by Cami York
He was sure of one thing and one thing only, that no matter what, he was going to prove to her that he was different, that she was too. He’d only heard the news a few minutes ago but already he couldn’t imagine a child of his in this world without him there to love and protect.
Once they got home he led her upstairs, still dazed and not quite steady on her feet. “Do you want me to get you some water or something to drink baby?” She shook her head no and headed into the bedroom to crawl into bed and lay in the fetal position.
Her mind was finally working but all that was there was white noise. She couldn’t hold a thought to save her life. At least one good thing came out of the day, her mother hadn’t had enough time to make a total mess of things; small consolation that.
Chase followed her into the bedroom and kicked off his shoes before tackling hers. “Baby, let’s talk about this. It’s not good for you to bottle stuff up inside.” He was going to say it wasn’t good for their baby, but held his tongue; too soon.
She finally rolled over and stared up at the ceiling with a look on her face that he could not easily recognize. “I’m just like my mother after all.” She went on to tell him about her mother and her life after becoming a teenage mom. How it had made her into the person he’d met today.
In her fear she forgot to curb her tongue, to watch what she said, so the told him everything. Every dark occurrence she could remember from her childhood until now. It was like pulling the scab off of a wound.
Chase listened without interruption, letting her get it all out, until she wound down. And then... “You’re forgetting one thing sweetheart.” He squeezed the hand he’d been holding while she spoke.
“What’s that?” She looked at him through solemn eyes. Eyes that tore at his heart like sharp shards of broken glass. Eyes that he hoped to never see looking that lifeless, that hopeless again.
‘This is my child too, so none of that is going to happen. Marry me.”
Chase hadn’t planned to propose to her this way. He’d wanted to give her flowery words and promises of forever. But he couldn’t think of a better time to ask her to marry him than now, now when she was convinced that he was going to leave her to face this alone.
Annabelle was astounded by the proposal and as much as she liked hearing those words, the thought that he was only saying them now because she was pregnant left a bitter taste in her mouth. Something she was very familiar with.
So, as much as it pained her to, and as much as the fear almost choked her, she felt she had to refuse. In her mind she knew it wouldn’t work, that a relationship based on marriage because of accidental pregnancy wouldn’t last; did they ever?
She’d already forgotten the last few weeks and the life they’d started to build together. The mornings she’d awakened with a new outlook on life because of him and what he’d done or was doing for her, with her. And his reassurance that the child was as much his as it was hers had gone right over her head. After all, her mother had always reminded her, mother’s baby father’s maybe.
That was Ms. Scacci’s way of reminding her only daughter that a woman can never deny giving birth to a child since she’s the one who has to carry it; but the man can always deny that it’s his whether it is or not and be given the benefit of the doubt.
And since her mind had gone to that dark place again, a place she couldn’t have imagined revisiting when the day started out so beautifully, she was more inclined to agree with those words at this moment.
“You don’t have to say that just because I’m pregnant. I don’t want to screw up the rest of your life too.” Chase didn’t answer her, he just got down off the bed and walked across the room and she started to panic; already regretting her hasty words. “Where are you going?”
“I want to show you something.” Chase opened one of the drawers in his chest of drawers and removed the black jewelry box he’d hidden away there since her birthday, before going back to her.
Getting back on the bed beside her, he flipped the top of he box open and as her eyes fell on the humongous diamond her heart almost stopped. She looked at him speechless as words failed her.
“You see this?” He removed the ring from its silk cushion bed and reached for her hand. “I bought this on your birthday, because I knew even then that this day would come. Because I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He slid the ring onto her finger as they both looked on. It was a perfect fit just like he knew it would be, and he’d guessed her ring size by just looking at her hand. “Look at me!” He kept her hand in his as he looked into her eyes.
“I’d planned to wait at least six months before asking you to marry me. Only because I knew you needed time to adjust. But now with our child on the way I think I’m gonna have to move that up a bit.”
“The only thing that’s different is the timing baby. I can’t give you a long engagement, or time to plan a big wedding, but never doubt that I’m marrying you for you.” Chase held her precious head in his free hand as he looked down into her tear filled eyes.
“And by the way, you’re not the only product of a teenage pregnancy; my mother had me when she was your age give or take a few months.”
Her mouth fell open in surprise, tears all but forgotten. “No she didn’t…really?” She looked askance at his nod. “No wonder she looks so young. But…” Annabelle was going to need time to process this new information.
“Yes, and she and dad were worst off then than we are now. He was still in med school when she came up pregnant and though both their families had some sort of wealth, mom’s family was considered beneath dad’s back then.”
“Grandpa was none too pleased I can tell you, neither of them in fact. I think dad was slated to marry some other young lady that his parents had picked out for him; someone of better breeding I think it was.”
“And once word of the pregnancy got out, they were both threatened with disownment by their families. But dad stuck by mom and she held onto him, and look at them now. They’ve been married ever since, and I can tell you I’ve never met two happier people in my life; except us.”
