"I'm getting in the shower." He says, kissing my hand.

At this point he's avoiding the question he knows I want to ask.

"Let me come." I say.

He raises an eyebrow. "I'm not gonna say no to that."

I hold his hand and go with him to the bathroom. We both get undressed, and he kisses me, long and hard.

His hands travel down my body, and onto my hips. He turns the shower on, and we both step in.

He holds onto me as we're both drenched in water. I run a hand up his chest, leaning in and kissing his neck.

"God, Eden..." he mumbles.

I pull away and look at him. "Who's Alain?"

"What?"

"Who is it?"

"Um... kinda awkward to explain this when I'm hard. You wanna continue with this and we'll talk after or should we stop altogether?"

"I'm not in the mood now. I'll be waiting."

"Ok."

I get out of the shower and throw a towel around me and walk into the bedroom.

I quickly towel off mf hair and get some pyjamas on. It's technically one of Augustine's top's, and at this point it's starting to get a bit tight because he's skinny and I'm pregnant.

He comes out of the shower about 10 minutes later and smiles at me. "Sorry I was so long."

"It's ok."

He sits next to me. I wait for him to get some pyjamas on. He does, and lies down, opening his arms to me. I sink into them and rest my head on his chest. He kisses the top of it.

"So. Alain, huh?"

"I'd like to know about him."

"I bet. Well, in short, he was one of my old assistants and he left to work for others."

"And in long?"

"I practically raised him. I don't know much of where he came from, just that he needed someone. So I gave him a job. Bought him dinner every day. Made sure he wasn't sleeping on the street. Then one day he handed in his notice. I was disappointed, I have to admit, I'd hoped to train him into a professor. But part of me was proud. I thought maybe... maybe he'd be doing something worthwhile."

"And he wasn't?"

"No. And I'm sorry. I always try to be honest with you but for this the less you know the better."

"The less I know the better?"

"For your safety, and the baby's. If I tell you, you'd probably go out trying to get a solution. If you don't know the problem to begin with then it's only me who's in danger."

"...you're in danger?"

"Perhaps that's a hyperbole. But, in a way, yes."

"And you've kept this from me for how long?"

"Think of it as... as a dormant volcano. The chances of it erupting are so small they're barely there."

"But they're there."

"Please, love, don't worry yourself. I don't want you getting stressed."

"If things get bad, you tell me everything. Deal?"

"Deal. Just don't go off panicking now. Just think of yourself and the baby, and me. That's your biggest concern right now, not this."

"Ok... I'm trusting you, Augustine."

"Thank you."

I shift around for a moment, wrapping my arms around him and holding him tightly. He rubs my back, murmuring to me about everything and nothing. I nod or shake my head in the right places, but all I can think of is losing Augustine.

Maybe if I hold him tight enough he'll never go.

"You sleep, my darling. I'm right here."

I'm trusting you, Augustine. The last thought that crosses my mind before I fall asleep, hearing the heartbeat of the man I love most, his arms around me, his breathing steadier then I feel.