Predator

Chapter Ten

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"So...you were just going to give her your baby?"

My mouth is dry. Quinn sits cross-legged on my bed, hands clenched in her tousled blonde hair. So apparently the 'more important baby' I subconsciously hated never even existed at all. Terri Schuester is not pregnant. And had all went as planned, she was going to take Quinn's and pass it off as her own. What the hell?!

"Rachel, I had no idea what was supposed to happen," she says. "Terri gave me money for supplements, doctor's appointments... I had no way to pay for them myself. And I knew exactly where my baby was going. You know Mr. Schue, he's such a great guy."

My jaw clenches.

"I knew him and his wife would give my baby a better life than I ever could," she continues. "I mean, I'm kicked out of my own house for crying out loud."

This is crazy. I'm not even sure that this would be legal! And to give it to him?! The very person I'm making sure is not involved with my baby?! And how am I just hearing about this, we tell each other about every little thing! "Does Finn know?" I ask incredulously.

"No."

She suddenly looks very uncomfortable, which alarms me. Finn didn't know that the adoptee of his baby was going to be his very own teacher?! Unknowingly?! Quinn presses her fingers to her temples and lets out a low, long sigh.

"Rachel," she starts, "I...we trust each other, right? I mean, I know last week I screwed up, but I'm really the only person you talk to. And I'm fairly certain that you've only told me about the rape. So I can tell you something...right?"

"Yes," I answer, suspicion tracing my voice. What more has she not told me?

Quinn takes a deep breath. "Finn is not the father. Puck is."

My jaw drops. "What?! You've been lying to him this entire time?!"

"It was a mistake!" she exclaims. "It was over the summer, he got me drunk on wine coolers and I just...let him do his thing. It was the lowest moment of my life, I didn't want to cheat! And I've never even had sex with Finn, don't ask me what he thinks happened."

"Does-"

"Puck knows," she confirms. "He wants to be the father, but it has to be Finn. He's been helping me with money, too. And he said that Mercedes knows, he told her for some reason, so I've been talking to her about it." Quinn looks up from her hands and into my eyes. "She wants me to tell Finn the truth. She...she even told me she'll take me in after he-"

Suddenly she chokes on her words,  tears spilling over her eyes. "Dumps me," she finishes. "But how the hell am I supposed to tell him?"

I don't know what to say. I really don't. How could she be hiding so much inside all this time? She told me about her body problems, money problems, other little things...how could she let on so much and yet keep this a secret? Not only from me, but from Finn!

"Quinn, you have to tell him!" I say. "It would be cruel to keep this from him! And a secret like this is just going to eat you up inside, it'll drive you insane."

"It already has, trust me," she says quietly.

"Sit down with him, have a civil conversation," I advise. "Don't let him find out from Puck or anyone else. It has to be from you."

She nods, wiping away tears. "You're right, Rachel. Thank you."

She gives me a tight hug, grabs her purse, and slips out of my bedroom. What a crazy situation! Then again, I'm in one too. But I can't even imagine lying to the person I love every day, leading them on like that. And what an awful thing to lie about!