by Naomi Niles
“Just be strong, son. I know this isn’t going to be easy.” She rubbed my arm in a comforting gesture, so I pulled her in for a hug. I wanted to cheer us both up, and this felt like the best way to do that. “Just remember that you’re a good person, and that there is nothing that he can do about that.”
Ah, so maybe she wasn’t quite as certain about Dad as she’d been before. There was a definite wobble in her voice, which showed that deep down she knew exactly what he was like.
I knew it!
“Thanks, Mom, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I paused for a moment, before making a joke to lighten the mood. “Except the wedding–that part’s going to suck.”
“I know,” she giggled. “Rather you than me. I can’t imagine anything worse.”
I couldn’t help but wonder what she really thought about that. Mom and Dad had never been married, which must have been weird for her. In a way, it was as if he loved this new woman more than her. I hated to think that, and I wondered how much it hurt her.
Luckily, she didn’t look too upset.
“Okay, well I better get ready to go in a minute,” I pulled away and smiled at her. “It’s a horrible drive and I’d rather get it done before it gets dark.”
“All right, Rhett. I love you, son.”
“Love you, too,” I said, then I grabbed my bag and I slung it over my shoulder. I needed some kind of distraction to stop the unexpected tears from falling down my face. I wasn’t sure why I was getting so emotional, except for the fact that it felt like the weird end of an era.
Or maybe the start of a new one.
There was certainly a weird set of emotions coursing through my veins as I stepped into the car, and as I pulled away and waved goodbye to the only life that I’ve ever really known. There was anticipation, a little bit of fear, and a whole load of anger.
All I knew for sure was that I wouldn’t be returning as the same person.
Chapter 13
Danica
“Are you okay, Danica?” Mom asked me as I stirred my bowl of cereal around and around again.
“Mhmm?” I glanced up in a daze, suddenly remembering where I was. I’d been sitting like a zombie for God knows how long, and it was a bit of a shock to be brought back into reality with a bump. “Oh yeah…yeah, sure, I’m fine.”
I was lying terribly, and I felt awful for that, but there was no way in hell that I could tell her the truth. Not ever–and especially not with it being so close to her wedding day.
I was late. Three days late. And that scared the living shit out of me.
Normally my cycle was so regular that I could set my watch to it, so the fact that I was late was absolutely petrifying. It meant something and I couldn’t think of anything else. My brain was desperately trying to come up with possible reasons for this–stress, wedding planning, change of routine–but I knew the truth. I just didn’t want to accept it. I wasn’t ready just yet.
In the heat of the moment, neither I nor Rhett even considered contraception and now I was having to pay the price for that. A lifetime of payment for a short time of fun. However amazing that was, I wasn’t sure that it was worth all of this worry that I was now experiencing.
The worst thing was that I’d practically blown Rhett off by not communicating with him for a very long time, so there was no way that I could go back to him now. Not with this information; it was too much. I was well and truly on my own with this one.
“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Mum sat beside me and grabbed my hand tentatively. “You don’t look okay.”
The knot that had been sitting firmly in my stomach for days screwed itself up even tighter. As I looked up into her eyes, feeling mine shine with tears, I wondered if it would just be a good idea to wait until the wedding was over before I did anything rash. Who knew? Maybe my period would show up before that and put an end to all of this.
But if you’re pregnant, you’re pregnant. No amount of waiting is going to change that.
“I’m fine, Mom.” I nodded seriously, acting like I was telling the truth. “I just have this horrible headache, and we’re out of aspirin.” I slid my chair backwards, ready to make my escape before she went to check the medicine cabinet to prove me wrong. “I think it’s all the stress. I’ll pop down now and pick something up. Do you want anything while I’m out?”
“No, I don’t think so.” She still had that concerned look on her face which made me uneasy. “You take it easy today; I don’t want you getting ill before the wedding.”
I let out a small sigh of relief, a day off from all the stress sounded absolutely amazing–whatever the result of the test that I was absolutely going to have to buy. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll see you in a bit.”
As the cool fresh air hit my face, I felt my pulse rate kick up a notch. I gasped in some deep breaths, hoping that I might just calm down, but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen any time soon. The closer I got to purchasing the pregnancy test and finding out the truth, the more worried I became.
I tried to picture myself with a baby, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t know how to even begin imagining myself holding a child, being a single mom. Where would I even begin? I was in no place in my life to have a child–I had no home of my own, no job, and I was still in college, for crying out loud! I’d spent the last few years studying towards becoming a lawyer–to follow in my mom’s footsteps–and that was what I’d always thought I wanted. Sure, as soon as I’d started the course, my desire for that life started to wane, but I’d begun then and it was too late to change. I hadn’t ever considered having a different life, and that terrified me.
Now all of my futures were beginning to fade away as an empty black hole of God knows what took its place. The not knowing was almost worse than anything else.
I stepped into the pharmacy and grabbed a pack of aspirin, a pregnancy test, and some protein bars–just to fill up my basket. I knew that being discrete was pointless, but I wanted to try all the same.
