Yes Please || c.g. {complete}

Either Way

48

.Layla.

He held me for a long time without saying another word. He rubbed my back and kissed me through my hair. It was killing me not to hear his voice or see his face. What was he thinking?

I pulled away gently, hoping to read his expression. To say that he looked pensive would be an understatement.

"Please say something," I whispered.

"How long have you known?" he asked quietly.

"A few hours," I replied. "I had my suspicions this morning, though. I'm sorry I was so mean to you all day."

He smirked. "You know I thought you were crazy, right?"

I laughed, but tears came out, too.

"Aw hey come on, I'm sorry," he smiled, pulling me into a hug again.

I sniffed and gave him a little squeeze before leaning back enough to see his face. "Please tell me what you're thinking."

He looked down before meeting my gaze. "Are you...keeping it?"

"No, of course not!" I said quickly, hoping to ease his stress.

"Oh," he replied, his expression unreadable. He looked down again.

I sighed, looking at the ceiling in an attempt to quell the tears. "Having a baby right now would completely ruin any chance I have of finishing school. It might ruin your chance of finishing the academy, if I let it. I wouldn't, though. I could never expect that of you."

He looked at me. "Do you think I wouldn't help you or something?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "I'm just saying I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to. This is totally my fault for not-"

"No, don't say that," he interrupted.

"I should have known about the side effects of the medicine I was taking," I sighed, wiping another tear.

"Layla, I fucking put the thing there," he said, seemingly agitated. "This is just as much, if not more, my fault than it is yours."

I stared at my lap for a moment before I looked up at him. He looked so disappointed. "Carl, I will take care of it," I said softly.

He looked at me with a pained expression. "Is that what you want?"

I nodded. "It's the only thing to do." I paused when he didn't react. "Right?"

"It's not up to me," he said quietly, shaking his head.

We were both silent for awhile.

.....

.Carl.

She wanted to get rid of it. Just like that. She had been wrestling with this decision all day; I'd known about the situation all of fifteen minutes. It was a lot to process. Did I want her to keep it? I suppose not in theory; we were both young and had school to finish. So why did the thought of her terminating her pregnancy make me feel so sad?

It was, of course, not my decision. I had to respect her wishes. Sure I helped create it, but I wouldn't be the one carrying it for nine months if we were to go through with it. It was a completely life changing decision.

I looked at her as she sat forward with her elbow resting on her knee and her hand in her hair. This was the girl I loved. If I had to be in this situation with anyone, this was who I wanted to be in it with. Sure, the thought of having a baby was terrifying, but as I looked at her, and I thought about us, it actually made me smile. Even if she didn't go through with this right now, this was the girl I wanted carrying my child someday.