My body is shaking as I'm letting out heartbreaking sobs. You know, the ones that really hurt. I can't believe those words slipped out so easily, but what's even harder to comprehend is the fact that Ian hasn't said one word after my confession. The reason behind me leaving is finally out in the open, but I feel no form of relief, at all.

We finally arrive in Denver and Ian pulls up into the parking lot of the first bed and breakfast we could find. When the car is idling, I dash out of the car and run off to the park across the street, Ian's phone still in my hand. Crossing the road, I don't pay attention to the oncoming traffic and just run. Not even the sound of a honking car and screeching tires stop me. I just need to get away.

Once in the park, I am happy to find a bench standing close to a pond at the center of the lot. It reminds me of the hidden pond back in Wade Valley and I feel myself slowly calming down. The fact that my pregnancy is now out in the open should have been a reliever. It should have but it wasn't. Ian just turned me out ever since the truth was out, I want to know why.

I sit down on the bench and hug my knees close to my body. I let my long brown hair out of the elastic that was keeping it in a ponytail and it all falls down in natural waves down my back. Looking over the pond, I feel the clouds in my head clear and I am finally able to think about things again.

I don't know how long I have been sitting here, being lost in my own thoughts, but I am taken out of them by the feeling of a blanket wrapping around me. I didn't realize it before, but I sure was feeling cold and grateful for the blanket.

"I'm sorry," a voice speaks softly from beside me. I don't have to turn my head to see who it is. There could only be one person here in Denver feeling the need to apologize to me. I don't look, nor do I say anything to him. Two can play the game of the silent treatment.

I know that my avoiding demeanor is making him nervous but in this moment, I couldn't care less. He has been silent to me for an entire hour after I told him what happened four years ago. He can manage me not replying to his apologie.

Ian being Ian, I should have expected that he wasn't going to keep it at this. How stupid of me to think otherwise.

"Kat, I really am sorry. I was just shocked at the new information, it made me think about a lot of things." He wraps his arm around my shoulder and starts rubbing my upper arm, trying to warm me up as I have been shivering from the cold.

Although I appreciated the warmth, I still didn't open my mouth to speak nor did I look up at him once.

"Damn Kat! I know you're upset, I get that, I really do. Just say something. Yell at me for ignoring you but don't go all silent on me." I am mad at him but I still have to fight a laugh caused by his non-existent patient.

"Who's the father?" His voice sounds weak and insecure. It causes me lose all control I have on my emotions, it causes me to throw all my plans about the silent treatment overboard. I feel my heart shatter into a thousand pieces and I know why.

I finally look up to him, tears welling up in my eyes. I know he deserves the truth but I am scared of how he'll react. I've seen the way he reacted to hearing the news about my pregnancy, let alone how he will react when he hears who the father is.

Suddenly, Ian takes my hands in his and I can't help but feel grateful for the warmth that radiates off his. "As much as I don't want to have a child out there, not knowing if it's a boy or a girl, not knowing the name or hate the fact you didn't tell me back then, please, tell me Duke isn't the father. I would hate to know that you've had a kid because you were raped. Because I wasn't there to help Alyssa out, not there to prevent Duke from even looking at you like that, let alone touch you like that."

I see tears well up in his eyes. I never would have thought I would be the one to make him cry. He rakes his hand through his messy and dark hair, not caring about showing his vulnerability. In this moment, I really wish I didn't know who the father was. But I do know and I need to tell Ian, I need to tell him right now.

I look down at my hands again, not daring to look Ian in the eyes as I tell him all he wants to know. "I had a girl," I say as tears stream down my cheeks. I feels like yesterday I gave birth to a beautiful girl with dark hair and sea green eyes. She just looked like her father did. "She's yours, Ian. You're the biological father."

We both stay quiet and the silence is killing me. I realize now that I still have Ian's phone in my hand. I unlock the phone and open his browser to log into my own email. Truth is, I am still in contact with the couple who adopted my daughter. I have visited a few times before they offered me to babysit sometimes and they promised me to send me updates on how she was doing and some photographs.

Once I am logged in, I open the latest email I got from them with a picture attached to it. I open the picture before I reach out the phone, for Ian to take. "Her name is Isobel Lynn Greene. She will turn four years old in a few months."

Ian just sits there, frozen in his spot, looking over the pond. I know he said that he really hoped Duke isn't the father, but I also know that Ian has no idea how to handle himself right now.

"I'm sorry, Kat. I thought I could do this but I can't. I need some time to think about this." And with that she stood up and walked away from me, leaving me with nothing but my own tears, heartache and a blanket to prevent me from freezing to death.

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Hey guys!

I want to apologize for the long wait. Things have been really crazy between college, sport and taking care of my mom. I am actually really happy to have this chapter finally out there.

The next chapter will be in Ian's POV, so stay tuned for that.

Let me know what you think of this chapter and help an author out by hitting that cute little star in the corner of your screen.

xo Anna