Rule Four || Dream

⏮Red String: 10⏮

{Erie}

Finally! Today will be the day I hear of Shizuka's visit to the doctor! I've been so worried about her for the longest time! She would never tell me, for some reason. Was the news that bad?

She was driving me to some place. She told me she wasn't sure herself. She just couldn't be sitting down in her house or a restaurant. 

Her hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly as she drove. I reached over to rub her knuckles, and she jumped slightly. Her green eyes grew big as she glanced over at me.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm a bit nervous..." she trailed off, concentrating on the road again.

I stroked her knuckles soothingly, hoping she would relax. But nothing I did made her relax. She looked so stiff while driving.

"Shizuka, what happened at the doctor's office?" I asked, straight-forward.

There was no need in beating around the bush. She knew she had to tell me sometime.

We stopped at a railroad crossing, where a train was going by. Shizuka turned to face me, and I looked back at her. Upon closer inspection, I saw tears making their way down her face. I leaned in and wiped them away. Seeing my beautiful Shizuka cry made my heart hurt.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

Shizuka squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. She looked into my eyes sadly before saying two words I thought I wouldn't have to hear from her.

"I'm pregnant."

She's pregnant. Shizuka's pregnant. The woman of my dreams is pregnant. With somebody's child. No way. This isn't possible.

"You're not...you can't be..."

Shizuka nodded her head slowly. "I'm so sorry, Erie."

Sorry? Why was she sorry? I was going to find the person who defiled this beautiful creature, and make them pay. I felt myself heating up with fury.

"Who did it?" I growled.

"What?" She asked, looking puzzled.

"Who did this to you? When did it happen? I can't believe somebody took advantage of you! Were you drunk? What bar were you in? What--"  

"Nobody took advantage of me!" Shizuka interrupted. The tears came more rapidly down her beautiful face.

Nobody? How could she get pregnant without somebody doing something to her? I was about to ask her, when I realized we weren't dating. Somebody else was dating her. Hiroshi. My cousin.

"It's...Hiroshi's?" I asked, hoping it wasn't true.

But, much to my dismay, she nodded her head. I turned away from her and sat back in my seat. She's having a baby with my cousin. My cousin touched her in the ways I used to. I shook the disgusting image from my mind. This had to be another nightmare of mine.

Why wasn't I waking up?

"Why?" I questioned.

Shizuka shook her head. "I have no excuse."

"Tell me. Now."

"It was a mistake...I did it because...I wanted to forget about you--"

"Are you serious? That stuff is supposed to be intimate, and done when you love someone. Not to forget about your ex!"

"But what about when we did it?" Shizuka asked, wiping her face.

"I loved you then. I still love you. I wasn't sure if you loved me, but you must have. Especially since we continually did it. Unless you were using me."