I Never Thought

Chapter 40

Chloe's POV

I watched in silence as Chase sped past the exit that would have taken us to my house. He was heading in the direction of Weston. Unsure of whether or not I was to say something, I sat still but my lips parted as my brain tried to catch up with my body and come up with something to say. I eventually figured out that he was heading in the direction of the lake that he had taken me to a few days ago. 

He still hadn't said a single word since I told him. After the words came out, he slowly turned his attention back to the road without responding. At first, I thought he was just processing it so I stayed quiet and decided to give him time to come up with a response. After all, I had basically just told him that his teenage life was over. But, when he pushed his car up to ninety miles per hour and switched into the leftmost lane instead of taking our usual exit, I began to worry.

"Can you please slow down?" I pleaded, feeling my heart accelerating again. It was as if I didn't even say anything because he continued driving at this speed for five more minutes. I kept looking behind us for blue lights but it was only us and a few other cars driving. 

Reaching up for the handle above my head, I noticed that he finally began slowing down before moving over to the right lane to take the Weston exit. I exhaled a breath that I didn't know I was holding. When he pulled into the parking lot of the lake, he put the car in park and placed both of his hands on the wheel. I observed his every move and listened to every breath he made and eventually, his breaths became more shallow as they quickened. Noticing this, I looked at him. It looked like all the blood was drained from him; his face was as pale as a ghost's.

"Chase?" It was my turn to beg him to say something, anything. Anything would be better than silence.

"Chloe," he whispered, his hands still violently gripping the steering wheel. "What the fuck did you just say to me?"

I cleared my throat and tried to pretend that he didn't just curse at me for the first time since I'd known him. "I'm pregnant," I repeated, louder and clearer this time. I had already accepted it, so I was almost able to say it without feeling like I could pass out at any second.

"How sure are you?" he asked in the same tone as before, still not looking at me.

"Very sure, I found out through a blood test."

"Fuck..." he glanced up at the ceiling of his car before running both of his hands over his hair down to the back of his neck and leaving them there. It was then that I noticed that his hands were shaking.

It was painful seeing him like this. What was I even supposed to do? Console him? Hold his hand? Uncertainty overpowered my anxiety as I took in the image in front of me. 

"How?" His voice cracked and he shook his head rapidly from side to side. "How is that even possible? We were safe, I was safe," he mumbled before staring off into space. "There's no way that could have happened. I made sure that it wouldn't." He tugged on the roots of his hair and groaned.

"Well Chase, it did," I assured him and immediately realized how insensitive I sounded so I sighed and turned to face him fully. "I've been having so many symptoms."

"You didn't actually eat spoiled ham, did you?" He finally faced me and I almost cringed at how red his eyes were. 

"No," I answered while shaking my head. "I didn't."

"Fucking hell, Chloe," he cursed and looked away from me again. "How did you find out? When did you?" 

"Your aunt called me on Friday with the results of the labs that she ordered for me. It showed in the tests, I don't know how exactly but I believe her," I explained and hoped he'd hold eye contact with me. I wasn't sure how I had expected him to react, but his actual reaction was beginning to scare me. Was he angry with me? That was one of the possibilities but I was hoping that it wouldn't be that one.