I stayed close to Lukas as we moved through Berlin's narrow streets. My stomach felt… different, but not obvious — flat, hidden under my sweater. No one could tell yet. I hadn't told anyone. Not my dad, not Evelyn. Not a single person.
Lukas's eyes scanned every passerby, every corner. His alertness made me nervous. I wanted to ask why he was so tense, but I didn't. Some things weren't mine to know.
We stopped at a small outdoor market. The smells of fresh bread, roasting nuts, and flowers filled the air. Normally, it would've been comforting, but I couldn't focus. Every movement in the crowd made my pulse spike.
Then I saw him.
A man leaning against a corner, half-hidden behind a lamppost. Dark coat, dark hair, eyes locked on Lukas. My stomach dropped — not from the baby, but from fear. Lukas had noticed him too. His jaw tightened, but he didn't say a word.
"Who is that?" I whispered.
"Stay calm," Lukas said, low and steady. "Keep walking. Don't make a scene."
My heart raced. Being early-pregnant didn't change my fear, but it did make me feel exposed in a different way — the secret inside me felt heavier than ever.
Lukas adjusted his coat, moving slightly in front of me, like a shield. He walked past the man as if nothing was wrong, but the tension in his body said everything.
The man didn't follow us. Not yet. But I knew he wasn't gone.
We turned down another street, and I let out a quiet breath. My hands rested on my stomach, almost unconsciously. I hadn't told anyone about this pregnancy — not my family, not Evelyn— and now, in the middle of a foreign city, with a stranger watching us, the weight of secrecy felt sharp.
"You always look like you can handle anything," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't," Lukas replied, eyes flicking back to the corner we'd just passed. "I just make it look that way."
I wanted to argue, to say I could protect myself somehow, but the truth was, I wasn't sure yet — not in this city, not in this situation, and not while keeping this secret inside me.
Back at the apartment, I sat by the window, hands on my stomach, staring down at the street below. Danger was real. And being with Lukas meant I couldn't escape it — not even if I wanted to.