Chloe (Chardonnay Series Book 1)

by Hollye Davis

  “You didn’t the last time. Come on. I know a place we can go.”

  Chloe went but she wasn’t happy about it. Then again, she hadn’t been feeling well for a while. She needed to see a doctor but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Chloe had put it off because she was afraid that the media would find out how broken she was and use it against Edwin.

  Edwin took her to an office that wasn’t marked with anything distinguishable to identify it as a doctor’s office. He explained it was a special doctor’s office for the stars. She felt a little illicit, but thankful a place like this existed. Chloe was beginning to understand why Edwin withheld so much from her all those months ago. This life was hard.

  The doctor asked a lot of questions. Some were really personal and embarrassing. She sat through many tests and Edwin grew increasingly worried. He was pacing in the private room and driving her crazy when she finally snapped at him.

  “For God’s sake Edwin please park your butt!”

  He laughed and sat.

  “You have the funniest sayings Chloe. We’ll have to go and vacation in Texas sometime,” He paused then said, “Speaking of vacations, I was wondering where you wanted to go for our honeymoon?” That came as a little shock. She knew that she agreed to marry him, she just didn’t know when.

  “Edwin, I haven’t met your family yet, don’t you think we should think about doing that before talking about our marriage?”

  He scratched his head, “Well I suppose so. I don’t have much of a family. Just my father and I rarely see him.”

  She looked down. Was he ashamed?.

  He reached out and lifted her chin, “No, don’t you insult yourself. It’s my father who I have trouble with. I don’t want you to think I am like him. He is….a bit of a player.” She had already deduced that from what little Edwin told her about his upbringing.

  “Edwin, it doesn’t bother me really. I just wanted to make sure I met my soon to be father-in-law before we got married. Get the skeletons out of the closet per se.”

  “Chloe, what about your parents?” She tensed at that.

  “Good point. I don’t want to meet your father,” the thought of Edwin ever meeting her parents made her sick.

  Edwin laughed, “Wow that was a 180 degree turn if I’ve ever seen one! No, you are going to meet my father soon enough. I had already planned it for when he got done with this movie he’s filming in India. He’ll be home in a few weeks.”

  A quiet knock disrupted their conversation followed by the doctor walking into the office.

  “Well it isn’t ulcers so that’s good news.” He paused and then continued, “There’s no way to say this simply. Therefore, congratulations, you are expecting.”

  Expecting what? That was her very first thought and then it occurred to her. She dropped her head in her hands and started crying. She had no idea if they were happy tears or sad tears. She was just crying.

  The doctor said, “I’ll let you have a moment.”

  “Wait,” She said. The doctor turned toward her and asked “I’ve been on birth control pills, how is it possible?”

  “Very simple,” He said, “Your ulcer medication counteracts the birth control.”

  “Thank you.” She said, trying not to burst out in tears again and failing miserably.

  Edwin knelt down and said, “Oh love, I’m sorry. I know you didn’t want a baby right now but I can’t regret it, I can’t.” When She looked in his eyes they shone with love and pride.

  “Well it explains why I’ve been moody and emotional,” She gave a watery laugh.

  He picked her up and swung her around. “We’ll get married sooner, how about on your 18th birthday.”

  “Edwin, that’s next week.”

  He smiled and said, “I know. I was planning on it anyway. I was thinking on kidnapping you.”

  “Edwin, this is serious. What are we are going to do? We’re so young. I want to go to college. I have dreams! And do you know the divorce rate in Hollywood?!”

  Edwin looked a little sad.

  “I know, sweetheart. I can’t let statistics worry me. I love you. I know it’s soon for us to have a child. But I have faith, we’ll make it work though. We are set financially and you can go to college. We’ll hire a nanny. It’ll work.” It was almost as if he had planned this already.

  “What about Aunt? She’ll be so disappointed in me.”

  He sighed, “We’ll tell her tonight together.”

  Edwin drove her home holding her hand. She looked at the passing scenery. “The press is going to have a heyday with this. They are going to speculate that we only got married because of the baby.”

  “We know the truth, and that’s all that matters, Chloe.”

  When they arrived at home, Chloe didn’t want to go into the cottage. She sat defiantly in the car with Edwin looking at her worriedly.

  “Chloe, it’s going to be okay.” She nodded tears dripping down her face. Aunt’s car was in the driveway, she hated this, she hated everything. He pulled her out of the car and practically carried her up the stairs. When they entered the cottage Aunt was in the living room. She smiled big at them until she looked at Chloe. Aunt ran over to Chloe.

