28. Paolo
CHAPTER 28
PAOLO
C hloe all but sprints out of the room, leaving me and my parents staring after her in surprise. “What’s that about?” asks my mother.
“I don’t know,” I say, frowning hard. Mother frowns back at me, and I say, “Let me go and see if she’s okay.”
I push my chair back and start heading towards the door. As I do, I notice Chloe’s dropped something on the ground. I reach down to pick it up and realize it looks like a blister pack of pills.
I squint at them, not sure what they are, but keep walking, not wanting my parents to think I’ve picked up anything weird. Their eyes burn into the back of me as I cross through the doorway, but they don’t matter right now.
Nothing matters as much as Chloe does.
As she got up, she looked the palest I’ve ever seen her. Her face turned a ghostly porcelain, like she was about to throw up. Maybe she’s sick. She didn’t seem sick, but maybe that’s what these pills are for.
As I head down the corridor, I read the information on the pill packet more carefully, trying to figure out what’s going on. It’s got some long medical name that I don’t understand, but then I spot the tagline printed so small I can barely make it out. Europe’s number-one morning sickness brand.
Morning sickness, I think. But that’s…
A sickening realization hits me.
My entire bloodstream freezes me into a block of ice, and I gasp like I’ve been punched in the chest and forgotten how to breathe.
Chloe’s pregnant.
We’ve been married for nearly two months now. Could it be… Is this child mine?
Somehow, I don’t think she would cheat on me. But is it really cheating if a marriage wasn’t real to begin with?
My vision blurs as I hurry to the bathroom. I need answers, and if she is pregnant, then it looks like I’m not the only liar here. I need to see her right now .
I hesitate when I finally reach the bathroom. Do I burst in? Do I knock? This isn’t exactly a problem I’ve dealt with before. I need to see her but I don’t want to surprise her when she’s vulnerable in the bathroom. I don’t want to scare her.
But there has already been enough deception between us. I don’t want any more secrecy.
Making a decision, I lift my fist and knock on the door.
“Occupied,” calls Chloe from within. She doesn’t sound good.
“Chloe it’s me,” I say. “Can I come in?”
“No,” she says shakily.
“I’m worried about you. Please let me help.”
“Okay, fine,” she calls with a shaky sigh. “It’s not locked.”
Carefully, I open the door to find her crouched on the floor next to the toilet, one hand holding back her hair, the other clutching her stomach.
I rush over to her, sinking to my knees next to her. “What’s the matter?” I ask. “What’s happened?”
“Nothing,” she lies, and paranoia creeps around my ribs.
“Are you sure?” I ask. She nods then leans forward to throw up again. Unthinkingly, I reach out to take her hair and pull it out of her face. She doesn’t resist, and I sit there holding her until the vomiting has passed.
Then I sit up on my knees and rummage around in my pocket, looking for the pills. “Are you sure it’s nothing?”
She looks at me with wide, pleading eyes. They’re shining with tears, almost like she’s begging me not to keep asking.
My own hands shaking, I pull the pack of pills out of my pocket and hold them up. “You dropped these,” I say quietly.
She gasps, her hand coming to her mouth, the tears in her pretty green eyes finally falling. She reaches out to snatch the pack away from me but she doesn’t say anything else. There’s not really anything else to say. Nothing except…
“Is it true?” I whisper. “You’re taking these because… because you’re…”
“Because I’m pregnant,” she splutters. “I’m pregnant with your baby.”
I let out the breath I’ve been holding ever since I left the dining room, the relief and shock of the truth washing through me like a thousand shots of adrenaline.
“My baby,” I echo.
“I’m sorry,” she sobs. “I know this wasn’t what you wanted. It’s probably going to make things so much harder than they already are. I didn’t mean for this to happen. And I’ll understand if you don’t want it. If you never want to see me again, I’ll?—”
Not wanting her to spiral any further, I lean in and cut her off with a kiss. As our lips press together, I regret it a little because her lips taste of salty tears and bile, but I can ignore that.
I’m sure I’ll share better-tasting kisses with her in the future. Right now, all that matters is Chloe and me and our unborn baby.
“I do want this,” I say as I pull away, wiping my mouth. “I want this more than I can possibly tell you.” I reach out for her hand. “I’m so sorry for all of the lies. Believe me; I’m being honest now. I want you, Chloe Fontana. I love you.”
She stares at me in shock, and I let the rest of my confession tumble out. “I’ve loved you since the moment I met you. I loved you more every single time I’ve seen you. I know our relationship is weird. I know it’s unorthodox. But if you’ll have me, I promise that I’m going to spend every second proving to you that I can be a good husband. More than that, I’ll prove to you that I can be a good friend. A good lover. A good person.”
This is what I’ve been trying to say to her for such a long time now. This is the least romantic way I could possibly have done it.
But I don’t care. I love her. I mean it so much, my heart could burst. I love her, and I love our baby.
And now it’s up to her to decide if she still wants me.