by D. K Lake
"He's...fine."
"How's his brother?" he says, knowing full well Ethan is dead.
I give him a look.
"Can you please get off the door?"
"He's lucky he died on impact. My brother wouldn't have been so quick to kill him."
"Mitchel, please."
"Say hi to Maverick for me, will ya?"
I nod my head and he steps away, and I slam the door shut. I start the truck and pull off as quickly as I can, glancing at Mitchel in the side mirror and see him watching me as I drive away. He's so creepy sometimes.
I can’t believe he just told me that if Ethan hadn't have died, his brother would have finished the job and made him suffer.
My hands are shaking as I turn the corner. I switch on the radio and try to forget about Mitchel, but I have this nagging feeling that he won't forget about this. What if he tells Rio about the pregnancy tests? I shake my head, trying not to think about it. It doesn't matter, this isn't his baby anyway, it's nothing to do with him.
That is if I'm even pregnant, but all the signs suggest that I am.
Shiiiiit.
Chapter 15
"Did you get my fanny cream?" is the first thing Em says to me and I haven't even closed the door yet.
"Yes, give me a minute."
"Fucking itches. I'm never using that brand again."
I place my tote bag on the desk as I slip off my boots and take off my fluffy sweater. Em gets off the bed and walks over to me.
"Em, just wait!" I urge, getting tangled in my sweater.
"I just want my cream,"
"Wait a minute!"
She rolls her eyes at me and reaches for my tote.
"Em, no. Stop!"
"Why? I just want my fanny cream." she sighs dramatically.
I try to grab the tote bag from her but I have one arm stuck in my sweater still.
"What is wrong with you?" Em moves away with my tote bag. "It's not like I want to read your precious diary."
"Don't!" I warn, but it's too late, she tips out my tote bag onto my bed and the pregnancy tests fall out along with her cream.
"Umm....what is this?" She holds up one of the boxes.
"I can explain." I detangle my arm and toss my sweater on the chair and hurry over to her.
"Are you pregnant?" she gapes.
"No." I snatch the box back.
She just stares at me with her mouth open.
"I mean, I don't know...I might be."
"Wh-why didn't you tell me? I would have come with you."
"Because…" I laugh it off. "I'm probably not."
"Well, how late is your period?"
"I dunno...a few…" I say vaguely.
"A few what?"
"Weeks." I admit.
"Paige!" She snatches the box back. "How did this happen?"
"I have no idea. I was on the pill, but I've read stress can mess with your period."
"Okay, but I thought things were good? What are you stressed about? I thought you were catching up with your coursework and you're back with Maverick, isn't that what you wanted?"
"No, it is, and I'm on top of my coursework and on track to pass."
"So what's bothering you to stress you out so much that your period vanishes for a few weeks?"
"Well, it might be something else,"
"Like what?"
"I had that ear infection, remember?"
"Yes, how could I forget? You lost your hearing and I had to shout at you for the whole week."
"Well, sometimes...antibiotics can mess up your pill."
"Did you not think to ask the doctor?"
"I didn't think it would be a problem, I wasn't having sex at the time."
"But that's the week you got back with Maverick,"
"I know," I sigh.
"And you slept with Boston that week." she reminds. "Did you use protection?"
Shit.
I hadn't even thought of that.
Em sees the expression on my face and takes that as a no.
"Okay. Let me get my head around this," She paces the room and I sit down on my bed. "If you are pregnant, then this baby could be Boston's?"
"I...I don't know. But it's unlikely. We only had sex once on that Friday night and then I was back with Maverick on Sunday, and I've only been with Mav since."
"You only had sex that one time before and you still got pregnant with Boston’s baby."
I drop my head into my hands.
"I don't know." I moan. "I can't have a baby, not now. Not with college and everything, and what if it isn't Maverick's?" I fret. "I hadn't even considered it could be Rio's baby."
"Okay, here's what we're going to do. What time does Maverick finish football?"
I look over at the clock.
"Um...he finishes in about ten minutes and then he usually showers after, so add another ten."
"So we have twenty minutes to find out if you are, and then destroy the evidence." She reaches around and grabs the other pregnancy test.
"And what if I am?"
"Let's just find out first, and then we'll figure it out after."
I let out a shaky breath and stand up.
"How did this happen to me?" I mumble.
"No, condom, remember?" she reminds.
"I was on the pill." I whine, grabbing my tote, and she shoves the boxes inside.
Em locks the room and we make our way to the bathroom. I'm glad she's here. She's usually never around, but today I need her and for once, she's here. She pushes me inside a bathroom stall and locks the door.
"Knickers down," she orders as she tears open one of the boxes.
"I don't know if I'm going to be able to pee with you standing in here."
"I'm just making sure you do it correctly, so we don't have to come back again." She opens the next box as I unbutton my skinnies and slide them down.
"Okay, so try and pee on both of them, otherwise we'll have to wait until you need to pee again."
"I don't even know if I need to pee."
I push my panties down and sit on the toilet.
"Hand them to me," I hold out my hand and she passes them to me, then I look up at her. "A little privacy, please?"
"Fine." She turns around and faces the door. "Don't drop them in the toilet."
