HAUNTINGLY | 18+

50 | Nausea

The drive back home remained silent, and I was grateful that Xavier didn't pry with questions about my conversation with Jason.

At least now, I felt a certain sense of relief having finally obtained the answers I'd longed for. However, my anxiety wouldn't entirely dissipate until Jason was permanently removed from this world.

I hadn't brought up the topic of how Xavier planned to end Jason's life, but I had a feeling it was going to be soon.

Upon entering the kitchen, with Xavier trailing behind, the aroma of eggs suddenly wafted through the air, making its way to my nose. I directed my gaze toward Hunter, who was perched at the island, casually eating a plate of eggs, even though it was 10 o'clock at night.

Approaching Hunter, I wrinkled my nose at the intensifying smell of eggs. "Who eats breakfast food at night?" I mumbled in mild disbelief.

"Since when was it wrong to eat eggs at night?" Hunter countered, nonchalantly taking another bite.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea swept over me, catching me off guard. In the blink of an eye, I darted towards the trash can and began to throw up, heaving the contents of my stomach into the bin. I felt someone hold my hair back as I continued to empty my stomach.

When I finally finished, I straightened up to see Xavier, his expression etched with concern. "I knew you were getting sick," he said, worry evident in his eyes.

"I'm not sick," I muttered. "The smell of eggs just makes me nauseous."

He fold his arm across his chest. "I've never seen someone throw up from the smell of eggs before," he retorted.

"Well, now you have," I replied, then headed to the bathroom in our room. I approached the sink and grabbed some mouthwash, swishing it vigorously to rid myself of the unpleasant taste in my mouth.

After spitting out the mouthwash, I returned to the room, only to find Xavier waiting for me. His scrutinizing gaze made me feel uneasy. I just hoped he wouldn't start bombarding me with questions.

"We should go back to the doctors, have them do another checkup," he suggested.

I hastily shook my head. "No," I replied, a touch of urgency in my voice. "I just think I've put my body through a lot, you know, with the whole Jason situation."

"First, it was the eggs, and now it's the Jason situation?" Xavier arched an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

I sighed in frustration. "Xavier, please. I promise I'm fine," I assured him, making my way toward the bed. "I think I just need to rest for a few hours."

He was quiet for a few seconds until he finally spoke again. "Alright, but if I see you throwing up again, I'm dragging your ass back to the doctors," he warned.

"Yeah, sure," I responded softly. I settled onto the bed and pulled a blanket over myself.

"I'll come back to check on you in an hour or two," he informed me before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

As soon as I heard his footsteps moving away from the door, I scrambled out of bed and rushed to the toilet once more, throwing up a second time.

After flushing the toilet, I slumped against the wall, exhaustion washing over me. I closed my eyes and dropped my head into my hands. "Fuck," I cursed aloud, frustration and unease weighing heavily on me.

I opened the door to find a disheveled Olivia standing there, her eyes and nose red from crying. Concern etched my face as I ushered her inside the house.

She settled onto the couch, and I took a seat beside her. With trembling hands, she rummaged through her bag, searching for something. "Olivia?" I called her name softly, growing increasingly worried.

She finally retrieved it from her bag and handed it to me. It was a pregnancy test. I examined it closely and saw the unmistakable positive result. "You're...you're pregnant?" I stammered, my voice laced with shock.

Tears welled up in Olivia's eyes once more, and she nodded. "I'm pregnant," she admitted softly between sobs. "What am I going to do? I can't be pregnant, I'm only 18."

I pulled her close, enveloping her in my arms as she cried harder. "Have you told your boyfriend?" I inquired gently.

"No," she sniffled, "I can't tell him. I just...I can't believe this."

She gently pulled away from my arms and looked at me, her eyes filled with anxiety. "I'm not ready to be a mother. I don't know how this is even possible. We always made sure to use protection," she explained.

"Maybe the test is wrong? Is this the only one you took?" I tried to offer a glimmer of hope.

She nodded, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "Yeah, I didn't think of taking another test," she admitted, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"I think we should go to the store and buy another test, maybe two, just to be sure," I suggested.

She glanced at me, fear evident in her eyes. "What if they all come out positive?" she asked quietly.

I gently took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Then we'll just figure out what to do from there," I assured her, pulling her into my arms. "It's going to be okay."

"Layla?" Scar's voice came from beside me, and I looked up to see him standing there.

He extended his hand to help me stand up. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his eyes.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I leaned into his chest and started crying. I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper amid the sobs. "I'm not okay," I managed to say.

He rubbed my back gently. "What's wrong? Did Xavier do something again?"

I took a step back, wiping my tears. "No, he didn't do anything."

"Why are you crying, then?" he persisted. I hesitated, struggling to find the words. I didn't want to admit that I was pregnant, as saying it out loud would make it all too real.

He took my hand and led me back into the room, where we sat down on the couch. "Talk to me," he urged, his eyes locked onto mine.

I gazed down at my hands resting on my lap. "I can't tell you," I confessed in a hushed tone.

"Why not?" he asked, his voice gentle. "You know you can tell me anything."

I released a small breath. "I know, but I don't think it would be right if I told you before I told Xavier."

He nodded understandingly, then pulled me into his comforting embrace. "He told me you haven't been feeling well, that you've been throwing up," he revealed.

"He did?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"Mhm, that's why I came here. To see how you were feeling, but something tells me you're not sick," Scar said, a knowing look in his eyes.

Tears welled up in my eyes again as I gazed at him. "You can't tell him," I pleaded. "I don't want him to know just yet."

Scar's expression remained understanding. "It's not my place to tell him," he assured me. "That's something you have to do, whenever you're ready."

My voice trembled as I confessed, "I'm scared."
"Scared of what?" Scar inquired gently.

"Scared to tell Xavier. Scared of how he'll react," I admitted, my anxiety rising. "What if he doesn't want this baby? What am I going to do then?"

He wiped a tear from my cheek. "But what if he does want the baby? You won't know the answer until you tell him."

"I can't imagine Xavier wanting to raise a baby," I muttered. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly, trying to regain my composure. "But you're right. I have to tell him, just not yet."

Scar pressed further, "So when will you tell him?"

"After the fight," I decided.

He nodded in agreement. "Everything is going to be okay, Layla. I promise," he reassured me.

I glanced down at my stomach, my hand instinctively moving to protectively cover it. "I hope so."