Love Bites

Chapter 11: Respect

Zoey whips her head to look at him, "S-she was pregnant?"

He nods and a disheartened expression crosses his face, "Yeah. She was. I was so excited, nervous, and guilty about it."

She was a bit guilty herself to ask what happened but getting to know him better was putting into perspective certain things for her.

Before she could respond he answers the question she was struggling to ask, "She had a miscarriage a few months in. It was... hard for both of us. We were ready to be parents but it wasn't meant to happen. It's common for weres to miscarry. It's one of the reasons why we're on the verge of extinction. Anyways, when that happened it kind of set me on a self-induced spiral. Instead of being there for her when she was struggling and going through it together, I pushed her away and closed myself off." He gives her an embarrassed smile and rubs the back of his neck, "If it wasn't for Cole knocking some sense into me I probably would have never gotten out of it."

The action reminded her of Cole and it pained her to see. They were best friends so of course, they would have similar mannerisms sometimes but it reminded her too much of him and it hurt but she tried to set it aside, "Yeah. That sounds like him."

Damon chuckles a bit at the thought and continues, "Anyways, it was after that when I realized I couldn't exactly keep hurting her like that and lying to myself about it so I had a talk with her and broke it off but she's still hurting and I still feel guilty. I'm to blame about it all so... whatever she wants of me I normally do without question because I want to help her as much as she's helped me."

The last sentence seemed to have some hidden meaning that he was trying to tell her without telling her and she couldn't help but notice it. Maybe that's what made their relationship even more complicated, it was because it wasn't exactly "over." It didn't exactly matter to her but she couldn't imagine that bringing home the other girl he may have knocked up could be a wonderful experience for her, "Does she know about this whole situation with me and you?"

"Of course."

She did get herself into something complicated but at least she understood why he was so adamant about keeping the baby. It was because he had already lost one before, he wanted to be a dad and they were dying out. It was sweet in a way but it added to the pressure on her shoulders and she couldn't help but feel suffocated by it.

He looks at the serene expression on her face, "I didn't want to tell you all this because I figured it would stress you out but you asked and wanted to know. I won't lie to you about it and hide it from you."

She gives him a half-smile, "Yeah it does but I get it." She adjusts how she was sitting on the rock and brings her knees to her chest so the coldness of her feet would warm up as well, "Alright. I've decided something. Rationally this time." He looks at her curiously so she continues, "We can be friends while I stay here and decide on the baby. It's only fair I get to know the man who may take care of the baby if I decide to keep it but not be a part of its life."

"Really?" She could practically hear the excitement in his voice.

"But..."

"But?" A bit of excitement leaves his voice and gets replaced with suspicion.

"But I need you to answer a question for me with complete honesty or this won't work."

She turns her whole body to face him so he turns to do the same, "Okay."

"You don't have any feelings for me, right?" She had her suspicions about how protective he was with her and how gentle he would treat her and just about everything else. She had to set the record straight now and if she was wrong then so be it. It would be a sigh of relief.