  “What’s wrong baby?”

  She looked up at Edwin and he took charge. “We probably should sit down for this,” he said.

  When they were all seated on the couch Aunt looked ready to cry.

  “What in heavens is wrong, Chloe?”

  Chloe couldn’t meet Aunt’s eyes. “I’m so sorry Aunt but I know you are going to be so disappointed in me.”

  “What is it?” Aunt had an edge to her voice that sounded close to hysteria.

  “I’m pregnant.” She broke down crying.

  Aunt sat there stunned. She got up and knelt in front of Chloe. “Oh Chloe, it isn’t the end of the world.” She looked up at Aunt’s pale face then immediately back down, guilt making her stomach upset.

  “I know it’s just that I wanted you to be proud of me and I made a stupid mistake. Evidently, ulcer medication doesn’t mix well with birth control,” Chloe said.

  Edwin squeezed her hand tight. She knew Edwin didn’t think of it as a mistake, She could tell he wanted this baby.

  “Chloe, look at me”

  “I’m proud of you. I may not have wanted you to have this baby this soon but I know you are going to make a great mother. I’m here for you and I’ll help you every step of the way. I’ve always wanted to have a baby in the house.”

  Edwin cleared his throat. Both Aunt and Chloe looked up to him.

  He started with, “Here’s the thing,” and then continued, “I want to marry Chloe right away. I don’t want Chloe’s reputation to be ruined in anyway.”

  Aunt’s eyes got teary and she said, “So soon?”

  He looked at her and said, “If you would allow it, I think it’s best. Chloe and I were going to get married anyway. In fact I was planning on taking her to Las Vegas for her birthday. I was going to inform you beforehand, but this kind of revealed my hand a little sooner.”

  Chloe looked up at Edwin and shook her head. He wasn’t lying about planning to get married sooner, and this concerned her.

  Aunt was looking down at her hands. It reminded her of herself. Aunt was her mother in so many ways. When Aunt looked up she said, “I’m going to be a great aunt. I can’t believe it.”

  Chloe shook her head and Edwin looked at her oddly.

  “No Aunt, you are so much more than an aunt. You are the only mother I’ve ever had. You are going to be a grandmother.”

  Aunt grabbed Chloe and they cried together. Edwin stared off at the ocean, with a smile on his face.

  Epilogue

  She was the size of a house. She could barely move. This was crazy, how is one to do anything if one had a beach ball growing out of the front of you? She sighed. It will take her 10 minutes to get up and use the bathroom and by the time she’d get situated again, she would have to do it all over again.

 
Edwin and Chloe had married on her 18th birthday in Las Vegas. Her aunt came along crying the whole way. She yelled at Edwin saying that it was all his fault. That if he hadn’t come she would still have Chloe. Edwin made up for it though. He purchased the beach house next door to Aunt. She didn’t want to know how much money that cost.

  They should have just moved in with Aunt because She was at their house so much anyway. Edwin’s movie career took off that summer and of course the press was having a field day about her pregnancy and quick marriage. If they would do the math they would realize that she got engaged way before she could have possibly known she was pregnant but she guessed that didn’t make interesting news.

  Kim visited her every single day. She and Cole had broken up for a couple of weeks but were back together strong. Cole was even looking into the same college Kim was attending. Chloe wasn’t going to give up on her college dream so she checked into online education until she was able to attend day classes at the local university.

  She started her 10-minute journey to the bathroom when a sharp pain that took her breath away. Oh that was not pleasant at all. That’s when she noticed that she was wet. She wobbled to her aunt who immediately went into hyper mode. By the time they got down the steps and into the car, the pains were really hurting. On the road, she called Edwin. There was a loud crash, him yelling at someone, and a bunch of rustling. Chloe hung up.

  By the time She got to the hospital everyone was there which was bazaar. How’d they beat her? She didn’t ponder the question long because the pains were coming faster. Edwin was crazy. His hair was going every direction and even Christoph, normally smiles and ready to tell a joke looked a little unhinged. She patted Edwin’s hand and told him that everything was going to be okay. Not too much later and a lot of yelling at Edwin that she was cutting off his offending appendage that got her into this trouble, a baby boy born. Corbin Christoph McRoy. 8lbs 5oz. He looked like his daddy and the broken girl who once had nobody was whole.