Chapter 6

Steffy's POV

Waking up alone hasn't gotten any easier.

I always had this fantasy about waking up when I was pregnant. I would wake up and Liam would be wrapped around me, his arms resting gently around my ever growing baby bump. I've been sleeping alone since the beginning of my pregnancy, I really should be used to it, but I missed what could have been.

However, I would not take long to pity myself. Today was supposed to be a very good day. I was going to wear and model one of the products from my maternity line for the in house show case.

It was a beautiful maternity dress, an off the shoulder design that was fitted and ruche at the top flowing out into a bohemian high-low skirt that was perfect and comfortable for the rounder mom, but also fashionable for the newly pregnant. It was light pink satin with a white lace trim and overlay. It was one of my sweeter less edgy designs for Steffy's Girl. I'd kept the accompanying baby dress for little bean.

To say I was excited for the feedback on this design as well as the others was an understated. It was almost enough to make me forget that Liam wasn't here to tell me I looked beautiful, that would simply have to be relegated to another fantasy about me feeling fat and having him tell me I look beautiful.

I stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was done up in a beautiful braided up-do, hair falling around me framing my face, my makeup beautiful and light mostly because I was too tired. But I reminded myself, I didn't need Liam. I could remind myself how beautiful I am.

I smiled at the mirror, glancing down at my rounded belly.

"Doesn't mommy look beautiful today? Mommy looks hot. Remember bean, to always tell yourself how beautiful you are. If you know in your heart that you are beautiful inside and out and you remind yourself everyday, then no one can say any different. And if they do, be sure to tell me so I can kick their ass." I said, turning away from the mirror to grab my work bag. "And don't say ass, sweetie. That's a mommy word."

I said, walking to the door. "But if you do, I won't hold it against you." I laughed as I pulled the door even and ran into Liam.

Well, almost. He caught me before I could.

"Hold what against me?" He asked.

"What are you doing here?" I asked instead of answering.

"You look beautiful. I've never seen this dress before. It's gorgeous, not just the dress. You are...you're stunning." He rambled, before pausing a look of confusion crossing his face. "Who were you talking to?"

"You haven't answered my question? Did you sleep here?" I glanced passed him to where his car was parked. The same place it was parked last night. "Did you sleep in your car?"

He laughed. "No, I went back to my hotel, but I knew your car would be in the shop, so I figured I'd give you a ride to work today."

"Oh, thanks Liam, but I called a car service." He didn't try to hide his disappointment and with his hands still holding my shoulders, it was almost as if I could feel it. "I'll cancel."

"Really?"

"Sure." I smiled, as he leads me over to his car, holding the door open for me to climb in. He climbed in, started the engine, and we drove off, but I would catch him glancing over at me.

"Was your mom there? I heard you taking to someone. I would've stopped in to say hi not that I'm her favourite person right about now." He said, his curiosity finally taking over.

A fickle, doubtful, cynical part of my brain reminded me that he probably just wanted to make sure Bill hadn't stopped by-he had broken the restraining order before- or that I didn't have any other companion there with me.

A more vengeful part wanted to remind him that I hadn't been the one kissing and almost marrying someone else.

I forced them to be quiet.

"I was talking to bean, actually." I said, smiling down at her. "I read somewhere that babies can hear in utero and it helps to get them used to the sound of your voice. It's supposed to help calm and soothe them when they're born. And it helps the house seem less quiet."

Liam gulped, his hands twitching at the wheel.

"Do you- do you think she knows my voice?" He asked quietly.

The tension in the car rose to insufferable levels because he hadn't really spoken to her, not like I have at least. And I'd hate to think of what she's already heard from him, doubts, accusations, murder, annulment? These are the conversations we've had since I've been pregnant. But that was different, he was speaking to me; sometimes yelling, sometimes whispering, but I'd hate for her to associate her fathers voice with something negative.

"Maybe-" I started, hesitating at the closeness I was about to allow, worrying at how it would affect me, hating that I felt the need to give him something, that I felt the need to offer him something to make up for all he's missed. Hating that I felt responsible. I took a deep breath and said the words anyway. "Maybe you could talk to her sometimes. Probably not now because I'd like to get to work safely." He grinned at me, already so hopeful, tears gleaming in his eyes. I pressed on. "I understand it's a special feeling, feeling like your alone with her, so I can wear headphones sometimes if you want privacy."

"Yes" He nodded. "Thank you. I'm so grateful. You have no idea what this means to me."

"You don't have to thank me. She's just as much yours as she is mine." I said.

"Still." He took my hand.

I nodded.

He held my hand the rest of the drive, and the entire walk from the parking lot to the office. I tried to pull away. I knew Hope was going to be back today for the meeting about Steffy's Girl and Baby Boy Forrester, name soon to be determined. Not that she minded parading her relationship with Liam in front of me, any and all of the times they were together, but I didn't want to hurt her anymore. I knew first hand what that felt like, but every time I tried to pull my hand away, he holds on tighter and stare at me with those sad puppy eyes and I caved.

Pam raised her eyebrows, smiling intently as we walked passed her and into my office. No doubt she would have everybody believing we were back together before noon.

Once the doors were closed behind us, I turned to Liam, determined not to be swayed by his soft eyes and kind words. I knew better than most how sincere the could be in the moment…until the moment was over.

"Listen Liam, we don't want to give anybody the wrong impression here, so the hand holding and staring and everything else is going to have to stop, okay?" I said, pulling my hand free to take a seat behind my desk.

