Let's pretend (book 1)

chapter 9: a distraction

Zachary Walton's P.O.V

"No, he didn't just break up with me. He forced me to abort my baby. Our baby."

I dropped my fork down looking at her thoughtfully. She said he left for London, Andy left for London at 17. Did she really want to have a baby at 17? I didn't know what to say or what to think. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fazed. No, I was, and I also felt like strangling Andy right now for not being careful. I had to choose my words wisely. I kept opening and closing my mouth.

"I... I shouldn't have told you about it. I didn't mean to shock you."

She said offering a smile but the hurt was evident in her eyes as well as her face. I reached out and took her hand in mine kissing it gently.

"No, I'm just upset you had to go through this at an early age but I'm glad you could trust me enough to confide in me. It means a lot."

I let my gaze study every detail of her face while she had her eyes looking at our hands softly. She didn't want to admit it, but I could tell she was affected by me, by my touch. This morning was just proof of that. She burst into my office so angry like a madwoman, and it only took one touch for me to have her voice soften and her body to relax. My eyes wandered to her plump lips and I groaned wanting nothing but to feel them against mine again. I seem to have caught her attention as she looked up at me questioningly. Oh so innocent.

I cleared my throat and asked for the check. "Why would you be so... reckless to let him knock you up in the first place?"

I saw hurt flash in her eyes and I regretted asking her that as she just drew her hand back and looked at me raising an eyebrow. Wrong words Zachary!

"Do you know that I never had any boyfriend after Andy? You want to know why?"

I raised an eyebrow in response encouraging her to keep talking "because, even though I hate to speak in general, but all men are the same." Maybe she saw the confused look in my eyes because she immediately tried to explain it more to me.

"It's easy. Boy notices quiet girl, the boy is determined to win a bet and play the quiet girl. He makes her fall for him. Maybe he did love her, but not enough to stick around or to respect her wishes. Boy wants to sleep with the girl who keeps saying she's not ready, until one night..." she paused making my heart clench as I saw tears welling in her eyes.

"You don't have to continue Elise," I said realizing how much pain she was feeling.

"No, I want to. So as I was saying, until one night, the boy takes her out, encourages her to drink enough to get her light-headed at first. Then, he gets her drunk, takes her to a hotel, and takes away the most precious thing she had. Not even bothering to use protection." She was holding the sobs in at this point.

I didn't care about the bill anymore. I just wanted to get her out of here and comfort her. And that's what I did. I put a few hundred on the table and took her hand in mine leading her to my car. Once we're settled in the back seat I pull her to me feeling her hot breath fanning my neck.

"Next day, I woke up sore, all alone in that hotel room with a note saying 'I'll see you around Collins'. And after that, even when he saw me in the hallways he would avoid me, or even bully me with the other jocks." She looked up at me seeing my own tears starting to form in my eyes and gently stroke my cheek comforting me while I should be the one comforting her.

"A couple of months later, I knew I was pregnant and told him. He treated me of the worst things anyone could imagine, before accusing me of it not being his. He told me to get rid of the baby but I wouldn't, I'm not heartless. I knew keeping it would destroy me, my future, career but I just couldn't go through with it. Andy, played me again, making me believe he changed his mind and was ready for us to do this together, only to put some pills in my juice making me lose my baby. Next day I learn from a teacher he left for London."