Status: Haitus
What Do You Want From Me?
05
Chapter 5
“How are we doing Delaney?” Doctor Carter asked her as she shrugged with a small smile.
“Same old, same old. Just doing the routine physical for my insurance. Gotta keep that discount, even if that means coming here and wasting both of our time.” She said with a laugh, causing Doctor Carter to chuckle as well.
“Well how have you been feeling lately. Anything new?”
“Mostly fine. I’ve been feeling a bit off though. I’m not sure how to explain it. But I’m sure it’s nothing.” She responded with a shrug.
“Well, we will do the blood work like normal and check to see if anything weird comes up just to be safe.”
“Sounds good. I’m just hoping that you’ll tell me I’m ok to travel in a two weeks. I’m gonna take Jack up on his offer to visit them on tour. Use some of my vacation time.” Delaney said happily.
Jack had been hounding her incessantly about coming to visit them while on tour. He knew that Delaney had unused vacation, and he also knew that she could do some work remotely, so he had been pestering her every chance he got for her to come out and visit them.
“I’m sure it will be fine. But the blood work will be back in a few days so we’ll know for sure in a few days if anything needs to be addressed.
--
Delaney hung up the phone, unsure how to even process what Doctor Carter had just told her. It didn’t seem real, or even feasible, but she knew that Doctor Carter was good at her job and would never lie to her. Besides, what would lying to Delaney do for her Doctor?
Pregnant.
She was pregnant.
That’s what had caused her to feel less like herself. That’s what had caused her to feel out of sorts lately. At least, that is what her blood work had confirmed when it came back.
She hadn’t even really thought that if anything was wrong with her, that it would be pregnancy. Weren’t you supposed to get morning sickness? Weren’t you supposed to have some sort of symptoms? Senses heightened? Anything?
She guessed that her slight weight difference when she was at the doctor’s office was probably a hint. But she had just chalked that up to her poor eating habits lately. She tended to eat worse when the boys were on tour, mostly unmotivated to cook when one of them wasn’t around to steal her food.
The worst part of it all was that she knew that the only person that could possibly be the father was Alex. Of fucking course. Because she had almost successfully gotten over the whole mess that was her and Alex. She just couldn’t escape his stupid face.
Her best guess, without having actually gone back to the doctor yet, that she was probably 3 months pregnant. They boys has been gone almost 2 months, and she hadn’t slept with Alex since a little over a month before that. Aside from Alex, she hadn’t slept with anyone else in well over a year.
She knew she couldn’t go on tour to visit now. There was no way she could hide this, especially because she knew that she would start gaining weight, and it would be noticeable sooner or later. She also didn’t want the boys to know yet. She wanted to have a chance for this to sink in. She wanted to be able to process what the hell was going on in her life. A kid? What the hell was she going to do with a kid? Did she even want a kid? Could she bring herself to raise a kid that was half her, but also half Alex? Scratch that, could she even bring herself to raise a kid in general?
The worst part, other than the impending doctor’s appointment she had scheduled for next week, was that she now had to call Jack and break the news to him that she wasn’t going to be coming to visit. She knew that it was going to be hard to get him to let it go, but she couldn’t go on tour. Surely tour wasn’t safe for a pregnant woman?
She sighed as she walked into her room, turning to look at the full length mirror that hung on the back of the door. She pulled up her shirt, looking down at her stomach in the mirror, turning to look at herself from different angles. She supposed she did look different. Most probably wouldn’t notice, but now she wasn’t sure how she could have missed the changes in her body herself. Now that she knew, the changes seemed so obvious. Her body didn’t look the same. There was no doubt about it.
She let the fabric of her shirt drop back down before going back into the living room to grab her cell phone. There was no way that she was going on tour. She needed time to sort everything out. She needed to not be near Alex.
“LANEY!!!” Jack screamed in her ear, causing her to laugh a little and pull the phone back a bit. Jack could be loud when he wanted, and she’d rather not lose her hearing. “I miss you! I can’t wait until you come out here next week!”
“That’s actually why I’m calling.” She said, suddenly feeling the guilt consume her.
“If you’re calling to give me your flight number, tell me now so I can pass the phone to Zack or Rian. They are far more responsible than myself. They are also currently more sober as well.” He said dopily, and she chuckled.