"I won't."
I hold them under me and try to pee.
Nothing.
"I don't hear tinkling," Em sings.
"I can't go."
"Well, try. How do you not need to pee? You drank nearly a whole bottle of Fanta before you went into town."
"I don't know, it's like my bladder knows I need it to go and it's suddenly got stage fright."
"Think of waterfalls."
"Really?"
"I'm trying to help."
"What if I am?" I worry.
"Don't think about that. You just need to think about peeing right now, that's step one."
"Step two is to jump off a cliff," I mutter.
"Paige,"
"What if it's not Maverick's? What if he wants me to get rid of it? What if he wants to break up because of it? What if he gives me an ultimatum? What if-"
"Ohmigawd, stop. We don't even know if you are yet. Stop freaking out. Just breathe…and pee."
We're both quiet for a moment.
"Hey, you should try tickling your lower back, it usually helps me to go when I don't think I need to." some random girl says in the stall next to us.
"Who the fuck is that?" Em whispers, looking over her shoulder at me, and I try not to laugh, and surprisingly, I start peeing.
"Oh, oh, I hear peeing," Em says excitedly and claps her hands.
"Did it work?" the girl next to us asks.
"Uh...yeah," I say to get rid of her. "Here, take them." I hold the sticks out for Em and she carefully takes them as I pull my panties back up.
We wait for the girl in the stall next to us to flush and leave before we step out. Em places some tissue on the counter and lays the sticks o
n top and we wait.
"Is it changing?" I ask, trying to see.
"Stop peeking, we'll see in a minute. We still have thirty seconds left."
"Thirty seconds feels like a lifetime." I grumble and cross my arms.
The timer on Em's phone goes off and we both turn around.
"Shit." I blurt.
"Fuck." Em joins me.
"Do you think it's a mistake?"
"No, you did two tests. I don't think they'd both be wrong."
"Are you sure that's how many lines for a positive?"
"Yes, see. There's even a picture on the box," Em holds the sticks against the box and I can see the positive result.
The shower room starts to fill up for the evening shower rush, so Em quickly clears the pregnancy tests into the trashcan and we hurry out. We stand outside in the hallway not moving.
"Fuck." she says again.
"Can you please stop saying that?"
"Sorry, but now I'm freaking out for you."
"I can't believe this happened. My mom is never going to believe this was an accident, she's probably going to think I planned this."
Em pulls me away from the wall and we wander down the corridor.
"Why are you thinking about your mom right now?"
"Because she's going to find out and probably disown me."
"Paige, this is your body and you don't live under her roof anymore. You can do whatever you want, you just need to figure out what it is you need to do for yourself. Anyway, your mom should be the last person on your mind." Em crooks her head toward our dorm room.
Maverick has just got back from football. His hair is damp from the shower and he's wearing a jersey top and a pair of jogging bottoms, with his bag slung over his shoulder. He goes to unlock the door with his key but then spots us lingering around in the hallway.
"You should start by telling Maverick and see how he takes it."
"What if he doesn't want it?"
"Then you do what's right for you. I'm here for you no matter what you decide. There’s always the option of moving out of the dorms and us getting a place together. If you want this baby, I’ll help in any way I can. We’ll make it work. I promise. I love you," She pulls me in for a hug and squeezes me tightly.
“I love you too,” I say, wiping my eyes when she lets go.
"Hey," Maverick walks up behind us.
"Hi," I smile at him, but I think he knows something is wrong as my watery eyes are a telltale sign.
"Spencer is picking me up in twenty minutes, so I'll be out of your hair soon," Em tells us as we walk back inside the dorm room.
"Hey, you okay?" Maverick tugs on the back of my top to get my attention.
"Yup." I lie but he doesn't look convinced.
He takes a seat on my bed and gets comfortable, looking through his phone. I pretend to be busy on Em's laptop, checking my emails as she touches up her makeup. It's so awkward. Maverick keeps looking over at me trying to figure out what's wrong with me. I put on Em's Spotify playlist just to have some background noise. Em's phone beeps and she quickly grabs it.
"Spencer's here already," she tells me. "Are you going to be all right?"
"Uh-huh," I nod, not looking at her. I can’t look at her right now. I’m afraid I’ll burst into tears.
She hugs me goodbye from behind, and whispers in my ear, "You'll feel better if you tell him."
I know she's right. I'm just dreading it.
Chapter 16
I close the door behind Em and when I turn around, Maverick is sitting on the edge of the bed watching me.
"Is something wrong?" he asks.
"I um..." I edge closer but stay standing. "I need to tell you something,"
"Oookay. Should I be worried?"
I shake my head as in slow motion.
"You don't look very sure"
He leans forward and holds his hand out to me, and I let him pull me onto the bed next to him.
"Talk to me," He holds onto my hand. "You can tell me anything," he assures.
"I want to tell you...but I don't know if I can."
"Are you breaking up with me?" he asks, and his hand loosens around mine.
"What? No, that's not..." I let out a breath.
"Did something happen?"
"Kind of."
"Paige," He looks at me with concern lacing his eyes. I can tell he’s starting to panic, he’s just good at hiding it. "You're starting to worry me. You have been acting a little off all week. What's going on?"
