The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

~SCARLETT~

"I'm freaking out," I tell Clara. I was praying that I wasn't pregnant. However, a part of me already believed that I was.

Jenna had returned ten minutes ago and I'd already taken the test. We were just waiting on the results.

"I'm freaking out," I repeat. "I think I'm going to lose my mind."

"Shh," Clara tries to calm me down. "It's going to be okay. I'm right here; you're not in this alone."

"I'm here for you also, Scarlett," Jenna promised me.

The test was turned upside down in my hand. I was too scared to turn it around. The tension was rising with each second that I stood just staring at it.

"You have to look at it, Scarlett." Clara encouraged me. "If you spend any more time waiting to look at it, that will not change the result.”

I knew she was correct, but that didn't mean that this was easy for me; I was still losing my mind.

I slowly turned it around in my hand and held my breath.

One word.

It was only one tiny word.

But it changed my life for good.

Pregnant.

“Pregnant,” I whisper in disbelief.

I was pregnant with Carter's baby. Carter’s baby! I was pregnant by a man that didn't even want me!

"I can't believe this," Clara whispers. "You're pregnant. I didn't think it would turn out to be true. I was hoping that I was wrong. This is insane.”

"My best friend is pregnant." Jenna gasps. "And the father of her child is Carter freaking Prince!"

"How has he not gotten any other girl pregnant?" Clara asks in disbelief. "Why did it have to be my innocent sister?"

"He probably used protection with everyone else," Jenna answers her. “I’m not sure why he chose to be risky with Scarlett.”

My head was spinning. My entire life was about to change. All of my plans and goals, I could feel it all slipping away.

"I'm pregnant?" I gasp. "Pregnant?"

How was I not screaming yet?

How am I supposed to handle this news?

"It's going to be okay," Clara promises me. "We're not leaving your side. No matter what happens, we will stand by you.”

"She has to tell Carter," Jenna says suddenly. "He has to know what he did. He must own up to his mistakes and be a man for once. We can't let her do this on her own without him.”

"No." I snap. "I don't want to have anything to do with him. Even if he knew about our baby, he wouldn't want anything to do with it. I won't put my child through that. It's better if he doesn't know. It's better for all of us."

In a perfect world, I could tell Carter that I was pregnant and he would be happy. But this was far from a perfect world.

"You can't hide it from him forever, Scarlett," Clara informs me. "Your belly isn't going to stay this size. It's going to get bigger and bigger. Soon enough, everyone in the academy will know that you are pregnant. Even if you hide under those oversized t-shirts, it will still show."

"When that day comes, I'll lie," I inform her. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

"Lie?" She asks.

I nod, "I'll tell him that I slept with someone else after him. I'll tell him that he is not the father of my baby."

Clara sighs, "Scarlett, he will never believe you. He knows the kind of person you are. He knows there is no way you'll sleep with someone else so soon after you both slept together. It won't be hard for him to figure out exactly when you got pregnant; he will know he is the father."

I didn't want to listen to any of this right now. I just knew that I'd never felt this need to protect something as strongly as I did now.

"Give her some time," Jenna whispers. "This can't be easy for her."

Clara nods, "You're right."

They both wrapped their arms around me and pulled me in for a tight hug. I hug them back as thoughts raced through my head.

How was I supposed to get through this?

Eventually, everyone would know that I was pregnant, including my parents.

My parents. Oh no.

What am I supposed to do about them?

They would freak out. I knew that they would. It's the last thing they would ever expect from me.

"Someone's coming in," Jenna says. "Let's get out before they start asking questions."

We do as she says and walk out of the bathroom. The second that we do, I see Carter walking in our direction.

I freeze.

His scent hits me from afar, and it's hard to breathe. Was I more connected to him now that we had slept together? Or was it because I was carrying his baby?

A few of his teammates were by his side, all looking at me. All except him.

I look away as he nears me. Would he even acknowledge me?

I held my breath as he walked straight past me like I meant absolutely nothing to him.

I felt my heart sink.

It was all the proof I needed to know that it was better to keep my pregnancy to myself. Carter didn't have to know anything.