There's Always a Catch

“You ready?” Carlisle asked me, I nodded somewhat bravely but I was cowardly gripping to Paul’s hand, who didn’t wince once.

The gel was put on my stomach again, and the scanner was rolled over and within seconds, my baby came to live on the screen. The heartbeat trembled in the air. I could feel my breathing getting shallower as I swallowed back tears. Paul was looking at the screen at awe, as a real baby shape was blurred on to it.

“Would you like to know the sex?” Carlisle asks me, this had been the first time has asked me this. Paul stared at me, almost eager to know.

“Not yet” I whisper and Paul looked disappointed.
“Fair enough, shall we print some pictures?” he asks and I nod, wiping my eyes again. Soon, the pictures are done and some more tests are done for next time I come, I have to come more regularly as I’m younger and more at risk for things, unfortunately. Paul and I walked out the hospital and Paul had his arm around my shoulders, carrying my stuff.

“Want to go out for lunch?” Paul asks me, I nod happily and we get in his car and drive to Port Angeles. We found some Italian restaurant. We were seated fairly quickly and Paul and I ordered too. The waiter stared at me a bit too much, and my stomach and Paul started getting annoyed, for unknown reasons.
“What’s wrong with you?” I finally ask, sipping my water generously.
“That guy, he should have respect. He’s staring at you like your some piece of meat. You’re a human being Casey not a possession” Paul says it so firmly, so passionately I was even more confused.
When the waiter came back with our first orders, I was grateful he didn’t spend too long because I was afraid Paul might deck him. We ate quietly, talking now and again.

It had been two months since I cam to Washington, away from California, I can honestly say there isn’t much I miss. Maybe the weather slightly, but nobody was there that I truly missed. Not even him.

Paul and I had become extremely close, too close for safety I think. I was close to falling for him and I knew I shouldn’t be.

“So Casey, I was wondering if this weekend you wanted to come to the bonfire over at La Push?” Paul asks me casually.

“As a date?” I tease, before I even realized I said it.
Paul blushed slightly. “Maybe, whatever you want” and I breathed in deeply and replied an answer I didn’t think I’d say.

“Sure. I’ll dress nice” I say confidently.
“You always look nice, you’re beautiful babe” Paul murmurs and I feel myself blush. Then, a tall, glamorous blonde walked past, failing to get Paul’s attention. I watched her walk past with an extremely short skirt on. I watched Paul’s reaction, waiting for his male hormones to look away from me…to stop looking at me so intently.

Paul didn’t. He looked at me with a dazed expression. The girl looked furious and I couldn’t help feel smug.
Even 20 weeks pregnant, vomiting, mood swings and eating so much food and I still had it, I could still charm a guy as gorgeous as Paul. I only wanted Paul to charm anyways but still, I could still have a boy’s attention.

And that pleased me.
Maybe, the father of my child didn’t ruin my life. Just Maybe.

---

That evening Paul and I hung out, we went to the beach, helped out with Emily’s feast then he dropped me off home as Sam needed him for some chores. I didn’t question I never did. That night, the phone rang but by the time I got to it. It hung up.

How strange.
---

“YOU’RE SUCH AN ASSHOLE!” I screamed, tears running down my face, shoving him. He glared at me, venom in his eyes. He grabbed me. Hard.
He grabbed me and shook me, anger streaming through him. “DON’T EVER PUSH ME! YOU NOTHING GOOD WHORE!” He hollers in my face, I trembled with fear as his hands sunk into my sink, leaving purple bruises there.

“Don’t leave me!” I whisper pathetically, grabbing on to him.
“You’re a lying bitch, trapping me inside. You just don’t want me to be happy. You want me to suffer just like you. Well I’m not doing it Casey. I want a life and I don’t want you and your pathetic excuses and lies in it anymore!” he bellowed, he screamed, he hissed. He was so hurtful, so angry.

It wasn’t my fault, it wasn’t just me. It was him too. I didn’t want this either yet he acting as if I wanted this, as if I wanted this baby.
“I’m not lying! I took five tests! The doctor even said so!” I sobbed. He threw me back, I slammed against the wall and I my head smacked against it. I see black dots but they soon cleared.

“I don’t care! I don’t want a kid!” he yells furiously, glaring at me, his fists clenched. He’s never hit me, ever.

But he did that night. He smacked me right across the face and it left a huge swollen bruise the following day. It hurt so much, yet he didn’t care as he continued to cuss and shout at me.

“GET OUT OF MY LIFE CASEY. TAKE YOU AND THAT THING OUT.” he screams and I scrambled up fearfully that he might do more damage.

“I. Hate. You” I spit, blood trickling down my lip.
“The feeling’s mutual. Now leave bitch” he hisses, and I knew that day I lost him for good, the boy I loved was gone forever and no one was bringing him back.

I only had my baby, not his. It was just mine, he didn’t deserve to be part-owner of my baby, he didn’t deserve to even think it.

I awoke in the middle of the night, tears stained on my cheeks and feeling incredibly cold. That had happened, 5 months and 7 days ago, that night happened. He rejected me. He kicked me out for good.

That night, my life changed.
All thanks to him.