember the family villa trip?" Sammy started carefully. "Nicole showed up—wasn't even invited—but she came anyway. Said she needed to talk."
Sienna tensed further, her heart hammering.
"She announced… she was pregnant," Sammy said flatly.
Sienna sucked in a sharp breath. Even though she already knew it, hearing it laid out like that still felt like a knife twisting in her gut.
"No one believed her," Sammy added quickly. "She made a scene. Big, dramatic tears, throwing accusations like confetti. But... none of us really bought it."
Sienna felt Cassian's thumb brush against her hand, a guilty, aching touch. She still didn't look at him.
Sammy shifted uncomfortably. "Nicole told me... that the night you guys had drinks?" She looked at Cassian pointedly. "That night was when she and you… had sex."
Cassian visibly flinched.
Sienna stared straight ahead, locking her jaw to keep herself from crumbling.
Sammy leaned forward, her voice sharper now. "But here's the thing. Nicole's been seeing someone else."
Sienna blinked, finally looking up.
"A guy," Sammy said, almost spitting the words. "She's had a boyfriend for months. None of us knew at first because she hid him—probably 'cause he wasn't exactly someone her family would approve of."
Cassian squeezed Sienna's hand harder, guilt rolling off him in waves.
"We think," Sammy continued, eyes narrowing, "that she tried to pin it on you, Cassian, because you're… well, you're you. The safe choice."
The room spun around Sienna as the words sank in.
Safe.
Convenient.
A fallback plan.
Her stomach twisted.
"You need to know," Sammy said fiercely, locking eyes with Sienna, "that not everyone believed her. Most of us didn't. And even if Cassian was an idiot that night—"
Cassian winced.
"You deserve the truth," Sammy finished.
Silence fell, heavy and suffocating.
Sienna stared at the floor, every breath scraping against her ribs.
Cassian turned slightly, trying to catch her gaze, but she refused to look at him.
His hand trembled where it held hers, his voice cracking when he finally whispered, "I'm sorry, Sienna. I'm so sorry."
And for the first time in a long time, Sienna didn't know whether love alone could save them.
Theo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearing his throat. "There's more," he said grimly.
Everyone turned to him.
"When Nicole announced the pregnancy," Theo continued, "Margo—asked for a DNA test. Just to be sure."
Sienna stiffened even more.
"Nicole said it was impossible," Theo went on. "She claimed she was only a few weeks in and that testing couldn't be done yet."
Cassian's grip on Sienna's hand tightened.
"But Uncle Ben," Theo said pointedly, "he's a doctor. He said it was possible. Early, but possible."
Sammy nodded sharply. "When they pushed, Nicole blew up. She threatened everyone. Said if they kept asking for a test, she'd have an abortion just to spite us all."
The words hit Sienna like a slap.
Theo hesitated, then added heavily, "And yesterday... Nicole's parents called. Said they're coming over to talk to Cassian's parents about the wedding."
The heavy silence stretched again, until Sammy shifted awkwardly, her voice small. "I'm sorry, Sienna. I feel like... if I hadn't brought Nicole around, maybe none of this would've happened."
Sienna finally looked up, her gaze tired but steady. She shook her head once. "It's okay," she said softly. "None of this is your fault."
Sammy looked unconvinced, but nodded. She and Theo stood, sensing it was time to leave.
Once the door closed behind them, Sienna and Cassian sat in the thick silence, neither knowing how to stitch anything back together.
Sienna turned slightly, studying Cassian's face in the dim afternoon light. She didn't speak, just stared, trying to make a decision she never thought she'd have to make—whether she would stay and fight for him, or finally walk away.
After a long, tense moment, she asked, her voice low and raw, "What are you going to do, Cassian?"
Cassian swallowed hard, his shoulders sagging. "I don't know," he whispered, the confession shattering the fragile space between them.
Sienna stared at him for a long, aching moment, her throat thick. Then, almost too quietly, she asked, "Are you going to marry Nicole?"
Cassian's head snapped up, his eyes wide, frantic. "No. No, Sienna. You know I only want to marry you. Only you."
The rawness in his voice hit her like a blow.
He shifted closer on the couch, hands reaching for hers again. "Please, Si," he whispered brokenly. "Please fight for us. Don't give up on me. Don't give up on what we have."
She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry.
"I love you," Cassian pleaded. "I know I screwed up. I know I hurt you. But please don't leave me. I will spend the rest of my life making this right if you let me."
He gripped her hands like a man drowning.
"Please," he whispered again. "Don't let go."
It took everything Sienna had to hold herself together, to push through the betrayal and heartbreak—and remember the love underneath all the wreckage.
After a long, trembling moment, she exhaled shakily and whispered, "Okay."
Cassian let out a ragged breath, sagging in relief, his forehead dropping against their joined hands as he held on like he would never let go.
They stayed there in silence for a long while, tangled in a fragile truce stitched together by heartbreak, guilt, and stubborn love.
Finally, Sienna pulled her hands free gently. "We need to be ready," she said, voice hoarse but steady.
Cassian looked at her, hollow-eyed. "For what?"
"For whatever happens when Nicole's parents show up," she said. "You can't hide anymore, Cassian."
He nodded, every line of his body tense.
Sienna rose from the couch slowly, wrapping her arms around herself. "When are they coming?"
Cassian swallowed thickly. "Tomorrow afternoon."
Tomorrow.
It felt so soon, too soon.
Sienna pressed her palms against her temples, willing herself to stay calm. "And your parents?"
"They're... they want to talk to me too," he said quietly. "They're expecting me to... handle it."
Sienna nodded slowly. "Then we'll handle it."
Cassian stood too, hesitant. "You'll be there?"
Sienna hesitated, her heart aching so badly it was hard to breathe. But if she backed away now, it would mean losing everything they still might be able to salvage.
"I'll be there," she said finally, her voice steady even though her hands shook.
Cassian looked like he might collapse in relief. He reached out but stopped himself just short of touching her, as if afraid he might break the delicate peace between them.
For the first time in a long time, they weren't clinging or fighting.
They were simply bracing for the next storm—together.