A Road to Let Go (Fallen Tuesday #4) (9 page)

Jake gritted his teeth.
“
I
’
m
not yelling at anyone. You shouldn
’
t
have called that many times. Or texted. Or left voicemails.
”

“
You
should have told me what you were doing.
”

“
Why?
”

Chloe put a hand to her stomach.
That was answer enough. It was Jake
’
s
responsibility to tell Chloe what was happening. They were together, at least
Chloe believed so. She lived in his apartment. She was carrying his child. She
had the right to know what he was doing.

“
I
care about you,
”
Chloe
said.
“
You leave and don
’
t come back until the next
morning. What am I supposed to think?
”

Jake looked down at the bag again.
“
I have something for you.
”

Chloe spotted the bag.
“
I take it that
’
s not a diamond ring.
”

“
You
already think we
’
re married.
”

Chloe scoffed.
“
I just don
’
t want people to think I
’
m a whore.
”

“
Oh?
Aren
’
t you the one who came
back for Trent and ended up with me?
”

Chloe stood. The chair fell back
and hit a wall. She covered her mouth and blinked as her eyes glossed over.

“
How
could you say something like that?
”

“
You
offered yourself to Trent,
”
Jake said.
“
Even after we
were together. That
’
s why
you were crying that one night
…”

“
No,
”
Chloe said, lying with ease.
“
No.
”

“
I
’
m not going there right now,
”
Jake said. He threw the bag to
the table.
“
Look.
”

Chloe opened the bag and took out
the pregnancy test. She looked at the box and then at Jake.
“
What the hell is this for?
”

“
I
want to see.
”

“
See
what, Jake?
”

Chloe was getting angry. She looked
nasty, ready for a fight.

“
I
want to see it,
”
Jake said.
“
I want to see the test say
positive or plus or whatever it does
…”

“
Why?
You don
’
t believe me?
”

Jake knew his answer needed to be
chosen carefully.
“
I just
want to see, Chloe. Okay? You came to me and told me you were pregnant. How
many tests did you take?
”

“
Three,
”
Chloe said.

“
Did
you see a doctor yet?
”

“
It
’
s too early. But I have an
appointment
…”

“
When?
What date? What time?
”

Chloe looked flustered. Her face
turned red as she was backed into a corner of lies.
“
Uh
…
I didn
’
t mean it like that.
”

“
How
did you mean it then?
”

“
I
’
m making an appointment,
”
Chloe said.
“
Now that I
’
ve been feeling sick every
morning?
”

“
Did
you throw up this morning?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
How
many times?
”

Chloe opened her mouth and her chin
shook.
“
I don
’
t believe this.
”

“
Believe
what?
”

“
You
really don
’
t believe me,
Jake.
”

“
I
never said that. You just
…
I feel like I never get the whole story with you. Sorry.
”

Chloe held the pregnancy test and
sighed.
“
I can
’
t believe the man I love doesn
’
t trust me.
”

“
Love?
”

“
Yeah.
I love you.
”

Jake didn
’
t reply. There was no way in hell he was going to
let that slip from his mouth. No matter what Chloe wanted or expected out of
him. Jake would not throw that around like it was nothing.

“
Ouch,
”
Chloe whispered.
“
I can
’
t believe this is happening. You left yesterday and
everything was fine. This is the band's fault. Those guys hate me. Especially
Trent. He did all this, didn
’
t
he?
”

“
No.
”

“
Yeah,
he did. And the others. Mack always hated me. And Luke and Gray just go along
with whatever. Trent is bitter because he got arrested. He blames me, but I
didn
’
t force him to get
into a car while drunk.
”

“
I
’
m not talking about that stuff,
”
Jake said.
“
I
’
m
talking about right now. I want proof.
”

There it was. The word.
Proof.
That was the truth. It wasn
’
t
necessarily about
seeing
. It was about proof. That
’
s what he wanted. Proof that
Chloe was pregnant. And Jake knew he had every damn right to demand it.

“
Fine,
”
Chloe said.
“
This is what you want then.
”

“
Yes.
”

“
I
’
m going to
prove
it all
to you then. Prove that I care about you. Prove that I love you. Prove that I
am pregnant.
”
Chloe took
two steps and stopped.
“
I
can
’
t believe I have to do
this. Like I
’
m some terrible
person.
”

Jake didn
’
t reply. He felt himself cracking a little. The old
part of him wanted to rush to her and say he was sorry for bringing it up. It
didn
’
t seem right that a
woman should have to do this
…
but it was Chloe. This was a whole different set of circumstances.

As Chloe stood looking at Jake, he
just waited her out.

“
You
were the one that took me to bed,
”
she whispered.

