The connection

Chapter thirteen - Revelations

Alex

When I'd got outside Natalie had been waiting for me, I'd told her me and Chase had detention together and she'd waited for me for moral support. She was such a great friend like that. She eyed me suspiciously as I walked over to her.

"Everything okay? You look a little flushed"

Shit, shit, shit! "Yeah um, just boiling as usual in the detention hall" I stated casualty praying my explanation would satisfy her.

We walked the short way back to my place and ordered a pizza, deciding to chill out with some chick flicks and an extra-large pepperoni pizza. I'd just placed our order and sat on the bed when I noticed her staring at me.

"So, when are you going to talk to me about what happened with you and Chase?" She asked expectantly.

To be fair she'd been pretty understanding so far but I knew it was only a matter of time before she got bored of my silence on the matter. I let out a sigh as I twiddled the material from my bedspread between my fingers.

"He just, he had to make a choice....and it wasn't me" was all I could manage to get out. It was the truth, minus a few details but still the truth.

"A choice?" She frowned

"Yeah, I guess he thinks he's doing what's best" I mumbled as a pulled at the fabric on my bed.

"For you or him?" She questioned. God she wasn't going to give up was she.

"For everyone" I sighed

"Everyone, like more than the two of you were in this choice of his"

How did she always do that, she knew how to get things out of me without even trying?

"I guess.... it's complicated" I frowned back at her hoping her interrogation was over.

"Was he seeing someone else?" Guess not. She was like a dog with a bone tonight. There's no way I could tell her about the baby, I'd already told Josh and couldn't risk telling anyone else chases secret even if it was my best friend. An idea popped into my head.

"It was before me.... the other person"

"Okay...." she willed me to go on

"He dated someone he shouldn't of, then someone blackmailed him. He ended things to keep me from getting hurt"

"Sounds to me like he ended things to protect himself" she shrugged.

She couldn't be further from the truth. I know chase didn't want to end things with me but there was no other way, he was going to be a dad and I couldn't stand in the way of that. I hated the thought of Natalie judging him like she was, but it was better for her to think badly of him than know the truth.

"He was protecting us both" I spoke in barely a whisper, emotion cracking through my voice.

"Hey, sorry I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought you guys were serious you know. He didn't seem the sort to give in so easily and throw it all away over some silly texts"

I thought about what she said for a minute and then it hit me like a sledgehammer. I hadn't told her about the texts. How did she know.

"How do you know about the texts?" I asked, my tone suspicious as I surveyed her for a reaction.

"I just assumed. You said blackmail so it's a logical connection" she pleaded not seeming very convincing.

"Bullshit" I spat getting up from the bed. "How do you know about them Natalie, tell me the truth" I demanded, my patience wearing thin.