Safety Net

11

Jo woke up to the sun beaming through the window to kiss her nose and cheeks, and a fresh blanket of snow. She fluttered her eyes open to look out the window. Everything was peaceful— almost perfect.

She placed her hand on her stomach, grinning. She flinched as she felt another hand on top of hers. She let out a breath as she heard a familiar yet unsettling voice "Is the baby kicking?"

Jo crawled out of bed, uncomfortable. She grabbed her white tee shirt, glancing back at Paul, waiting for him to get out or look away. He gave her a look, saying; Go ahead. She bit her cheek, bundling the shirt in her hands. She wasn't comfortable with that, but being too terrified to say anything, she slid her super baggy grey shirt over her head. She gasped as she looked in the mirror. She had started showing, and by the looks of it, it happened a while ago. She put her hand on her stomach, grinning wildly. She opened her mouth to call her boyfriend, Alex, closing it quickly. She cleared her throat and tossed her old shirt on the bed. She felt Paul brush up against her from behind, pulling her closer by her hips. He kissed her neck, sending tingles down to her toes (not the good kind). She felt herself become helpless and scared for a second before pushing away from him "No, that's not how this will go. I have boundaries. This is my body. I've let you hit and tease me, but i'm not letting you do this. This isn't happening." She grabbed her shirt, walking out. She ran into the bathroom, locking herself in. She took a few deep, shaky breaths before breaking down into sobs. What did she get herself into?