Lavender

Chapter Thirteen

OMG 500+ reads!! I'm astounded.
I can't thank all of you enough, and I'm so excited to hear what everyone thinks of the story so far!
And since you guys are so amazing, I think you deserve another update! So here ya go 😘

"Shut up," Kimi yells. "Who's the dad then? I didn't even realize you were seeing someone other than Theo, you guys are always together." She frowns at me, disappointed that I wouldn't keep her in the loop.

"You wouldn't know him, he's from back home. Honestly it's a long story..." I don't know if letting the truth out feels as good as everyone says it does. My gut feels like it's a hundred pounds, and my heart feels like it might explode.

"Well go on! I've got nothing but time," she states before kicking her shoes off and crossing her pink sock covered feet on top of the glass coffee table.

"Okay." I take a couple breaths to calm myself before continuing, "So a few months ago, almost six to be exact, my grandfather was diagnosed with stage four liver cancer. You see, I was extremely close with him. My parents weren't around much. So naturally, I took the news badly. I was going to lose someone I loved.. the only person I've ever really loved." Wetness starts pooling in my eyes, remembering how it felt to have my world fall apart with just one word- cancer.

"Anyways, he died about a week after finding out, and my friends thought it would be good for me to get out of the house. I was starting to become a recluse; not going to classes, not attending my sorority meetings, not eating, not sleeping." Hiccups bubble out of me as tears start to pour down my face, knowing what happens next.

"I don't remember anything after walking into the frat house, other than bits and pieces of the night. After I woke up in some guy's bed the next day, I went home and never spoke a word about that night to anyone. Later that month, I missed a period, so I took a pregnancy test just to be safe, and it came back positive. I'm carrying the child of a guy I don't even remember sleeping with." I place my hands over my face as the shame of that night, that I've been carrying ever since, finally comes spilling out of me.

Sure it felt refreshing to not be the only person who knew, but this is also one of the most humiliating moments of my life.

"Do you know who he was?" Kimi asks quietly, while holding my hands in her lap.

"Yes, his name was Kevin. Kevin Compton. I'll never forget his name. He actually had a thing for me before that night. We went on a date once, and afterwards he wouldn't leave me alone."

"Was it consensual?" She asks the question that I've been too afraid to ask myself all these months.

A fresh set of tears starts to build in my eyes, and I have to dab them with a tissue before I can speak again, "I don't know. I think I remember trying to tell him to stop, but it's all a blur."

"Even so, if you didn't say yes, then it wasn't consensual, Cora," she says looking me fiercely in the eye.  "We need to find him and press charges! He raped you, Cora! Took advantage of you when you were grieving and under the influence! That's not okay," she rants, fire burning in her eyes.

"No, I don't want to do anything like that. I can't prove anything. I can't remember saying yes or no, I could have been begging him for it, for all I know." My breath flutters. "That's why I left and came here. So that no one could find me, and no one would ever know."

"I won't push you to do anything you're not comfortable with, but know that I've got your back no matter what. You may remember saying no one day, and we can go from there, but right now let's focus on the present. What are you going to do?"

"Well obviously I'm keeping the baby," I say pulling my shirt tightly over my torso, as to show Kimi my tiny baby bump for the first time. "But as far as telling Theo, I have no clue. I could break things off and just not ever mention it to him, or I could tell him the truth and risk the chance of him hating me and wanting nothing more to do with me, like he did with Theresa. Either way I lose him!"

"Wait, what do you mean with Theresa? Theo hates her because she's needy and annoying and doesn't know when to take no for an answer," she asks with her brows furrowed in confusion.

"I bumped into her in the restroom at a movie theater last night, and she told me all about hers and Theo's pregnancy scare," I inform her.

To my surprise she starts laughing.

"What's so funny?" I ask with a bit of edge to my voice, not seeing how this situation could be considered even remotely funny.

"She's such a bitch! Listen Cora, I've known Theo for a while now, pretty well in fact. And I know for a fact that they never had a pregnancy scare. Ever. Yes Theo had the reputation of a player before he met you, a man whore if you will, but he was always over the top safe. He always wore a condom, he always asked if they were on birth control, and he always had them take a morning-after pill the next day, for further precaution. I know because I've had to sit through many drunken nights of my boyfriend asking him every possible question you could think of." Her eyes threaten to roll completely to the back of her head.

"Wow. So she was just trying to connive her way back to him!" The thought of Theresa getting her claws on Theo again has me seeing red.

"Exactly. Now I know for sure that Theo is in love with you. If you love him back, I think you owe it to him to let him know the truth. He deserves to hear it from you. And I can't guarantee that he'll react in a good way, but I'm sure that it will work out in the end. You guys were meant for each other," she says with a reassuring smile.

"You're right, damn it. I have to tell him. I will tell him. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is good," she giggles.

"I do have a question for you though."

"Go ahead," she chirps.

"Would you come with me to find out the sex? I've been putting it off because it didn't seem right finding out alone," I say truthfully.

"Absolutely! When?"

I look at my watch before answering, "In two hours, actually."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two and a half hours later, I'm once again laying on top of the crunchy paper covering the bed in the doctor's office. Doctor Ashworth smears the cool gel around my stomach with a big wand that's connected to the monitor beside me. Kimi sits in the chair next to me, squeezing my hand tightly.

"Alrighty, it looks like we have ourselves a bouncing baby girl!" The doctor states pointing to where a small nub would be located if it were a boy, and Kimi yelps in excitement.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so getting us matching outfits! And we can paint her nails, and braid her hair! I can't believe you're going to have a daughter!" She's more excited about it than even I am. I laugh at her response before giggling and cheering along with her.

"I'm going to have a daughter!"