Emily rushed home that evening, her heart racing as she burst through the front door, still trying to process everything that had happened.

“Rachel! Rach, where are you?” Emily called out, her voice filled with urgency.

Rachel poked her head around the corner from the kitchen, holding a dish towel in her hand. “I’m right here. What’s going on? You’re home early.”

Emily could barely contain herself. “You won’t believe what happened after I talked to you.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow, already sensing that the conversation was going to be interesting. “What happened? I take it you didn’t manage to avoid Eric.”

Emily let out a breath, still feeling the shock of the day. “I thought I was in the clear. I was doing everything I could to stay out of sight, but then, out of nowhere, he grabbed me and pulled me into a storage closet.”

Rachel’s eyes widened, her protective instincts kicking in. “What?! He didn’t do anything bad to you, did he?”

Emily quickly shook her head, realizing how that must’ve sounded. “No, no! I was mad at first, but then... he explained everything.”

Rachel leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms. “So, what’s his story?”

Emily took a deep breath, trying to recount the events calmly. “Turns out Luke was the one who drugged me that night at the club. He took me to a room in the back.”

Rachel’s face darkened. “Of course, it was that creep. I knew something was off when you said you ran into him.”

“Yeah,” Emily nodded. “But here’s the thing—Eric followed us. He beat Luke up and had his guys take care of him. Then he came back to the room to check on me, and... well, you know what happened next.”

Rachel gave her a skeptical look. “But he still took advantage of you, even if he helped.”

Emily shook her head more firmly this time. “No, Rachel. He said he asked for my permission and forgiveness before anything happened. He thought it was the only way to help me because of the drug.”

Rachel’s expression softened as she tried to take it all in. “Wow... I guess he’s not as bad as we thought. But, still... that’s a lot to process.”

Emily’s voice grew quieter, as if admitting it out loud would make it more real. “He also said he wanted to take responsibility for me. He was going to, but I ran off. He wants me to be his girlfriend.”

Rachel’s jaw dropped. “His girlfriend? Are you serious? What did you say?”

“We exchanged numbers,” Emily admitted, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I told him I forgave him but that I needed time to think about being his girlfriend.”

Rachel looked at her with an amused smile. “So, what are you going to do? I mean, you’re pregnant, Em. That’s a whole different situation now.”

Emily’s face clouded for a moment. “I know. I think... I think I’ll agree to date him, and when the time is right, I’ll tell him about the baby.”

Rachel beamed with excitement. “I’m so happy for you! I’m glad it wasn’t what we thought. Maybe this will all work out after all.”

Emily sighed with relief, feeling the weight lift from her shoulders. “Yeah, I’m glad too. But...”

Rachel’s face turned serious. “But what?”

“What if Luke shows up again? He’s been quiet, and I haven’t heard anything since that night. It’s making me nervous.”

Rachel frowned, worry creasing her forehead. “You know how Luke is. He won’t let this go easily. Please, just be careful. He’s dangerous.”

“I will,” Emily promised, though a hint of uncertainty lingered in her voice.

The two continued chatting, going over the details of Luke’s obsession and their shared history, while Emily’s mind raced, trying to figure out how to move forward with Eric.

———————————————————————————

Three days had passed since Eric last saw Emily, and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Pacing the floor of his office, he ran through countless scenarios of what he would say when he called her. Every time he thought he was ready, his nerves got the better of him. Finally, after working up the courage, he took a deep breath and dialed her number.

Emily answered after a couple of rings. “Hello?”

Eric’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice. “Hey, Emily. It’s Eric.”

“Oh, hi!” Emily replied, a bit shyly. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” Eric said, trying to sound relaxed despite the fact that his heart was racing. “I wanted to see if you were free tonight.”

Emily hesitated for a moment, glancing at her schedule. “Umm... I should be done at the office around seven.”

“Great,” Eric said, relieved. “How about I pick you up at eight? Dinner? Just the two of us.”

Emily smiled, feeling a flutter in her chest. “That sounds nice.”

“Can you text me your address?” Eric asked.

“Sure,” Emily replied a hint of excitement in her response.

Eric couldn’t hide his excitement either. “I can’t wait to see you tonight.”

“Me too,” Emily said, her voice soft, but sincere.

After they hung up, Emily stared at her phone for a moment, feeling a mix of anticipation and nerves. She had forgiven Eric, but there was still so much left unsaid between them—most importantly, her pregnancy.

As the evening approached, both Eric and Emily went about their day, each lost in their thoughts. Neither could shake the feeling that this dinner could change everything.