"I think they should get used to the idea. I have every intention of being with you again, and I know that freaks you out right now, but one day it won't. It'll be better for everyone to get used to the idea now." He leaned over the desk, hands braced on either side, meeting my gaze to show me the fire in his.

"It doesn't freak me out." I said, glaring, but he was skeptical.

"It doesn't." I repeated. "It's just—I mean, I just—whatever, it doesn't matter. I think it'll be best to keep things professional at work, it'll save a lot of people a lot fo pain, and if I'm being completely honest, I'm not ready for the conflict and the accusations from certain very loud and opinionated people who work here. The stress just isn't good for me right now, so just leave it."

He stared at me for a long time, taking in the truth in what I was saying, and knowing where I came from.

"I know my indecision has hurt a lot of people, but I'm not doing that anymore. I know exactly what it is that I want, and that's you and bean, our family. And I'm not going to stop fighting for us, ever. I don't want to stress you out, and I'm not going to let anyone blame you for things that were my fault. I won't let them, okay?"

He wouldn't break I contact with me, trying to convince me of his sincerity. It made the blood rush to my cheeks and my mind wander to places I hadn't allowed it to in the last two weeks. Dreams that started with us kissing, me in his arms and ended with us in a bed, in love. I hadn't had thoughts like that since my second trimester and I refused to go back to being lonely and miserable. I needed him to leave before I did something stupid.

"Yeah, okay. Just, I have a lot of work today before this meeting and I really need to focus, so thank you for picking me up, but I need you to go to your office now." I said.

"Actually, about that. I don't have an office really. I just shared with Hope anytime we were working on the HFTF stuff and I don't think she wants to share an office with me anymore." He said, taking a seat on the opposite side of my desk. "I was hoping that I could just work from your office. I promise you wont even hear me at all."

Forrester Creations was really in need of some more office space. I mean I could stick him in a cuticle with the interns but that was a little below his pay grade and level of experience.

"Fine. Just no interruptions." I said, grudgingly.

He was quiet, and we worked in silence for about an hour, before he caught a glimpse of one of the designs for Steffy's Girl. The design that I was wearing.

"Steffy's Girl?" He asked, smiling brightly.

"Yeah, I figured it was about time Forrester did an affordable, designer maternity line, and what better time than when one of their models and CEOs are pregnant and can't get baby clothes and maternity clothes of her mind."

"This is amazing, Steffy." He said.

"Well, no one else was supposed to see the designs until I revealed them in the meeting, but I guess you might as well know now. Its going to be a matching mommy and me line, for both baby boys and girls. I obviously have been more invested in the baby girl line, but I do have more than a few cute designs for baby boys, I've just been having trouble with the name, and I really need to figure it out before the meeting."

"You never cease to amaze me." He said, making me feel all tingly. "What were you thinking for the boy line, maybe I can help?"

"Um, I was thinking since the girl half is named after me, maybe I could have the boy half named after you somehow, considering it was our child that gave me the idea. And I kInda wanted it to be a play on words."

"Steffy's Girl, very clever." He said, rising for his seat, and following me to where I stood against the long table. Without warning, he hugged me, as tightly as he could with my belly in between. "Thank you for thinking of me, and for being so spectacular. It's probably not my place anymore, but I'm so proud of you. I know our daughter will be too." He pressed his forehead against mine in a gesture that felt more intimate than a kiss.

I took a deep breath, whispering a shaky, "Okay", before turning away. But then my face was in his hands, and his nose was brushing mine, and when his lips touched mine, all rational thought left my mind. I want to say that I stopped it, that I nipped it in the bud, and went back to the professional I prided myself on being, but I didn't. I wrapped my hands around his neck, my fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck and cherished the way his hands wrapped around my waist.

The only one thinking clearly, it seemed was bean, whose sharp kick startled me, making Liam laugh.

"She really does know how to pick a moment, doesn't she?" He laughed, placing a hand on my stomach. My hands automatically covering his.

"Yeah, she's definitely got my dramatic streak." I laughed. He stared at me in a way that would definitely get us in trouble, so I cleared my throat and said. "I thought of Spencer Man, but I didn't know how you or my dad would feel considering Bill, and then I thought about Cooper Man, but not a lot of people knew you as Liam Cooper, so that left Liam. I was thinking something like mini Liam, or Liam's Mini Me, or Liam's Mini Man, I don't know."

"Liam's Mini Man is my favourite." He said. "But that's not really what I want to talk about right now."

"Well, it's what I'm willing to talk about right now."

"I think we should talk about it." He pressed.

"Talk about what?" I feigned innocence.

"Fine, then I would like to talk to bean. You said I could."

"Yeah, but not here, not now. I mean, we're at work." I argued.

"But we're alone, it's private—"

"I don't have headphones." I said.

"Don't worry. You can borrow mine." He smiled.

And that's how we ended up being caught by Brooke, Hope, and Ridge. Me, listening to music, just quiet enough for me to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation as Liam kneeled in front where I sat, whispering to my belly.

A/N: Here's the new chapter. Hope you guys enjoy! Just a little side note: I hope you guys are as happy as I am that Wyatt finally told the truth. If I'm being honest, I'm happy that Hope's unhappy because she was really starting to annoy me, especially Brooke and her wacked sense of entitlement. I really want Steffy to drop Liam, or at least make him work really hard to get her back. I guess that much is obvious or else I wouldn't have written this. Anyway, thanks for reading.