He stepped toward her, took her hands in his, and signed with careful, deliberate motions. “Chiara, why did you come alone? Didn’t I say I’d come tonight to stay with you and the pups? I wanted to be here with you, to make sure you were safe.”
Chiara’s hands moved in response, her sign language precise, full of tension. “I missed you, Drake. I wanted to come and make things right… to atone for what I’ve done to Chloe. I… I know I’ve wronged her, and I wanted to help her.”
Drake shook his head slowly, almost like he was in pain. “No. No, Chiara. You haven’t wronged her. I’ve wronged both of you. I made you carry a life that was never meant to be yours under my lies. I forced you into a position that wasn’t fair and I hid the truth from Chloe, from both of you, because I… because I couldn’t face the consequences.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, whispered, “I couldn’t let her know, and I couldn’t let you leave. I thought, I thought I was protecting everyone, but I was just protecting myself. And now…”
Chiara’s lips moved again in sign language. “Drake… I only ever wanted to make this right. To protect the baby, to protect her. You’re the one who carried this all alone.”