The Quiet Voice | Complete

Chapter 13

Chelsea thought about Mila the entire time driving home. She tried calling her at every stop, but Mila never answered.

I wonder what could be so important that she broke her silence to message me? wondered Chelsea aloud. She was alone in her car but had become accustomed to speaking out aloud to God, as if He were her travelling companion.

Chelsea knew that she wouldn't get an audible answer, she would however feel Him speaking to her soul as she laid her heart bare before His feet in prayer.

Chelsea's favourite 'me time' with God was driving alone in her car. So many fears had been calmed and so many questions answered when offered in prayer.

Lord, please be with Mila when I can't. Please guide her heart and give her peace, prayed Chelsea, feeling deep within her heart that Mila was going through many trials and tribulations. Not once imagining that she might be affected, or that her world as she knew it, was so close to destruction.

Jonathan's heart raced when Mila's name appeared on the caller ID of his cellphone. He pulled his car to the side of the road and took a deep breath before answering.

"Hi there stranger," he teased, answering the call with a stomach full of knots, "long time no see... or speak..."

"Hi Jonathan," was all that Mila could manage to say. It took all of her strength to utter even those two words. She'd been sitting for what felt like an eternity with her cellphone in hand and his name on the screen before eventually working up enough courage to press the call button. "We need to talk."

"Is everything okay Mila? You sound so upset." Jonathan could feel his blood turning cold, far too many ideas of what the problem could be, running through his mind.

"No Jonathan, everything isn't okay." Mila knew that she needed to break the news to Jonathan. He was after all the father of her baby, but she was too afraid of what he would say when he found out; or how he would react.

"Would you like to talk about it?" offered Jonathan. He absolutely hated hearing the fear in her voice.

Mila's silence on the other side of the line had him worried. Jonathan had never seen her sad or angry in all the time that he'd known her, it was one of the things he really loved about her.

Even though he hadn't seen her in a while, his heart still longed for her. He still missed their secret time spent together and the way she made him feel.

"Mila... are you still there?" asked Jonathan wondering if she'd possibly hung up on him. Her silence made him worry even more.

"Yes. I'm still here," whispered Mila. Mostly to herself but loud enough that Jonathan could hear. "I'm actually not too sure why I called," she confessed. "I think that I just missed hearing a familiar, friendly voice." She smiled to herself, thinking back on how wonderful his arms felt around her waist, always making her feel loved and safe. But mostly making her feel wanted and needed.

"I shouldn't have called. It was a mistake, come to think of it," Mila couldn't find it in her heart to tell Jonathan that she was pregnant with his child. She knew that it would ruin his relationship with Chelsea and being responsible for that, would kill her. "I was just checking in to make sure that you're travelling home safely. Sorry I missed the last few weeks of university. I had a family emergency that I had to rush home to take care of." Mila prayed that the tone of her voice wouldn't give her away, she was never great at telling a lie.

"Thanks for the call Mila, we really missed you. Chelsea kept hoping that you would make it back in time for the dance. She was so upset that you left without saying a word to her." Jonathan was so happy to know that Mila was fine. Hearing her voice was a shock, but such a relief at the same time.