My Personal Stalker

Chapter 42: Unprepared

I open the door with the key Aileen once gave me. The lights are out except for a small lamp in the corner of the living room. As I step closer I see Aileen sitting in the cone of light with an ice cream bucket in her hands. Her eyes are red and glazed.

"Sweety?" I ask as carefully as possible. "Where are your parents?"

"Out of town..." She whispers, not even looking at me.

I sit down next to her and wrap my arm around her shoulder. Aileen's breathing is low but regular. After a while she lets her head fall onto my shoulder. I keep waiting for her to start speaking but she doesn't. "So... what's going on?"

She answers without lifting her head to face me. "Can you promise not to tell anyone? Not even Joe or Noah."

"Aileen, I just walked out on Noah when he tried to tell me something. I think I owe him an explanation."

Finally, she looks me in the eye. "Please, nobody can know about this. I need you to promise me as my best friend that this will stay between us."

I swallow hard at what she's asking from me. I don't know if I can lie to the love of my life and one of my best friends... but Aileen's pained eyes show me that I don't really have a choice. "Alright, I won't tell anyone."

For a split second the corner of her mouth twitches upward. "Well, you know that Joe and I have been together for a while and we're happy with the way things currently are."

"Then why are you fighting? You guys are perfect for each other."

Aileen takes a deep breath. "About a week ago I noticed that something was wrong with me. I was feeling sick all the time and my body was aching for no apparent reason. To make sure I went to a pharmacy and explained my symptoms to the pharmacist. She told me that there could be different reasons for my sickness but the most likely one was pregnancy."

I hold my breath, not knowing how to react. "So, are you...?"

"According to five different tests, yes." She bites her lip nervously.

"How could that happen? I thought you were using protection."

"Yes, usually we were but there was this one time. Do you remember how we went to your room to give Noah and you some time to talk?" I nod quickly. "We couldn't find a condom in your room and we thought one time wouldn't matter. Well, apparently it does."

"Aileen, I'm so sorry. Have you talked to Joe about it?"

"I wanted to. The day after I found out, I went to his place to tell him. Of course, he was out with some friends, so I called him again and again but he didn't pick up. I was worried sick. That's why I drove around town to find him and eventually I did." She looks down at her hands. "I know it's stupid because it's not his fault but I was so angry with him. I needed him to be there for me, more than anything, and he didn't even pick up his phone. It all made me think. Maybe I shouldn't burden him with this. We're both not ready to be parents and I think it would be best if I just... He wouldn't even have to know."

"I can't even imagine what you're going through right now but this is not the right way to do it. We both know that if you told Joe about this, he would be by your side and support you wherever he can. Sweety, it's his child too. He deserves to know the truth."

Aileen's jaw tenses at my words. "I've already made my decision. If I tell him, it will only make things worse. You can go to the doctor with me to make an appointment but if you can't support me with my decision, I think it would be best if you just stay out of it."

I flinch at her harshness. Still, I can't let her make this mistake. "Aileen, please, you have to talk to him. If you won't do it for my sake or your own, at least do it for his. He has always been there for you and he would want to know."

Tears are filling her eyes. "I can't do this right now, please leave. And if you tell him about this, I swear to god..." With that being said she storms out and slams the door of her room behind her.

Great.

-

I spend the whole morning searching for Joe until I finally see him leaving his favorite bakery. "Joe!" I shout from the other side of the street.

He looks around hastily until seeing me on the other side. Without hesitation he runs over the street to where I'm standing. "Did you talk to her? What did she say?"

"I did but I can't tell you." I shift from one foot to the other feeling guilty about not telling him.

"Are you serious right now? I need to know what's going on! Is she in danger? Is she seeing someone else? Please tell me she isn't!"

"Look, you have to calm down and collect your thoughts. Then you go over to her with this key" I hand him the key to Aileen's flat. "and convince her to talk to you."

"If she doesn't want to talk to me, there's nothing I can do."

"Trust me, deep down she wants to and more than that needs to talk to you. You just can't give her a choice. This is important, probably more important than anything else. Can you promise me not to give up until she has told you the truth?" I grab Joe's shoulder trying to make myself clear.

"Yes, I promise but I still don't understand why you..."

Before he can finish his sentence, Noah's voice interrupts us. "Chloe, I've been looking all over for you. What's going on?"

I turn around to face my boyfriend. "Noah, I'm so sorry. It was an emergency but I can't talk about it." When I notice Joe still standing next to us, I turn to him once more. "What are you waiting for? Go and talk to her!"

"Right..." Quickly, he disappears around the next corner.

Noah looks me over from head to toe. "I'm guessing things didn't go so well with Aileen."

I groan rubbing my eyes in exhaustion. "Let's just say it's complicated. Anyway, there's something important you wanted to tell me last night?"

"Yes, can we talk in private?" He looks almost anxious. Hopefully, his secret won't be worse than Aileen's. There's only so much I can take.