Annabelle’s head was about to float off of her shoulders with all this new information. It was certainly something to think about. But Chase didn’t give her much time to ponder.
The thought of his child even now being inside her was too much and he had her stripped naked and spread out beneath him in ten seconds flat. It’s going to be a long nine months.
28
For the next two days Annabelle vacillated between happiness and fear, and each time Chase was right there to pick her up. Whenever he saw that look on her face he’d take her down and make love to her until she was back in her right mind again. It was his answer for everything.
“Are you up to going to the picnic tonight? Or should we beg off?” She’d forgotten all about the picnic he had planned with his siblings. Something they did every year, the three of them and their friends. This year it was just going to be the three couples though, since everyone else had something else going on.
“I feel fine.” In fact, after she’d fainted she hadn’t felt any signs of pregnancy. His dad had given them the number to a female doctor who she was going to meet later in the week so she could get started on prenatal care. Something else she was sure her mother had missed out on while carrying her.
“As long as you’re sure, if that changes I want you to tell me right away.” It was cold, but not too cold to enjoy a night outdoors if she dressed warm and she was actually looking forward to it. She hadn’t seen Kimmy since Thanksgiving and she needed to have some one on one time with her friend.
They’d talked on the phone sure, and Mrs. Worthington had called to check up on her as promised, but both times Chase had been right there and she hadn’t been able to really ‘talk’ to her friend.
Chase bundled her up like an Eskimo when it was time to leave and no matter how much she complained that it was too much he wouldn’t budge. She tea
sed him that they lived in the Southeast and not the Arctic; meanwhile he wore just a sweater and jeans.
They met up with the others outside the park and Annabelle and Chase, with Kimmy and Colin, went off together to the little coffee shop where they were meeting Em and Justine.
There was a loud uproar over her ring from the girls. Everyone oohed and aahed proclaiming it a winner, which went a long way to making Annabelle feel better about the whole thing.
No one made mention of the fact that they were getting married because of the baby, which Kimmy whispered to her later she knew for a fact wasn’t true because she knew the second her brother fell for her.
As they drank roasted marshmallow hot chocolate with a shot of espresso, (no espresso for her per Chase’s orders) Em, who was a big football nerd according to his big brother, regaled them with stories from his last season.
Then Chase and he got into a great big discussion about the NFL and who was going to win this year, and Annabelle just sat quietly listening to the byplay between the two. She’d never seen Chase so animated, it was another side of him that she quite liked.
When they were warm enough again and the food that they’d ordered was ready, Chase and Annabelle strolled hand in hand back to the waiting carriage that had been ordered ahead of time, and waited for the others to catch up.
Kimmy had a hamper full of the food she’d bought from the shop with thermoses of hot chocolate for everyone. It looked like she’d bought out half the store.
Annabelle thought to herself that she had seen the prices of those things on display and marveled again at the ease with which her friend and now her fiancé spent money on stuff like that. Not that it bothered her, it’s not like they were showoffs, not like Lisa and her ilk. But it still just always threw her that people actually lived like this. So nonchalant about dropping what had to be a few hundred dollars on food for a picnic for six people.
“Kimmy what did you get?” Emory took the hamper from her hands as soon as they were all seated. “Meat-pies, sausages, ham, potato salad, egg salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, BLTs, veal cutlets in some kind of sauce, fried chicken, cheese, fruit, raspberry-tarts, apple fritters, you know, the usual!” Annabelle’s head was already spinning while the others laughed.
Once they reached the picnic area, which was right off the golf course of the local country club. A nice little spot surrounded by holly trees in bloom, their red berries standing out against the stark bareness of the branches around them, they spread the many blankets and devoured the food, the cold air having turned them into starving wolves.
The men ate and drank to their hearts’ content while Annabelle and the other girls picked daintily at their sandwiches. The women were the de facto designated drivers since they were all still underage.
She happened to look up just as Chase reached over to brush something from her hair and almost fell over in surprise. Coming towards them looking like the cat that ate the canary was Lisa. But that’s not what had Annabelle about to lose her lunch. By her side was none other than Tim.
She felt Chase tense beside her and wondered which of the duo was the cause. She still didn’t know that Chase had ran into him that day outside her house because he hadn’t mentioned it. Now her mind all but fractured as she tried to imagine what game Lisa was playing now.
“Lisa, what are you doing here?” Kimmy took the lead and either Lisa was too dense to notice or she just didn’t care about the nasty tone in which the question was asked.
“I remembered that you guys usually hung out here on this night every year and since Timmy and I were in the area…”
“Come on Tim, have a seat!” She grinned knowingly at Annabelle as she said this while taking a seat on the edge of the blanket at Chase’s feet. Everyone else seemed to have decided to ignore the newcomers and carried on with their conversations, while Annabelle felt sweat start to gather under her arms. She didn’t know how those two knew each other, but she knew nothing good was going to come of it.
Chase too knew that this was not good, that Lisa was up to something. No way would he believe that this was a coincidence. But he was waiting for her to make her play so he could shoot her down once and for all.