"I think...I mean, I don't think, I know I am...um..."
Why is this so hard? Maverick loves me and he will love this baby too. But there's still this little voice in my head.
It might not be his baby.
Then what? What if he tells me to get rid of it if I tell him there might be a chance it is Rio's baby? We won't know anything for sure until I get a sonogram and they can give me an idea about when this happened. But what if it turns out I fell pregnant the same week I slept with both of them, then what?
"Paige," Maverick squeezes my hand. "It's okay, whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm not going anywhere."
"Do you promise?"
He thinks about it, a million unasked questions racing across his eyes as he worries what this is about. He probably thinks I've cheated on him.
"I promise," he finally says.
"Okay," I say slowly. "Do you remember that week we got back together…and I was taking antibiotics for my ear infection?"
"Yeah, I remember. You kept complaining that your ear felt like it was underwater." he says with a smile.
"Right. Well, the thing is-"
A knock at the door interrupts us.
"It's probably Em forgotten her key again." I sigh, hopping off the bed.
I go over to the desk to grab her key, where she usually drops it when she comes in, but it's not there.
Huh.
Another knock at the door.
Unsure if it's Em or not, I open the door with a frown.
Not Em.
"Wh-what...what are you doing here?" I stutter.
"Is it true?" is the first thing Dario asks.
He's wearing his worn leather jacket, dark jeans, and a hoodie underneath with the hood up.
"What?" I babble. "What...uh..." I forget how to speak.
"You're pregnant?" Dario blurts.
Shiiiiit.
Dammit, Mitchel.
Couldn't he have waited five minutes before he told Dario?
I feel Maverick behind me, but I can't move. I'm still staring at Dario like a dumbstruck idiot.
"Paige, what's going on?" Maverick gently touches my back.
"How far along are you? Do you know whose it is?" Dario ignores Maverick.
"What?!" Maverick says, hovering behind me. "Paige," He takes my elbow and tries to pull me back inside.
"I can't...I just...need a moment..." I say, pulling away.
The door is still open, and Dario is standing in the doorway with his eyes fixed on me.
"Paige, what's going on? Is this true, are you pregnant?" Maverick crowds me, I suddenly feel claustrophobic.
"I um...can I have some space," I try to sidestep around Maverick, but he keeps stepping in front of me every time. "Maverick, please. I just need some water or something."
"She said she needs some space, so give her some fucking space!" Dario growls, grabbing Maverick's arm and pulling him back.
"Get the fuck off me." Maverick snarls, shoving at Dario's chest.
Dario's eyes darken, fading from hazel-green to black as he takes a step closer to Maverick. I predict a fight is about to break out and quickly jump between them to diffuse it.
"Stop it." I beg. "Just stop, okay?"
I push at Dario's chest and he backs off.
"What the hell is going on? How do I not know about this before him?" Maverick stresses.
"It's not...that's not what happened. I only just found out myself five minutes before you got back from football practice
."
"How does he know already?" Maverick sticks his thumb in Dario's direction.
"I bumped into Mitchel at the pharmacy, he saw me buying a pregnancy test. I was just about to tell you…before we were interrupted," I eye Dario. "Why are you even here?"
"Why wouldn't I be here?"
"What makes you think this is yours?"
"Because we had unprotected sex. Or have you forgotten?"
Maverick frowns and rubs his forehead as though he doesn't want to think about Dario and me together.
Two girls walk past and peek into the dorm room and see the three of us arguing and they start giggling. Dario looks over his shoulder, glaring at them, and kicks the door shut.
"You took a test?" Maverick asks.
"Yes, I took two and they were both positive."
His eyes lower to my stomach for a moment. I turn my attention to Dario.
"You shouldn't have come here,"
"This baby might be mine-"
"Just stop. I don't even know how far along I am yet. I won't know until I see a doctor."
"You've already decided you're keeping it?" Dario asks.
"I-I don't know what I'm doing, but this isn't your problem. We only had sex that one time, the chances of it being yours are slim to none." I say and watch as Maverick retreats to the bed and sits down. "You need to leave." I reach for the door.
"No, we need to talk about this-"
"There's nothing to talk about. This is my baby. My body. I decide what happens. You are not a part of this."
"It could be my baby," Dario steps closer and towers over me.
"It isn’t, so could you please get the fuck out of here so I can talk to my boyfriend."
I tug the door open and hold it open for him to leave.
"We're not finished talking about this." he warns, and I push him out and slam the door.
I want to smack Mitchel for opening his mouth. I didn't need Dario to find out just yet. It only complicates everything. I fall back against the door and lift my eyes to find Maverick looking back at me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out that way."
"How long have you known? I mean…before you took a test?"
"A few days. Em mentioned buying tampons and it suddenly clicked I haven't had my period in a while."
"You're on the pill, though."
"Yes, but as I was trying to explain before he interrupted, I had that ear infection and I started taking antibiotics a few days before we got back together. I did some research and it turns out some antibiotics can mess up your pill. I didn't know. I didn't even think about it at the time. I wasn't expecting to get back with you...or to...you know?"