“
You
let me.
”

“
You
wanted me.
”

Jake walked to the kitchen to find
something to eat. His stomach was empty, but his appetite didn
’
t exist at that moment.

After forcing himself to eat, Jake
sat at the table and waited. He looked at the small sliver of light coming from
the bottom of the bathroom door. He wondered what the hell was going through
Chloe
’
s mind. He had no
idea what she would do or say if she came out of the bathroom and the pregnancy
test said she wasn
’
t
pregnant. Jake vowed he would kick her out of the apartment on the spot.

He couldn
’
t tolerate anymore. He knew he messed up, but if
she wasn't pregnant, then he wasn't going to allow her to destroy his life, or
the band, ever again.

The bathroom door opened and Chloe
came out of the bathroom. She folded her arms and leaned against the wall.

“
Done,
”
she said.

“
And
…
?
”

“
You
want to see. Go see.
”

“
Where
is it?
”

“
On
the sink. You want me to bring it out? Want my pee all over your table?
”

Chloe was just being bitchy now.

Jake walked and Chloe threw her arm
out. She grabbed Jake
’
s
shirt.

“
Why?
Tell me why, Jake?
”

He looked at Chloe. Those eyes.
Those
damn beautiful eyes.
Sexy. Seductive. Passionate. Sometimes even innocent.
Damn.

“
I
don
’
t know,
”
Jake whispered.
“
None of this feels real, Chloe.
Sorry.
”

Chloe licked her lips and nodded.
She moved her hand and Jake went into the bathroom. The pregnancy test balanced
on the sink. Jake prepared himself for this moment. His life would change no
matter what.

Jake looked down and it was clear
as day. There was no mistaking the answer as it stared back at him.

A plus sign.

A fucking plus sign.

Jake shut his eyes. He gripped the
sides of the sink and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and looked again.
The answer was the still the same.

The test was positive.

Chloe was pregnant.

“
Do
you believe me now?
”

Jake looked at saw Chloe in the
doorway.
“
Chloe
…”

“
Do
you think I had some pregnant piss hidden under the sink? Think I cheated on
the test? Want me to take ten more? I will. If that
’
s what you want, Jake.
”

“
Look,
I
’
m sorry then. I just
needed to see it.
”

“
Why?
Why can
’
t you trust me?
”

“
Chloe,
do you remember anything from the past?
”

Chloe turned her head.
“
So my mistakes will haunt me
forever then?
”

“
I
never said that,
”
Jake said.
“
I just
…
I just never know with you.
”

“
I
’
m here right now, aren
’
t I? Where am I going to go?
”

“
You
need me,
”
Jake said.
“
Because you
’
re pregnant.
”

Chloe
’
s
jaw dropped.
“
So I
’
m just some used up woman?
”

“
Please,
”
Jake said. He swatted at the
pregnancy test and it fell into the sink.
“
I
just can
’
t do this.
”

Jake tried to leave the bathroom,
but Chloe was trying to stand her ground. He grabbed Chloe by the waist and
lifted her to move her. But Chloe was fast. She wrapped her legs around Jake
and touched his face.

“
No,
”
he whispered.

“
Yes,
”
Chloe said.
“
Yes, baby. Yes. It
’
s ours."

Jake kept walking and he told
himself to push Chloe away. Put her down and walk the hell away. But he didn
’
t. He couldn
’
t. Before Jake knew it, his lips
were touching Chloe
’
s.

Shit. Don
’
t
…

“
Yes,
”
Chloe kept whispering between
kisses.
“
Take me, Jake. I
need your body.
”

Jake
’
s
body warmed up. He hated (and loved) to hear Chloe talking like this.

Jake rushed to the bedroom. He
leaned down and Chloe fell to the bed. She put her hands over her head and bit
her lip. Her shirt pulled up. When Jake saw Chloe
’
s
bare stomach, he froze. It was flat.

But it wouldn
’
t be for long.

There was life in there. Life that
would connect Jake and Chloe forever.

Chloe reached down and pushed at
her pajama bottoms. She revealed more skin and Jake reached down and squeezed
her hand.

“
No,
”
Jake said.
“
I can
’
t do it.
”

“
What?
”

“
I
just can
’
t.
”

“
Because
I
’
m pregnant?
”

“
Chloe
…”

Chloe grabbed the covers and pulled
them over herself.
“
You
’
re a terrible guy sometimes,
Jake. You can
’
t even handle
this. You can
’
t handle
anything you
’
ve done. You
’
re too afraid. That
’
s why I wanted Trent."

Jake stiffened and looked down at
Chloe.

There was plenty to say to her, but
he chose not to say it. Instead, Jake left the bedroom. By the time he realized
that he had grabbed his keys and was leaving his own apartment, he was already
driving away. He had a guitar in the backseat and no place to go.