“Actually, I’m not gonna be able to come out after all. I’ve, uh, had some stuff come up and I can’t leave.” She said quietly, and she could hear the dead silence from Jack.
“You’re lying to me.” He said, his voice pointed. He wasn’t asking, he already knew.
“Not entirely.” She confessed, and as she heard him scoff, she could picture the look on his face. “I just can’t tell you yet.” she continued.
“Hold on.” He said, and she could hear the movement and the closing of a door. She assumed that he had moved somewhere where he could talk to her freely without the others around to hear the conversation. “Ok. I’m alone. Now tell me.”
“I really can’t Jack.” She said quietly, feeling more and more guilty by the second.
“We don’t keep secrets from each other Laney. I mean, aside from the Alex thing, which you eventually copped to. But I thought we had an understanding. No secrets and no judgement.”
She sighed, trying to keep the tears from forming, but they were coming on quickly. She sniffled, trying her best to hide it, but Jack heard it.
“Wait, Laney, are you crying?” Jack asked concerned. She was sure now that he was sobering up at an alarming rate. They both knew that Laney wasn’t one to cry often. She was a girl, so sometimes tears were part of the equation, but Jack had only seen her cry maybe 3 or 4 times in the almost 8 years of friendship.
“I’m so sorry Jack.” She said through sniffles. She assumed these tears were thanks to her new found condition, and she was having a harder and harder time denying the doctor’s results.
“Laney, what is going on? What’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?”
“I need you to make me a promise Jack” She said, not answering him, but also not giving him a chance to respond before continuing. “Please just let me tell you what’s happening when you get home. I just need to stay home for now, and I know that it doesn’t make sense, but I promise that once you are home, that I will tell you.” She said, and she had to cut him off as he went to argue. “I really don’t want to talk about this over the phone Jack. Please, can you please wait a few weeks?”
“I don’t like this. You’re scaring me.” Jack said simply. “But if you promise me you aren’t in danger, I won’t push you to tell me until you can see me in person.”
“There’s no danger. I promise.” She said, sighing. “Thank you Jack.”
“Don’t thank me. You’re telling me the second I see you face to face.”
“How are we doing Delaney?” Doctor Carter asked her as she shrugged with a small smile.
“Same old, same old. Just doing the routine physical for my insurance. Gotta keep that discount, even if that means coming here and wasting both of our time.” She said with a laugh, causing Doctor Carter to chuckle as well.
“Well how have you been feeling lately. Anything new?”
“Mostly fine. I’ve been feeling a bit off though. I’m not sure how to explain it. But I’m sure it’s nothing.” She responded with a shrug.
“Well, we will do the blood work like normal and check to see if anything weird comes up just to be safe.”
“Sounds good. I’m just hoping that you’ll tell me I’m ok to travel in a two weeks. I’m gonna take Jack up on his offer to visit them on tour. Use some of my vacation time.” Delaney said happily.
Jack had been hounding her incessantly about coming to visit them while on tour. He knew that Delaney had unused vacation, and he also knew that she could do some work remotely, so he had been pestering her every chance he got for her to come out and visit them.
“I’m sure it will be fine. But the blood work will be back in a few days so we’ll know for sure in a few days if anything needs to be addressed.
--
Delaney hung up the phone, unsure how to even process what Doctor Carter had just told her. It didn’t seem real, or even feasible, but she knew that Doctor Carter was good at her job and would never lie to her. Besides, what would lying to Delaney do for her Doctor?
Pregnant.
She was pregnant.
That’s what had caused her to feel less like herself. That’s what had caused her to feel out of sorts lately. At least, that is what her blood work had confirmed when it came back.
She hadn’t even really thought that if anything was wrong with her, that it would be pregnancy. Weren’t you supposed to get morning sickness? Weren’t you supposed to have some sort of symptoms? Senses heightened? Anything?
She guessed that her slight weight difference when she was at the doctor’s office was probably a hint. But she had just chalked that up to her poor eating habits lately. She tended to eat worse when the boys were on tour, mostly unmotivated to cook when one of them wasn’t around to steal her food.
The worst part of it all was that she knew that the only person that could possibly be the father was Alex. Of fucking course. Because she had almost successfully gotten over the whole mess that was her and Alex. She just couldn’t escape his stupid face.
