The Face At the Window by Ruby Speechley

Author:Ruby Speechley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hera
Published: 2021-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forty-Five

30 July 2018

Scarlett

His face seems to move in slow motion – his eyes widen, mouth drops, his mind probably a muddle as to what to say to me. His eyelashes flutter and for a second I think he’s going to pass out.

‘You can’t be?’ he says at last, dragging his hand down his face, distorting his features.

‘Well, I am.’ How I’m enjoying this moment of victory.

‘You told me you were on the pill,’ he whispers.

‘Is that what I should tell my mum you said?’

‘Have you told her?’

The look on his face – as if I’m squeezing his balls with pliers.

‘Not yet, but I’ll have to at some point, won’t I?’

‘Are you absolutely a hundred per cent sure it’s mine, I mean, if there’s even remotely the chance it could be someone else’s…’

I almost choke on my own tongue. ‘You think I’m a slut, don’t you? There’s been no one except you.’ So that’s it, he thinks the mouse is purer than pure, because she’d never be unfaithful to him.

‘Okay, I’m sorry, I had to ask.’ He blinks at me, his eyes screwed up small like he’s not sure who I am any more. ‘How… how far gone?’

‘About ten weeks.’

He presses his fingers to his eyes and a few moments later they open again. ‘You’ll have a termination, though, won’t you?’

‘Hang on, what about what I want?’ I hold my hand up. He doesn’t want me to mess up his little family.

‘What about your future? I thought you were saving up to do a journalism course?’

‘This is a human being we’re talking about here.’ I point to my stomach. Even I’m convinced I’m pregnant now. I flick my hair over my shoulder. He should be saying he’s over the moon and that of course he’ll leave the mouse and be with me. But he shakes his head, stares at his trainers. ‘I’ll give you money. Whatever it takes. You’re such a talented girl, I don’t want you to ruin your life.’

Jesus, he’s really trying to wriggle out of it. ‘I’m just a girl now, am I? Is that how you see me? Why would having our baby be ruining my life? You’re only thinking about yourself. What if I want this baby?’

‘No, of course you’re not a girl. You’re a sexy young woman. But please don’t do this.’ He walks round in a circle, hand to his head. ‘You can’t have this baby. You just can’t.’

‘Then leave her and we can be together.’

‘How can I when she’s about to give birth? Look, give me a few weeks. Once the baby’s born I’ll be able to think more clearly. I’ll be ready to make a decision, I promise.’ He covers his forehead with his palm.

‘Do you really mean it?’

‘Yes, of course I do. But I can’t promise anything, okay?’

‘Okay.’ He thinks I’m stupid.

‘You know you’re my special girl, don’t you?’ He takes my hand and rubs my skin with his thumb like that first time he touched me in his classroom.

‘In the meantime, what am I supposed to do?’

‘Look after yourself.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.