The next morning, as Rose woke up, the realization hit her like a truck. She glanced around and saw Tyler lying next to her, naked.
What have I done? she thought, panic rising in her chest.
She stood up, her eyes scanning the room. Clothes were scattered on the ground, and there were condom wrappers—eight of them. At least he used protection... right? she hoped, feeling a cold shiver down her spine.
Quickly, she threw on her clothes and quietly left the house, trying not to wake Tyler. When she got home, her parents weren't there. Rose went straight to her room, still feeling queasy from the events of the past days. It had been nine days now of feeling sick, vomiting...
Could it be? she wondered.
Her hands shaking, she bought a pregnancy test and waited nervously as it processed. When she looked down at the result, her heart sank. Positive.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. What have I done? she thought again, this time the weight of it crashing down on her.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and her brother Mark walked in. "Mark, what are you doing here?" Rose quickly wiped her tears, trying to hide the test.
"I heard you cry—" Mark's eyes fell on the pregnancy test. "What? You're pregnant!?" His voice was a mix of shock and disbelief.
Rose couldn't say anything. She just cried harder. "Hey, hey, don't cry," Mark said, kneeling beside her, trying to comfort her. "We'll figure it out."
"Okay," Rose muttered weakly.
"Who's the father?" he asked gently.
Rose hesitated. "It's... Tyler."
Mark's face darkened, his fists clenching. "That mother—"
"Don't say that," Rose cut him off, her voice shaky. "Is Mom and Dad home?"
"They're downstairs," Mark said quietly.
Rose took a deep breath. "Let's go," she said, gripping her brother's hand.
When they went downstairs, their parents were in the living room.
"Mom, Dad... we have some bad news, and... some good news," Mark began, his voice shaky.
"What's the bad news?" asked Daniel, their father, looking concerned.
"I'm pregnant," Rose blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer.
"What!?" Daniel roared angrily, his face red. "Rose, how—when—who's the father?"
"Dan, calm down," her mother, Naomi, said, trying to soothe him. "Who is the father, honey?"
"Tyler," Rose whispered.
Daniel's expression hardened even more. "Tyler?! I'm calling his parents. Now."
"Sure, honey," Naomi said, keeping her voice calm. She walked over to Rose and hugged her tightly. "It's okay, sweetie. We'll figure this out together."
Thirty minutes later, Tyler and his parents arrived. They sat awkwardly in the living room, tension hanging heavy in the air.
"What is this about?" asked John, Tyler's father, crossing his arms.
"Your son," Daniel began coldly, "impregnated my daughter."
"What? Tyler, did you do this?" Jade, Tyler's mom, snapped, glaring at her son.
"How do you know it's mine?" Tyler said defensively, standing up from his seat. "I mean... I—"
"I never did it with anyone but you!" Rose fired back, her face flushed with anger and shame.
"Oh really? Or are you just a sl*t sleeping with other guys too?" Tyler shouted, his voice harsh.
The room fell silent. Rose's eyes widened in disbelief. "How dare you say that to me!?" she yelled, tears stinging her eyes. "When I woke up this morning, I saw the condom wrappers on the floor. What? Now suddenly I'm the sl*t?"
Tyler sneered, crossing his arms. "You think this is my fault? You're the one who jumped into bed with me without a second thought."
"Seriously? You think I'm the problem here? Maybe you should look in the mirror for once."
Tyler's face fell. He looked down, ashamed of his own words.
Rose stormed out of the room and ran up to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
Tyler's parents looked mortified. "Go after her," Daniel ordered Tyler.
Tyler nodded and ran up the stairs. "I'm sorry for what he said," Jade said, her face apologetic. "He'll take responsibility."
Tyler knocked softly on Rose's door before pushing it open. He found her lying on the bed, angrily munching on a bag of chips.
"Go away, Tyler!" Rose shouted, turning her back on him.
"I'm sorry," Tyler said, walking closer to her bed. "I shouldn't have said those things."
"Do you even mean that?" Rose scoffed, not looking at him.
"I do," Tyler insisted. He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. "I'll take responsibility for this, Rose. I promise."
"Yeah, right," Rose said bitterly. "Didn't you hear what you just called me? How could I ever trust you?"
"Don't play the martyr now; you didn't seem to care last night," Tyler shot back.
Rose felt her chest tighten. "You always act so innocent, but we both know that's not true."
Tyler gently rested his head on her shoulder, and she felt the warmth of his breath. Something wet touched her skin.
"Are you crying?" Rose asked, surprised.
Tyler lifted his head and looked at her, his eyes red and filled with tears. It was the first time she had ever seen him cry.
"Don't cry," Rose said softly, wiping the tears from his face.
"I'm sorry," Tyler choked out. "I shouldn't have said that. You're not... I didn't mean it."
"I know," Rose whispered. She pulled him into a hug. They held each other for a moment, both overwhelmed with guilt and fear.
When they pulled apart, Tyler looked into her eyes. "I'll take responsibility. I'll even break up with Ariana."
"Why would you break up with her?" Rose asked, frowning.
"Because..." Tyler paused, his voice shaky. "I'm with someone I love."
Rose blinked. "Who? Me?"
"Yeah, you." Tyler smiled slightly. "I've liked you for a long time. I know we've always been at each other's throats, but... maybe there was a reason for that."
"A reason?" Rose raised an eyebrow.
"You know what they say," Tyler smirked. "When a boy acts like a jerk around you, it usually means he likes you."
Rose's lips twitched, fighting a smile. "So, you've liked me all along?"
"I have," Tyler said earnestly. "Do you... like me?"
Rose hesitated, then kissed him gently. "I do."
Tyler smiled, wrapping his arms around her.
"Rose Anderson," he said, half-joking. "Will you marry me?"
Rose laughed softly. "Right now?"
"Why not?" Tyler shrugged.
Rose looked into his eyes and whispered, "Yes."
Tyler really did break up with Ariana. After Rose told Connor about it, he stopped talking to her altogether, heartbroken. But no matter what he did, Rose's heart now belonged to Tyler.
A week later, they got married in a small ceremony. Their friends from school came to support them. It wasn't the fairy tale wedding she imagined, but it was theirs.
And somehow, in the midst of all the chaos, they made it work.