He’d long been tired of her and her antics, but didn’t value her enough as a human being to even acknowledge her in any way. But now it seemed like she was coming after his Belle again and that’s something he just won’t allow.
Lisa made small talk, never mentioning the fact that Timmy knew Annabelle, but that Cheshire cat grin never left her face and almost every sentence from her mouth was dripping with innuendo.
Not long after they showed up Em proclaimed that he needed to walk off his meal and pretty soon the gathering started to break up, with the couples paired off, each ready to go their own way into the surrounding woods before meeting back up again.
Chase had been looking forward to walking with his girl in the moonlight. It had been a while since their summer picnics in the park and he knew how much she loved the outdoors and the night sky.
Emory and Justine strolled off to find a secluded spot in the trees, to be alone after the longing looks they’d been giving each other all evening. But Kimmy made Colin stay back; no way was she leaving Annabelle here alone to fight this twit.
Tim had been waiting for this moment ever since that Lisa girl called him up. He still didn’t know how she got his number but he was grateful all the same. If not for that call he would never have known how his Annabelle really felt about him.
He’d been walking on air all day, just waiting for this moment to come. He’d already sized up this Chase guy and though the guy was built, he was convinced he could take him if he had to. Even if he had to fight dirty. For Annabelle he’d do anything.
But he noticed there was something off from the moment he arrived. That guy, Chase, the one he’d seen outside her door, seemed to have ahold of her the whole time, and she wasn’t complaining. But then again Lisa had convinced him that Annabelle was afraid of the guy.
That’s why he’d come here today, to put a stop to it. To let everyone know that Annabelle was his and it didn’t matter that this Chase person had more money than him, he was the right man for her. They’d grown up together after all, they were the same kind of people.
Ever since that phone call he’s been weaving dreams in his head. He had pictured the two of them walking away together, leaving that hotshot in their dust.
He’d imagined having his arms round his Annabelle's waist, as her head rested affectionately on his shoulder, the way she’d look at him with gratitude as she finally realized and accepted that he was the one she wanted. So why wasn’t she even looking in his direction?
Annabelle, could see the way Tim kept staring at her and was doing her best to ignore him. Chase hadn’t said anything yet but she was sure he hadn’t missed the fact that the idiot kept ogling her.
“Chase, I feel sick.” She turned her face to the side and whispered. Without another word he stood up and lifted her in his arms and carried her into the trees. Chase held her hair back while she threw up what little she’d eaten before lifting her in his arms once again and taking her back to the blanket.
He gave her a bottle of water to wash her mouth out and the conversation around them carried on. Her stomach was fighting to stay settled but she knew it was just nerves, she had nothing left to throw up.
She was a bit surprised that Lisa hadn’t let the cat out of the bag. She was sure the other girl had brought him here to cause trouble, so why was she being so quiet?
She’d had the thought too soon because no sooner had she had it than Lisa, with a sticky sweet smile turned to her and said, “Hey Annabelle, aren’t Tim and you old friends?”
Annabelle felt her tummy start to cramp up again and it was only the squeeze of Chase’s fingers around her waist that stopped her from going in to full blown panic.
“So that’s where I know you from, I thought you looked familiar. You were outside Ann
abelle’s house the day I went to help her move in with me.”
Annabelle, very grateful for Chase’s intervention and not quite sure if he was telling the truth saw the embarrassment on Lisa’s face. “Yes, Tim and I grew up together in the same neighborhood” She made their acquaintance sound as distant as it truly was.
“By the way,” Chase spoke up once again, “my baby told me how you came to her rescue when the neighborhood bullies were messing with her, thanks for that.”
“Oh really, Annabelle you know him? Lisa how did you two meet. I didn’t think you ever went anywhere near that part of the city.” Kimmy is a real shit starter. But as smart as she is, it hadn’t taken her long to figure out what was going on.
Just then Chase, whether accidentally or by design, lifted Annabelle’s hand to his lips, the hand with his ring. Lisa’s eyes fell on the gem and her face froze.
It only got worst when Chase put his hand on Annabelle’s tummy in the universal sign for pregnancy and she read it for what it was. Chase wasn’t even paying her any attention as he leaned in to whisper in Belle’s ear.
“Feeling better baby?” She nodded her head, surprised that it was true. Now that the worst had passed she no longer felt like spewing up her guts.
Lisa’s brain turned off for a few seconds and there was a buzzing in her ear as her eyes remained glued to the ring on the other girl’s hand. Her eyes moved up and fell on the sight of Chase nuzzling Annabelle as he whispered something in her ear.
Chase, after making sure that his Belle was fine, proposed that they too should go for a walk together in the forest. Annabelle agreed right away and with pleasure, more than ready to get away from those two. But Tim was looking very disappointed.
He was getting the feeling that he’d been set up but he didn’t have the balls to say anything, as he glared at the arm Chase had around Annabelle. Chase who hadn’t missed a thing smiled at him which only put Tim’s back up.