Shattered

24. Damage

I open Spotify to listen to the newest song the band has released. They stayed up all night and threw it together in an attempt to use it to help my dad with the damage control he has to do after yesterday's stint.

The papers and tabloids are running the story and I really think my dad has pulled it off.

Thankfully.

The story we all agreed on (well, all of them, I guess) was that the fight was staged for publicity to promote their new single, 'Fighting for You'.

The song shot to number one on the charts and is apparently perfect enough for the media to believe the coverup story.

"You make my heart bloom, bloom, bloom.
Yeah I'm fighting for you, you you.
Nothin' I wouldn't do, do, do.
No nothin
I will fight for youuuu."

I roll my eyes and shut the song off after listening to it through the chorus. Opening my messages, I type out a text to Chris.

To: Chris
You make my heart bloom? 🙄

From: Chris
I'm glad you caught the reference ;)

To: Chris
Oh, I caught it. Don't think for a
second that I approve.

To: Chris
I think it's another lame attempt
to win me back and it's not going
to work.

From: Chris
Lame? I didn't think it was lame.
I thought it was pretty clever. It's
your last name...it's like an inside
joke for us. Something only we
know. It's special. Like you.

To: Chris
Oh really??? I totally didn't
know that at all!!!! Good one!!!

I scoff and throw my phone down, feeling a wave of nausea come over me. I run to the bathroom and spill my guts into the bowl of the toilet. This whole pregnancy thing is killing me.

I sulk back to my bedroom, flop on the bed, and grab my phone again.

From: Chris
How are you doing?

From: Chris
I mean about the baby thing

From: Chris
And the arm I guess.

I groan. I guess I reopened this can of worms when I texted him first. He is not going to stop texting me now, is he?

To: Chris
I swear this baby is trying to
kill me. I throw up like every
second. In fact, gotta go 🤮

From: Chris
Yuck

Darren walks into the bedroom with a freshly prepared slice of toast and a coffee. "Here, I thought the toast might settle your stomach and the coffee is for, well, yeah." He kisses my forehead.

I smile and accept his offerings.

"Have you decided what you are going to do yet?" He asks, sitting on the edge of the bed.

I nod, taking a small sip of the coffee before setting it down on the bedside table. "I'm going to keep it. I looked into it and aborting it at this stage just comes with so many health complications." I shrug. "It's not ideal but I can grow to the idea."

He nods. "So what am I supposed to do then?"

"What do you mean what are you supposed to do?" I shake my head with a confused laugh.

"Am I just expected to raise that thing and pretend like nothing is wrong?" He asks, putting a hand on my leg.

"That thing is a baby and it is everything we have ever wanted. I know the circumstances are terrible but this is a chance we never thought we were going to be able to have. I'm not supposed to be able to have kids, remember? Maybe we can find a way for us to find happiness in this."

He stares at me. "I've been thinking a lot about all of this. This isn't how I wanted us to have a baby, Ciara."

I laugh, frustrated. "And you think it's how I wanted to have one?" I scoff. "In case you were wondering, it's not. But it is the situation we have found ourselves in."

"I can't do this anymore." He sighs, wiping his face.

My eyes dart back and forth as I stare at him. "Can't do what anymore?" I scoff. "What?"

"This. Us. I'm out." He shrugs.

"Y-you're out? Out? What does that even mean?"

"I'm going to pack my things and move in with my sister for a while. This isn't working for me anymore. I can't stand the thought of raising another man's baby with you." He stands up.

"It wasn't my choice, Darren!" I shout at him as he starts leaving.

"You made a lot of choices that night. That's all I know. You went back there. You put yourself there."

"You are blaming me?" I laugh, incredibly mad at him. "I never would have gone back there if I had known what would have happened to me."

"You went back there because you wanted attention from him, Ciara." He slaps his hands at his sides. "I can't keep going back and forth like this. I'm calling off the wedding."

Authors note:

Ooooh
What do you think?