“Thank you,” the man behind the counter grumbled as he scanned my items. I felt my face heat up as he got to the test, but he didn’t even blink an eye. He was obviously used to distressed-looking women coming in here and purchasing other random crap to disguise the one thing that they really needed.
Despite knowing all of that, I couldn’t meet his eye. Not even when I paid. I simply gave him the cash, grabbed the bag, and raced back out into the cold air. Then with the test between my fingers, I practically ran home, needing to be away from all the prying eyes that I was now convinced were looking at me.
Just do it, I tried to tell myself. Do the test as soon as you get in, don’t give yourself the time to talk yourself out of it.
And, I was absolutely determined to do so. I had myself worked up so much that I fully intended to rush into the bathroom to get it done before anything else could get in the way, but unfortunately, there was no chance of that happening. The house was absolutely full! Filled with people that were discussing the upcoming nuptials. So much for me having some time to myself.
“Danica,” Victoria, the wedding planner, called above the crowd. “Come here; I’ve got these new plans to show you.”
It took all that I had not to roll my eyes at her words. What the hell did she mean more plans? Were we not done by now? Wasn’t it far too late for making any changes?
“Yeah, sure, just give me a sec.” I needed to get this bag out of sight before anyone caught wind of it. “I just need to put all of this away.”
I ran up the stairs and panted breathlessly by the side of the bath for a few seconds. Did I have time to do the test now? Before I had to face anyone? But then I tried to imagine acting normal, knowing the truth, and I realized that I was going to have to wait until I was fully alone.
Tonight, I told myself. No excuses, I’ll do it tonight.
***
I didn’t manage to get into bed until about two in the morning, so I hadn’t even had the opportunity to even consider taking the test. It wasn’t an excuse; it j
ust hadn’t been possible.
That didn’t mean that the worry had gone anywhere, though, it was still burning embers through my body, and in the end, it infiltrated my dreams so much that I sat bolt upright in my bed at about six a.m., desperate to find out the truth once and for all.
At first I listened intently, trying to figure out if I was the only one awake. It was difficult to tell the truth because my heart was hammering so heavily against my chest, but after a while, as soon as it calmed, a heavy silence rang out.
It was time. It was now or never.
I crept towards the bathroom, my entire body trembling with what was about to come. This moment could be life changing, and I still had no idea what the hell I was going to do about it. I still hadn’t managed to wrap my head around it yet, and I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be able to.
It might be okay, I tried–and failed–to convince myself. It might be nothing. But deep down, I knew what was going on with me.
As I sat on the toilet, feeling more alone than ever, I read and re-read the pregnancy test instructions until I was sure that I knew what I was doing. This wasn’t a position that I’d ever found myself in before, so it was a little overwhelming to say the least.
“Right,” I whispered, trying to ignore the wobble in my voice. “Let’s just do this.”
I did the dreaded pee on the stick and then I waited impatiently for the outcome.
Tick, tick, tick.
I forced myself to stand up and pace the room while I waited for the longest, most torturous three minutes of my life to pass. This was absolutely agonizing, and I couldn’t stop terrible predictions of my future to flick in front of my eyes.
Me, with a screaming baby.
Me, all alone.
Me, with absolutely nothing.
My heart was pounding, and I felt like I wanted to die. Then I decided that it was time. It had to be, that absolutely had to be three minutes. So I grabbed the stick and I found myself faced with the very familiar, blue cross. That could only mean one thing.
Positive.
The test was positive: I was pregnant.
The bile that had been swimming around in stomach came to the surface, and I was forced to hang my head over the toilet while I vomited like crazy.
“Oh, God,” I groaned to myself as the true reality of my situation faced me.
This can’t be. I’m pregnant!
What the hell was I going to do next? How the hell was I going to tell my mom? Especially after that long heart to heart that we had in the bridal shop. And, I couldn’t even think about Rhett’s face; it was just a joke.
I slumped my body back down on the cold bathroom floor, my mind whirring with all kinds of possibilities. I didn’t know how long I was down there, just pondering my mental situation, but after a while I began to hear other people stirring and I knew that it was time to move. I disposed of the test quickly in the garbage and raced back into my bedroom, where I intended to lie down for a little while longer.
But there was no hope of me getting back to sleep, not now. Instead I simply lay there and allowed the tears to free fall down my cheeks. I was in a right old mess, and I had no idea how I was going to even begin solving this. What could I even do?
By the time I decided to actually get out of bed and face the world, I’d made my choice about what I was going to do, or not do more to the point. I wasn’t going to tell anyone until the wedding was over–after all, no one needed that stress on top of everything else. I was just going to keep it to myself, and hope that the few days would allow my head to clear, letting me tackle it in a much calmer and more rational way.
I would just have to put it to the back of my mind for now and focus on the immediate. All I needed to do for now was get through this wedding without totally losing my shit. I would have to put on a brave face and put everyone else’s needs before my own. This wouldn’t last forever. I would only have to do this for a few more days.
It would be fine.
