If Only You Could Tell

Chapter Fourteen

Elliot's P.O.V.

"Elliot!" Greg's voice pulled me from my dreams. "Wake up!" He ordered. I rolled over onto my back to see Greg standing in the bathroom doorway holding a stick in his hand and a look that I hadn't seen since I pushed him into a pool when he had his phone in his pocket. I didn't like that look. Rubbing my eyes, I slowly got out of bed. "I'm up..." I mumbled.

"The hell is this?" He shoved the stick into my hands. "When the fuck were you going to tell me? Huh?" He stormed into the other room and slammed the door behind him.

I glanced down at the stick. It was my pregnancy test. "Shit," I murmured. It was positive. "Greg, come back." I shouted as I opened the door. He was sitting in the hallway with his head in his hands. "Greg," I called again.

"You're getting an abortion, aren't you? That's why you didn't tell me." He said in between sobs. The last time I had seen him cry was when his first girlfriend broke up with him in sophomore year of high school. Ever since then, he's had a wall up that covers all emotions. Just like me.

I kneeled down next to him. "You know I'm against abortion. You also should've known that I would've told you if I had known."

"How the fuck didn't you know?" He spat, tears still gliding down his perfect cheeks.

"It's called 'not having the balls to look at the result'." I said with a small laugh.

He looked up to meet my gaze. "But we've only done it once since we left Oregon. The chances..." he trailed off.

"Weren't in our favor? I know. But that's all it takes." I took a deep breath. "If you don't want to be a dad, I get it-"

"Of course I do." He laughed to himself, wiping his face. "You really don't understand how many times I'd day dream during high school about having a family with you. Or when we would have dinner or cook together, I always wanted it to be like that... but I wanted it to be a couple, not a couple of friends." Greg smiled and held one of my hands, "If it's a boy, can we name him-"

I cut him off, "Why don't we find out what it is before any names are put out on the table." I couldn't help but grin. "We've had a lot of the same dreams, Greg."

He stood up and pulled me along with him by my hands. "Your mom will kill us. Pregnant before marriage? Lord forbid." He joked. "And mine? I don't think she's ready to be a grandma."

The rest of the morning was filled with Greg making phone calls to family members and explaining that one, he and I were together, and two, we were having a baby. I was still shocked. 26 and having a baby? Not exactly what I had planned. But that's a good thing, I don't want to plan a baby. It makes it less of a surprise.

Greg would walk in and out of his living room, laughing on the phone and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. But something felt off for me. Maybe it was too good to be true. Or a world of hurt heading our way. What happens the first time they misbehave? Will they be spanked? What about when they become a teen? Oh, Jesus, help me. And when college hits? Will we have the money to send them, and if we do, will I be ready to say goodbye to my baby?

I think the thing I feared most was myself. I wanted to be the mother my mom never was. I wanted to give the baby all the opportunities I never had and make sure it had the best life if could.

Greg's P.O.V.

"Yeah, it's crazy, I know." I said to my sister over the phone. "I'm gonna be a dad!" I exclaimed for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. It was all so amazing! Finally having the girl of my dreams, and now the rest of my dreams coming true? It made me want to think there is a God, like Elliot believes. Nah.

Hanging up the phone, I went on the hunt for Elliot. I was so excited. "No, mom, I'm done. For five fucking seconds, you couldn't be proud or happy for me? Really?" Elliot shouted into the phone.

"Babe? What happened?" I asked quietly.

She ran her fingers through her hair. "I really don't want to talk about it. My mom... You know how she can be." Ignorant, selfish, too obsessed with herself when her kids need her. No, I have no idea.

"What did she say?"

Elliot dropped her phone on the bed and stormed out. "I'll be back. I need to clear my head."

"Well, I'll come with you." I suggested. She was already halfway out the door and didn't bother turning around to answer. "Greg, I need a second, okay? Just... fuck off." From inside the bedroom I watched her start the car and zoom away.

Her phone began to buzz. I answered it without saying a word. "Sweetheart, I was only trying to prepare you for what could happen. The first two months are never for sure, anything could happen to the baby." Her mom beamed. So, instead of being happy for Ell, she was telling her to be ready for our baby not to make it.

I scoffed, "Seriously? First her dad leaves when she's three and she has you to raise her. Life must've sucked growing up. How can you live with yourself? Her whole life, you blamed her for your mistakes, favored her siblings, never once acted proud of her, and now this? Great Parenting one-oh-one."

"Greg?"

"Yeah, it's Greg. All I can tell you if you ever want a chance to see your grandchild, that will live, is to get your head out of your ass. And one more thing, Elliot isn't a screw up like you used to tell her she was. If anything, she's the best out of your children." I pressed the 'end call' button.

Ever since I met Elliot, she always had family issues; coming to school crying because something her mom said, having to get off the phone because there was a possibility her dad would call even though he never did, or she would rant about the infinite imperfections about her parents. She did have a step-dad that ended up being a great father to her, but there was still that doubt in the back of her mind about where she came from. Her mom has changed over the years, but the verbal abuse is still there without curse words.

When Ell and I would talk during high school, it was always hard to get her to open up. And the way she would talk about things... you could always tell that she was using the words of someone who had been hurt badly. Because she had been.

The little hand on the clock quickly found its way to six and Elliot still wasn't home. The day had taken a turn for the worst. Elliot was having a baby before she was married, I finally realized that must've bothered her. When we were younger I would ask her if she was planning her dream wedding like my sisters were and she'd say, "The best things in life are surprises." But she wouldn't deny wanting a Cinderella ball gown.

That's what I needed to do! Before she started showing, we needed a wedding. But a surprise wedding. She would love it.

Elliot deserved it. She deserved to be loved.... And for once, to feel that love.