The dent in our vows

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Dawn's POV

I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, feeling sick to the bones, too weak to do anything as the exertions of yesterday still took a heavy toll on me.

I stared down at the mess I'd made on the sink. I guess my baby felt the discomfort too. I turned the faucet on and washed my face, hoping to get some color to it.

It'd been fifteen hours since David visited my apartment with so much rage oozing out of him, fifteen hours since I broke down and cried my eyes until there were no more tears to spill. And then I'd gone to bed on my couch, ignoring all the calls from Becky and everyone else. The couch was uncomfortable but I didn't feel safe enough to sleep in my bedroom so I double-locked the doors and crashed there, hoping that when I woke, I wouldn't feel any pain, but I did.

It didn't work.

The next morning, I'd woken up with the ache in my chest, a swollen eye and twenty more missed calls from David.

My lip trembled as emotions took over me again. Rejection hurt. He didn't want this baby, he never would. I let myself cry once more, soothing my hormones before continuing with my toilette.

An hour later, I walked out of my room, clad in one of my floral maternity gowns with my hair pulled up in a messy ponytail.

My phone was the first thing I picked up from the coffee table. Another call rang through but this time it was from Mrs. Amanda.

Sighing, I tossed the phone back and walked into the kitchen for breakfast.
Nothing fascinated me. My appetite wasn't back yet but I knew I needed to eat for my baby's sake so I pulled out my half-eaten tuna salad, warmed it up, and served a small portion.

When I walked back to the living room and finally crashed on the couch, a knock sounded.

I didn't move right away. Yesterday taught me an important lesson. For all I knew, it could be David here with heavy-bodied guys to drag me out.

"Who's there?" I asked, placing my tuna on the coffee table.

"It's me." When I heard Paula's voice resonate from the other end of the door, I heaved out a breath of relief and rushed to open it.

She walked in with a bag of supplies in her hand. "Hey." She gave me a side hug. "You don't look good, what's wrong?"

I forced a smile and shook my head. She didn't have to know. "Just feeling a little tired, that's all." Eager to get away from her assessing gaze, I accepted the bags from her hand and walked to the kitchen to place them on the counter.

When I walked back out, my phone was vibrating on the coffee table. I looked down at it and expelled a breath. It was a call from Tanner this time. 

He rarely called. I didn't understand why they were all on my neck today.

"Are you going to take It?" Paula asked, equally looking down at the caller ID.

I shook my head and settled on my couch with my hand coming to caress my belly. I didn't need any of that. I'd already cried enough for one day.

"Dawn," Paula called my name, morose, looking at me as though she had something to say but was hesitating.

"Yeah?" I asked, sticking a spoonful of tuna into my mouth.

"Did you perhaps get a call from David?"

My brows pinched together. "Yes, I did," I answered, watching her curiously. "But I didn't take them."

"You should have."

A prickling sensation shot up my spine. I sat up. "Why?"

She inhaled but didn't speak.