Status: a working progress...
Mistake
Chapter 4
“You have to tell Sharon, Hayley. I know that she knew there was a possibility, but she needs to know for sure, you know?”
I nodded slowly, laying my head on Damian’s shoulder. “I know.” My voice was barely above a whisper. After nearly an hour of crying, that was all I could muster.
“Do your parents know?”
“No….” I replied. “I couldn’t bear to tell them. I haven’t even told them about…” My throat tightened and my eyes filled with tears once again. “I-I couldn’t tell them Damian, I know I should have, but I just…”
“Ssssh, Darling, calm down, please. You need to calm down, and not just for yourself, but for your little one as well.” I felt Damian’s gentle hand come to rest on my still flat stomach. “We don’t want her stressed out before she’s born, now do we?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “She? And what if the baby’s a boy?”
Damian smiled. “He, then.” He began to rub my stomach slowly, his eyes becoming quite serious. “I don’t hate you, you know. I never have. And I…I’m so sorry I’ve treated you the
way that I have. There is no excuse for my actions.”
“Damian, it’s alright. I forgive you.” I whispered, placing my hand over Damian’s.
“Forgive him for what? Eating the last of the oreos, or drinking the last of the coffee this morning, perhaps? Yes, I suppose he deserves forgiveness.”
Damian and I both turned our attention toward the door, where Paul stood smirking at us.
Damian immediately removed his hand from my stomach and shoved it into his pocket.
“H-hello, Paul.”
“Hello, Damo. By the way, you do owe me a pack of oreos.” Paul moved toward the mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of water before taking a seat across from Damian and I. “So what are we up to?”
“I…I was just..we…” I stammered, not quite sure what to say. Should I tell Paul about my condition? What would he think of me? Would he believe me when I tell him how I came to be pregnant, or assume differently.
Damian glanced at me, discretely sliding his hand into mine and squeezing it gently. “We were just hanging out, Paul.”
The tenor raised a brow, glancing at Damian and then myself. “Please tell me the child isn’t yours, Damian.”
I widened my eyes. “Of course not! H-how did you know?”
Paul smiled. “Hayley, you’ve been losing your meals for nearly a month and a half, and well,
Damian’s hand on your stomach pretty much confirmed it, Love.”
I closed my eyes, squeezing Damian’s hand a bit tighter. I willed the tears to keep from falling, I couldn’t handle anymore tears that day. “Yes, Paul, I suppose it is obvious.”
“Hey, hey, your secret is safe with me, Hayley. I won’t tell a soul, cross my heart.”
I looked up at Paul, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Love. I wouldn’t say a word, you know that.” Paul took a sip of his water, before glancing down at his hands. He hesitated for a moment for raising his gaze to Damian and I. “Hayley, does the father know?”
I nodded slowly, laying my head on Damian’s shoulder. “I know.” My voice was barely above a whisper. After nearly an hour of crying, that was all I could muster.
“Do your parents know?”
“No….” I replied. “I couldn’t bear to tell them. I haven’t even told them about…” My throat tightened and my eyes filled with tears once again. “I-I couldn’t tell them Damian, I know I should have, but I just…”
“Ssssh, Darling, calm down, please. You need to calm down, and not just for yourself, but for your little one as well.” I felt Damian’s gentle hand come to rest on my still flat stomach. “We don’t want her stressed out before she’s born, now do we?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “She? And what if the baby’s a boy?”
Damian smiled. “He, then.” He began to rub my stomach slowly, his eyes becoming quite serious. “I don’t hate you, you know. I never have. And I…I’m so sorry I’ve treated you the
way that I have. There is no excuse for my actions.”
“Damian, it’s alright. I forgive you.” I whispered, placing my hand over Damian’s.
“Forgive him for what? Eating the last of the oreos, or drinking the last of the coffee this morning, perhaps? Yes, I suppose he deserves forgiveness.”
Damian and I both turned our attention toward the door, where Paul stood smirking at us.
Damian immediately removed his hand from my stomach and shoved it into his pocket.
“H-hello, Paul.”
“Hello, Damo. By the way, you do owe me a pack of oreos.” Paul moved toward the mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of water before taking a seat across from Damian and I. “So what are we up to?”
“I…I was just..we…” I stammered, not quite sure what to say. Should I tell Paul about my condition? What would he think of me? Would he believe me when I tell him how I came to be pregnant, or assume differently.
Damian glanced at me, discretely sliding his hand into mine and squeezing it gently. “We were just hanging out, Paul.”
The tenor raised a brow, glancing at Damian and then myself. “Please tell me the child isn’t yours, Damian.”
I widened my eyes. “Of course not! H-how did you know?”
Paul smiled. “Hayley, you’ve been losing your meals for nearly a month and a half, and well,
Damian’s hand on your stomach pretty much confirmed it, Love.”
I closed my eyes, squeezing Damian’s hand a bit tighter. I willed the tears to keep from falling, I couldn’t handle anymore tears that day. “Yes, Paul, I suppose it is obvious.”
“Hey, hey, your secret is safe with me, Hayley. I won’t tell a soul, cross my heart.”
I looked up at Paul, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Love. I wouldn’t say a word, you know that.” Paul took a sip of his water, before glancing down at his hands. He hesitated for a moment for raising his gaze to Damian and I. “Hayley, does the father know?”