I just hoped to God that I have the strength to get through it.
Chapter 14
Rhett
As my car pulled up outside my father’s home and I saw the damn mansion that he was living in, I felt a sense of aggravation and foreboding fill me up. I couldn’t help feeling like I really should be here, like I’d made a mistake.
I found myself cursing my mom for making me come here all over again. Why had I allowed myself to listen to her manipulation? When I thought back on my own tiny home, and the meagre existence that I’d been forced to grow up in, I couldn’t help but get angry.
Again, I was consumed by the sense that none of this was fair.
I sat in my car for a few moments, trying to pull myself together, before taking the plunge and going inside. I’d already told Dad the rough time that I would be arriving, and I didn’t want him to come out to meet me.
I wanted all of this to be on my terms, as much as was humanly possible. Brad Fronton was one of those commanding men that demanded attention and to be obeyed, and I wanted him to see that I was no longer one of those people that he could manipulate.
I just needed to get through this without killing that dickhead. I had my mission in mind, and as long as I kept that at the forefront of my mind, everything would be okay. I could bypass everything else, if I knew exactly what I was here for.
Just prove that he’s a douche bag, I reassured myself. Just get the evidence you need to support your feelings and all of this will be over forever.
I stepped out of the car into the cool breeze and made my way over to the front door. I debated whether or not I should knock, before just walking inside. This was my family’s home–I shouldn’t have to knock! Plus, I didn’t want to start this weekend off by being polite; I certainly had no intention of making any of this any easier for anyone, and I figured that I should start the way that I meant to go on.
Sure, it may have been a little petty and childish to have that attitude, but after everything that my dad had put me through, I didn’t know how else I could behave.
I stalked through the hallway, putting on as very confident front, when inside I was a mess. Anger was combining with anxiety in a very unpleasant way, and that was extremely difficult to keep off my face. I had to straighten my features more than once and keep reminding myself to keep them that way.
“Rhett!” I heard my dad yell out in a tone that I’d never heard fall from his lips before. It was as if he was actually pleased to see me. It even sounded less fake than all the other times he’d dipped in and out of my life with all of his false promises. He walked into the hallway as if he commanded the place–which I supposed he did.
“You’re here!” He stepped towards me as if he was going to wrap me in for a hug, but then he pulled back at the last moment as if he’d thought better of it. “How was the journey?”
“Fine,” I muttered, sounding a little like a sullen teenager. “Traffic wasn’t too bad.”
“Oh good, good.” The smile on his face was unnerving me. It felt like it had been there a little too long for my liking. “Well, we certainly have a lot to catch up on, and I’m sure that you have a lot of questions for me regarding the wedding.”
I didn’t like to announce that none of my questions were particularly wedding-related this early on, so I simply nodded sharply instead.
“Now, I think it’s time for you to meet Lyla and Danica, don’t you?” He smiled at me as he pushed the door to the front room open. I was in such a daze that I hadn't even paid any attention to his words; I just wanted this part over and done with as quickly. Meeting the bimbo who thought my dad was a good catch and the kid she had trailing at her feet was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do.
But it was all a part of it; I didn’t have any choice.
“Hello,” a warm, welcoming voice called out to me as a woman turned the corner. I was shocked to see that she was the complete opposite to what I was actually expecting.
She appeared to be i
n her early forties, around the same age as Dad, and looked like an independent, professional woman. She was about as far away from the needy airhead that I’d assumed she was as possible. She had brown hair tied up in a complicated chignon, which wouldn’t have looked out of place in a courtroom, and green, sparkling eyes that were full of life. She was a beautiful woman, much too good for my dad, at any rate. I supposed Brad was a handsome man, so I could see what she saw in him, but it was his insides that were ugly and rotten.
As she shook my hand, it hit me that this was one of the good ones, and I became concerned about my dad’s intentions. I didn’t want Lyla to get hurt in the same way that everyone else who crossed the path of damn Brad Fronton did. She didn’t seem like she deserved it at all.
A sickness swirled around inside of me as I realized that I was somehow a part of my dad’s game. He never seemed to do anything without an end goal, and it suddenly felt like his insistence that I be here made me just another pawn on his never ending chess board.
“H-hi …” I stammered, sounding a little like an idiot.
If Lyla suspected something about my odd behaviour, she certainly didn’t let it show. She breezed over it as if she was totally practiced at dealing with strange behaviour. “I’ll just go and get my daughter to come down the stairs; I know that she’s been dying to meet you.”
I could tell that she was lying by the tone in her voice. The kid probably had no idea who the hell I was. As Lyla left to go and get her child, my dad turned to face me once more.
Here it comes, I thought to myself. The moment where he warns me to behave or somehow reveals his true intentions to me.
A part of me wanted that to happen, so I would know where I stood. All of this acting like a different person was much too weird for me to even begin to wrap my head around. No matter what he did, I wouldn’t be able to trust him–I would always suspect that he was up to something, and I wasn’t sure he could ever change that.
But he did none of those things. Instead, he acted like a decent human being.