Her best guess, without having actually gone back to the doctor yet, that she was probably 3 months pregnant. They boys has been gone almost 2 months, and she hadn’t slept with Alex since a little over a month before that. Aside from Alex, she hadn’t slept with anyone else in well over a year.
She knew she couldn’t go on tour to visit now. There was no way she could hide this, especially because she knew that she would start gaining weight, and it would be noticeable sooner or later. She also didn’t want the boys to know yet. She wanted to have a chance for this to sink in. She wanted to be able to process what the hell was going on in her life. A kid? What the hell was she going to do with a kid? Did she even want a kid? Could she bring herself to raise a kid that was half her, but also half Alex? Scratch that, could she even bring herself to raise a kid in general?
The worst part, other than the impending doctor’s appointment she had scheduled for next week, was that she now had to call Jack and break the news to him that she wasn’t going to be coming to visit. She knew that it was going to be hard to get him to let it go, but she couldn’t go on tour. Surely tour wasn’t safe for a pregnant woman?
She sighed as she walked into her room, turning to look at the full length mirror that hung on the back of the door. She pulled up her shirt, looking down at her stomach in the mirror, turning to look at herself from different angles. She supposed she did look different. Most probably wouldn’t notice, but now she wasn’t sure how she could have missed the changes in her body herself. Now that she knew, the changes seemed so obvious. Her body didn’t look the same. There was no doubt about it.
She let the fabric of her shirt drop back down before going back into the living room to grab her cell phone. There was no way that she was going on tour. She needed time to sort everything out. She needed to not be near Alex.
“LANEY!!!” Jack screamed in her ear, causing her to laugh a little and pull the phone back a bit. Jack could be loud when he wanted, and she’d rather not lose her hearing. “I miss you! I can’t wait until you come out here next week!”
“That’s actually why I’m calling.” She said, suddenly feeling the guilt consume her.
“If you’re calling to give me your flight number, tell me now so I can pass the phone to Zack or Rian. They are far more responsible than myself. They are also currently more sober as well.” He said dopily, and she chuckled.
“Actually, I’m not gonna be able to come out after all. I’ve, uh, had some stuff come up and I can’t leave.” She said quietly, and she could hear the dead silence from Jack.
“You’re lying to me.” He said, his voice pointed. He wasn’t asking, he already knew.
“Not entirely.” She confessed, and as she heard him scoff, she could picture the look on his face. “I just can’t tell you yet.” she continued.
“Hold on.” He said, and she could hear the movement and the closing of a door. She assumed that he had moved somewhere where he could talk to her freely without the others around to hear the conversation. “Ok. I’m alone. Now tell me.”
“I really can’t Jack.” She said quietly, feeling more and more guilty by the second.
“We don’t keep secrets from each other Laney. I mean, aside from the Alex thing, which you eventually copped to. But I thought we had an understanding. No secrets and no judgement.”
She sighed, trying to keep the tears from forming, but they were coming on quickly. She sniffled, trying her best to hide it, but Jack heard it.
“Wait, Laney, are you crying?” Jack asked concerned. She was sure now that he was sobering up at an alarming rate. They both knew that Laney wasn’t one to cry often. She was a girl, so sometimes tears were part of the equation, but Jack had only seen her cry maybe 3 or 4 times in the almost 8 years of friendship.
“I’m so sorry Jack.” She said through sniffles. She assumed these tears were thanks to her new found condition, and she was having a harder and harder time denying the doctor’s results.
“Laney, what is going on? What’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?”
“I need you to make me a promise Jack” She said, not answering him, but also not giving him a chance to respond before continuing. “Please just let me tell you what’s happening when you get home. I just need to stay home for now, and I know that it doesn’t make sense, but I promise that once you are home, that I will tell you.” She said, and she had to cut him off as he went to argue. “I really don’t want to talk about this over the phone Jack. Please, can you please wait a few weeks?”
“I don’t like this. You’re scaring me.” Jack said simply. “But if you promise me you aren’t in danger, I won’t push you to tell me until you can see me in person.”
“There’s no danger. I promise.” She said, sighing. “Thank you Jack.”
“Don’t thank me. You’re telling me the second I see you face to face.”